Today, Fr Paul reads from Luke’s Gospel (18: 9-14) where Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Fr Paul explains that the writer of Luke often gives frequent hints about prayer. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is a prayer in more times than in any other Gospel. In Luke’s Gospel he is a prayer, in his baptism, at the transfiguration, at the agony in the garden just to name a few. Jesus through the parables teaches about perseverance in prayer and other aspects about prayer life.

In today’s Gospel we see the contrast between the pompous, self-centred, bragging of the Pharisee compared to the humble self-accusation of the tax collector. Jesus is teaching that the example of the tax collector and their humility is something that we should all aspire to. The pride, self-centred attitude of the Pharisee is to be avoided at all costs.

Today, Fr Paul asks us to reflect on this teaching and on the last line of today’s Gospel ‘for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted’.