The pharisee and the publican are a stark contrast from one another. On one hand we have the pharisee who was filled with a spirit of pride and on the other hand we have the publican who was filled with a spirit of humility. The pharisee was concerned with self while the publican centered his life upon the Lord with a spirit of faith and thus he came to say, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
I believe these two individuals can give us a lesson in the necessity of faith and works. There are those who would wrongly claim of the Catholic Church that she professes that in order to be saved one must do good works. Then one dies they are able to show the list of their good works unto God and for them they will be found worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course this is not a true representation of our Catholic faith and its understanding upon this matter.
Of the pharisee we were told that he prayed as following: “O God, I give Thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; as also is the publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” Through his prayer we see his accomplishments and works. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church does not teach that we do works in order to give a list unto God in order to receive something in return. Instead we are sent forth to do good works as a response to our faith. From the Epistle of Saint James we are told: “justified by works and not by faith alone.” Even in the Gospels are Blessed Lord states that He does not know those who failed to cloth, feed, or give drink to those who were in need. If we hear the Gospel message we must be sent forth to respond to it by our life.
The prayer of the pharisee was not found acceptable for this prayer was not given in a spirit of humility. The pharisee was transfixed upon all the right and good things that he was doing and failed to humble himself in God’s presence. On the other hand, the publican was able to be humble. He did not hide behind accomplishments, but realized that he was a sinner who was in need of God’s mercy.
For each of us it is my fervent hope that we are sent forth from here to perform works as a response to our Christian faith not as a means to show God our worthiness of Heaven. Let us never be like the pharisee who embraced a spirit of pride and failed to see the need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. The publican shows us the correct path for the publican was humble of heart. He did not rely upon achievements in order to be saved, but upon the mercy of God. He understood as we should understand, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
