MY daily reflection and prayer:
Saturday, March 5, 2016
The Saturday prayer for Priests
The Third Week of Lent
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Luke 18:9-14
Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
IN today’s Gospel Jesus Christ teaches us how to pray with humble and contrite heart. Jesus critisizes the Pharisee’s prayer. For Jesus it is not prayer at all; it is a self-righteous discourse. It is a false prayer.
Instead of the Pharisee’s prayer, we have to pray like the tax collector. He is justified not because he has done all of the right things, but because he has the humility to recognize his own sinfulness. He is praying in his humility and contrite heart.
From the Gospel today we learn to pray with humble and contrite heart. Humility is an essential element of our prayer. It is one of the most important characteristics of our prayer.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist while adoring Jesus Christ, we pray and approach God with our humility. There we realize and recognize our sinfulness and weakness that we receive everything good from him. This makes our prayer fruitful because God loves a humble and contrite heart.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be humble when we approach you in prayer. Grant us humble and contrite heart. We want to have a deep and intimate relationship with you founded on substantial humility now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
