A Homily on Luke 18:9–14 : The Pharisee and the tax collector ( 26-10-25)

A young nurse worked in a busy intensive care unit. Every day, she saw people in pain, some fighting for life and others waiting for death. She once said, “When I started this job, I tried to pray long prayers for every patient. But now, when I see someone suffering, I only say, ‘Lord, be with them.’ I realised God understands that prayer better than all my long words.” 

Yes, this is true. What the nurse prayed was the best prayer she could do in the intensive care unit. Her prayer was like the prayer of the tax collector in today’s Gospel (Luke 18:9–14). His prayer was short, but it was full of truth. He simply said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Seven small words that carried the weight of a whole life. No fine speech, no hidden pride, only a heart laid bare before God.

There is a deep beauty in this kind of prayer.  A prayer becomes effective not because it is free of Grammar mistakes or used polished sentences. However, a prayer is effective in the beauty of a soul that trusts God completely. In the Old Testament, Hannah prayed like that when she wept before the Lord for a child. She had no fancy words, only tears, and God listened (1 Samuel 1:10–20). King David prayed like that when he fell on his knees after his sin, saying, “Have mercy on me, O God” (Psalm 51:1). The prophet Isaiah prayed like that too when he saw the glory of God and cried out, “I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Each of them shows that true prayer is not about how we speak, but how we surrender. God never turns away from those who come to Him with empty hands and honest hearts.

It is also good to reflect on the prayer of the Pharisee in today’s Gospel.  In reality, he was not an evil man but very good man. It is very evident form the Gospel: he prayed, he fasted, he gave to the temple, and he followed the law faithfully. A few would be able to say like that. The mistake of the Pharisee was not in doing good things, but in thinking that his good deed made him better than others. To say that one person is good, we need not say that the other person is wrong. The Pharisee could have changed his prayer, he could have thanked God for His blessings without comparing himself to the tax collector. His prayer could have been a beautiful one if it came from gratitude instead of pride. God delights in goodness, but He is saddened when pride poisons it.

Simple prayer is often the most powerful. A mother whispering “Protect my child” while her child sleeps. A priest saying “Thank you, Lord” after a long day. A sister closing her eyes and murmuring “Jesus” in the quiet of the chapel. These are the prayers that touch heaven. They may be short, but they rise from love, trust, and humility.

Saint Teresa of Ávila once said, “Prayer is not in thinking much but in loving much.” That is why God listened to the tax collector. His few words were soaked in love and sorrow. He was not performing for others; he was talking to his Father.

In our homes, in our daily work, in our religious life, let us rediscover the beauty of simple prayer. Let us not be afraid of silence or of few words. Sometimes, one sincere “Lord, have mercy” can heal a heart faster than a thousand rehearsed prayers. The secret is not in the sound, but in the surrender.

Jesus help me to love you and understand you . Amen

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God Bless…