Saints and Sinners
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In Sunday’s Gospel, we are presented with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. One is justified before God, while the other believes he has no need of justification because he justifies himself.
What does this mean for us? First, that God does not label us—He looks beyond appearances and sees the truth of our hearts. He understands the human condition and comes not to condemn, but to save us.
What justified the tax collector was his humble confession before God: he recognized himself as a sinner and left the temple exalted by God’s mercy. The Pharisee, on the other hand, stood before God justifying himself, declaring that he was not like others—especially not like the sinner beside him. Perhaps he did this without full awareness, but his attitude reflects an all-too-common temptation: the pride that blinds us to our need for mercy.
Isn’t this sometimes our own attitude in today’s world? We often confuse pride with goodness, thinking we are “good people,” lacking nothing, unlike those who struggle, who beg, or who are marginalized because of who they are or where they come from.
This Gospel invites us to reflect on our attitude before God and toward those we encounter each day. Christ calls us to be a sign of holiness in the world. To be a saint is to love like Christ—to forgive, to be merciful, and to walk humbly with God.
Next week, we will celebrate All-Hallows-Eve. On October 31st, instead of Halloween as commercially known—which often celebrates fear and death—we will gather for a Family Mass at 5 with a little party afterwards to celebrate life and holiness. Children are invited to come dressed as saints!
Then, on Sunday, as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, we will also inaugurate the Confirmation course, providing our candidates with the spiritual tools they need to grow in holiness. The Church offers us everything necessary to become holy—but it begins with recognizing that Christ, the Good Shepherd, seeks out the lost. And many times, that lost one is us!
