Opening the Word: The heart of prayer

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Parable of Pharisee and tax collector warns that pride keeps us from truly reaching out to God

By Carl OlsonAn excerpt from OSV NewsweeklyPrayer is one of those mysterious actions that everyone knows about. But it is strangely elusive when it comes to being defined. There are so many aspects to prayer, both external and internal, that the heart of prayer is often best glimpsed through indirect means, such as parables. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is about prayer, and it certainly reveals something vital about it. But it is also about place and purpose; in fact, we see that prayer is very much about place and purpose. This parable, St. Luke writes, was addressed by Jesus "to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else." Put another way, the parable was meant for listeners in a specific place — within their souls. Those listeners had placed themselves in a position of equality with God and superiority over other people. They existed in a place called pride. OCT. 27, 201330TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SIR 35:12-14, 16-18PS 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 232 TM 4:6-8, 16-18LK 18:9-14 A second place is mentioned: "Two people went up to the temple area to pray ..." As Joseph Dillersberger notes in his commentary, "when both went up into the Temple, they both went up to meet the decision as to their fate, for one then went down justified, the other not." Going up to the Temple to pray was ultimately about salvation. And it should not escape our notice that at the end of this same chapter, Jesus tells the Twelve Apostles, in private, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled ..." (Lk 18:31). Jesus' own journey up to Jerusalem and the temple was all about salvation — the justification of those who would hear and accept the Gospel.The Pharisee approached prayer as a duty, and not even a duty oriented truly toward God, for after he "took up his position" he "spoke this prayer to himself." He was not even praying to God and asking for justification, but was talking to himself while justifying himself before God. Sadly, this is a temptation for all of us, for the line between true prayer and pious preening can at times be quite thin.Read Olson's entire column to prepare for Sunday Mass.