This Sunday’s Gospel presents the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector—two men who go to the Temple to pray, but whose hearts are very different. The Pharisee stands in confidence, listing his good deeds and comparing himself favorably to others. The tax collector, however, stands at a distance, unable even to lift his eyes to heaven. He beats his breast and says humbly, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

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