Be merciful to me a sinner

27 OCTOBER (Lk 18,9-14)

You cannot pray to the Lord with pride in your heart, with arrogance, envy, jealousy and contempt of your brothers. Our God must be prayed with the heart overflowing with humility, mercy, pity and compassion towards all our brothers. We are all sinners and we all in need of his mercy. We must all ask forgiveness for our sins. God hears the prayer of who recognizes he is a sinner before Him, and ask forgiveness for himself and all his brothers. Here is what the Book of Sirach teaches us.

To keep the law is a great oblation, and he who observes the commandments sacrifices a peace offering. In works of charity one offers fine flour, and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise. To refrain from evil pleases the Lord, and to avoid injustice is an atonement. Appear not before the Lord empty-handed, for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts. The just man’s offering enriches the altar and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High. The just man’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten. In generous spirit pay homage to the Lord, be not sparing of freewill gifts. With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the Lord is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold.

But offer no bribes, these he does not accept! Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion, For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; Do not the tears that stream down her cheek cry out against him that causes them to fall? He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right. God indeed will not delay, and like a warrior, will not be still Till he breaks the backs of the merciless and wreaks vengeance upon the proud; Till he destroys the haughty root and branch, and smashes the scepter of the wicked; Till he requites mankind according to its deeds, and repays men according to their thoughts; Till he defends the cause of his people, and gladdens them by his mercy. Welcome is his mercy in time of distress as rain clouds in time of drought (Sir 35,1-26).

Sin itself is the biggest punishment for one who commits it, because the pain it produces takes away peace to the conscience. Remorse is sometimes so heavy as to stifle the heart. Man is asked to imitate his Lord. Giving hope to the sinner. Helping him lest he comes to despair. Every sin could lead to the loss of hope. Judah despaired because of his sin. He thought that there was no more forgiveness for him. Even the greatest sin must be helped. The Church is the great teacher, the mother of forgiveness and mercy.

He then 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.”

The Pharisee is without mercy. It has no mercy. For him, the sinner cannot stand in the temple of the Lord. He pollutes it with his guilt. Instead, Jesus teaches us that even the sinner can stay in the heart of the Father. If he can stay in the heart of the Father, he can and must stay in the heart of man. It is an infernal sadness when a man turns away from him another man because he is a sinner. Jesus Christ became sin for us. He shed his blood, and with it he washed our sins, he cleansed us of our faults.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us love sinners.