30th Sunday in Ordinary time
Readings:
Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19
2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Luke 18:9-14
Reflection:
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18: 13)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (The Jesus Prayer)
I have a friend who has a particular interest in the spiritual practices of the Eastern Church. One which he has incorporated into his own life is the Jesus Prayer, with similar words to those spoken by the tax collector in today’s parable. My friend prays the prayer throughout the day, keeping a prayer rope in his pocket to aid his focus on the prayer. It was only that one day I came upon him praying that I had any idea that he was praying so ceaselessly. He remains a positive, faith-filled person despite some tragic circumstances in his life. He prays the prayer to remember Jesus’ presence in his life and to give him an inner quiet which might be hard to find otherwise.
Like the words from the gospel today, the prayer has two parts. A statement of faith- God/Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and one of repentance- be merciful to me/have mercy on me, a sinner. Jesus commends the tax collector for his humility and his deep sense of dependence on God, in contrast to the Pharisee who thinks that he has it all under control and is ticking all the boxes. In contemporary theology, aided by our understanding of Jesus through the gospels, we have faith in a loving and merciful God, but it is also important to understand our need for that love and mercy, for while we believe we are created in the image of God and despite all our best efforts, we are sinners.
Alison Gore is a parishioner at St Paul of the Cross, Glen Osmond. She works in education and formation.