God Loved Us First

Written by Lisa Hirsch on Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

In today’s Gospel parable, Jesus contrasts the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee with the humble honesty of the tax collector. I can sometimes see myself as that Pharisee. As a mother thinking my way of parenting is better than those people whose kids are acting up in church and forgetting when my own children were that age and what a struggle it was to help them make it through Mass. As a volunteer working with the guests who came to our warming shelter, feeling anxious or fearful about their presence, instead of humbly admitting that they were not that different from me.

For me Lent is the time to remember that God loved us first. There is no fasting that I can do that will make amends for my sin. There is no perfect prayer that will show enough gratitude. There is no amount of almsgiving that can repay God’s generosity to me. The Pharisee prayed and fasted and tithed from his whole income. He followed the rules and did the required practices. And yet he missed the point. Those practices aren’t magic or some kind of check list that God requires of us to be holy. Rather they are only useful if they are drawing us closer to the mercy and love of God and leading us to be that mercy and love to others. The tax collector wasn’t doing any of these requirements and yet Jesus says that he is the one that “went home justified”. He simply acknowledges his unworthiness and asks for God’s mercy. He knows he doesn’t deserve the incredible gift of God’s love but he believes that God’s mercy and love are greater than any sin he has committed.

As God says in Hosea: “it is love that I desire, not sacrifice”. Our prayer, fasting and almsgiving can lead us to listen to God’s will for our lives, to open our eyes to the suffering of those on the margins and to give love and mercy to people in need. But first we need to approach God with humility and gratitude.

Questions for Reflection:
At this half way point in Lent, take some time to re-examine how your Lenten practices are working. Are the prayer, fasting and almsgiving that you are doing drawing you closer to God and other people?
Is your attitude one of humility, recognizing God’s great love and mercy for us?  How might this attitude and your practices lead you to act with mercy and love toward others?

**********************

Lisa Hirsch
Lisa has been a resident parishioner of St. Mary for over 20 years. This year she joined the staff as the Social Justice Ministry Assistant.
Email: lhirsch@smspnewman.org