STM's staff will share an image and reflect on it each Saturday. Today, Allan reflects on God's abundant mercy and how it shows itself in today's gospel reading. 

Similar to the Pharisee in the parable, I also made a list (see photo above) before Lent started – delete social media on my phone, grow in the virtue of kindness, be less judgmental, donate to an organization, etc. In the first few days of Lent, I thought, I’d be able to sustain my Lenten discipline and accomplish all my goals. But similar to the tax collector, I found myself humbled. I started to break the resolutions I made, needing forgiveness and asking for understanding.

Today’s Gospel invited me to probe deeper, realizing that I find in me both the self-righteousness of the pharisee and the sinfulness of the tax collector. I’ve compared myself to others to elevate myself. I’ve enumerated my list of accomplishments, beaming with pride and self-praise. And then I’ve found myself begging for mercy and that God may strengthen me once again.

I think this is what Lent is about – probing the depths of ourselves and seeing the contradictions within us while tapping into God’s mercy so we become more attuned to God’s will in our lives. The good news of Lent is that God’s mercy is abundant. Whenever we fail and sin, God’s mercy welcomes us back and strengthens us. I am amazed by how the heartfelt, short prayer of the tax collector – “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” – is enough for God to offer him forgiveness and salvation.

Last Monday, we celebrated Pope Francis’s 10^th anniversary of his pontificate. After his election, Fr. Antonio Spadaro, editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, asked him in an interview: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” The Pope answered, “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.” I think Pope Francis and the tax collector invite us to grow in humility this season. May this Lent bring you more deeply into your interior self, perhaps finding mistakes, struggles and shortcomings. But rest assured, God’s mercy is always readily available for us.