那時,耶穌也向幾個自充為義人,而輕視他人的人,設了這個比喻:「有兩個人上聖殿去祈禱:一個是法利塞人,另一個是稅吏。那個法利塞人立著,心裏這樣祈禱:天主,我感謝你,因為我不像其他的人,勒索、不義、奸淫,也不像這個稅吏。我每周兩次禁食,凡我所得的,都捐獻十分之一。那個稅吏卻遠遠地站著,連舉目望天都不敢,只是捶著自己的胸膛說:天主,可憐我這個罪人吧!我告訴你們:這人下去,到他家裏,成了正義的,而那個人卻不然。因為凡高舉自己的,必被貶抑;凡貶抑自己的,必被高舉。」
路加福音 18:9-14
在這天的福音,耶穌透過比喻,給我們看到兩種截然不同的祈禱。
法利塞人在祈禱中充分展示出他的自滿,他自以為義,看不起同在聖殿裡的稅吏。他的祈禱根本稱不上是祈禱。不論在何時,祈禱都應以天主為中心。這位法利塞人不過是在聖殿裡稱讚自己罷了,他根本不在乎天主。
那稅吏之所以成了正義的,是因為他深深明白自己是罪人,只能靠天主的慈悲和憐憫才能得救。
不管我們做有多少愛德的工作,每天花多少時間祈禱,在天主面前,我們跟那稅吏一樣,都是罪人,同樣要靠天主的仁慈才可得救。
這篇默想由生命恩泉文摘編輯小組撰寫,內容以下列文章為根據: Saturday of week 3 of Lent – Gospel
Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
In today's Gospel, we see two distinct ways of praying.
The Pharisee is self-righteous and full of arrogance. He is contemptuous of the tax collector who is also in the temple. His prayer does not really count since it is no more than a hymn to himself. Authentic prayers should always be God-centred.
Jesus said that the tax collector went home justified precisely because of his acknowledgement of his own sinfulness. He puts himself at the mercy of God.
No matter how often we engage in works of mercy, or how long we spend praying, in the face of God, we are and will always be in His debt. Our salvation rests in God's mercy.
This reflection is prepared by the FLL Inspire editorial team as a digest of the following article: Saturday of week 3 of Lent – Gospel