Worthy

Luke 18:9-14

The parable: 

Two people went up to the temple area to pray; the Pharisee spoke thus, "O God, I thank you for not making me like the rest of humanity..."

We profess in the creed every Sunday, "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary and became Man."

He became like the rest of humanity...

The tax collector spoke thus, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner."

In deed, God becoming man, like the rest of us, is the invitation and hope of mercy.  God does not wait until we are worthy, but in taking our flesh and blood and making it His own, he makes us worthy...Is not this what mercy is about...making worthy.

As we pray at the Mass during the Eucharistic prayer II, "Lord we give you thanks for having made us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you."

Yes, Lord be merciful to me a sinner and continue each day to make us worthy by your graceful descent into our humanity.  Help us embrace this worthiness and live it abundantly in mercy to others.

Like the rest of humanity you are, Lord, so that we might become like you, and we are grateful for we are made worthy.