alas. I realized I was praying as a child
and I had to embrace praying as a grown up
“That Tax Collector was a very bad man;
if all the Pharisee said was true.
But Jesus chooses the wicked one
and rejects the prideful one.”[1]
indeed, it is not about being wicked
or being proud that turns God off
it is that the Pharisee assumed
God would be proud of him
I spent a long time making God be proud of me
I had good grades – straight A’s
I played sports well – triple letter
I went to church, worked hard – a good neighbor
praying is not prideful, it’s first things first –
I have to call on God and then listen,
not go on and on about how good I am
or for that matter how bad I am
the Tax Collector prays; “have mercy on me.”
I am Christ-like but I am not Christ
I accept my successes and failures
and rest assured in God’s mercy
[1] Father Judge Meditation on Prudence
