TWO PERSONS WENT UP
TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Saturday in Lent is, "Two Persons Went Up To The Temple To Pray."

One of the main questions in parish surveys is: "Teach us how to pray better."

Well, today's readings, especially today's gospel is a great place to begin.

HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR

Can I laugh - especially at myself? That's a good place to begin.

In today's gospel Jesus shows us that he has a sense of humor. He shows us as we are. Hopefully, we can laugh at ourselves.

Hopefully we can see ourselves as both of these two characters in today’s gospel.

Today’s gospel is a mirror.

When we look in a mirror - do we ever laugh at ourselves?

Can we see ourselves in the mirror? Can we see ourselves in the story?

FIRST MAN: PHARISEE
First of all, I am the Pharisee in today's gospel.

The Pharisee sees everyone in the temple - and he wants everyone in the temple to see him.

The Pharisee in me spots those who come down the aisle every Mass after the first reading - and we make those inner comments about their motives. "For crying out loud, why don't they sit in the back if they're late and not have the whole church turn and follow them down the aisle with their eyes?"

But can we spot ourselves as we are? Do I come to pray for eyes to see me?

Do I come to pray filled with ego, filled with "I" -- “I” in capital letters?

Do I come to pray to God -- but “god” in small letters. Am I all me, me, me -- for others to see, see, see?

And when I finally see myself as I really am, then this man’s prayer becomes so powerful. I love the first part of the Pharisee's prayer, “Lord, thank God, I’m not like the rest of people.”

Thank God, because hopefully the rest of this world, is not like me.

So a first teaching on prayer is to read this gospel story and turn a bad prayer into an excellent prayer in the long run.

"Thank God the rest of people are not like me!"

SECOND GUY

When we see that, when we see ourselves as we are, then we can end up as the second person. We can end up praying his prayer, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”

LAUGH
So this parable can help me to see ourselves and help us to laugh at ourselves. It can also help me to see ourselves and cry.

FIRST READING
The first reading asks that God come like the spring rains.

Pray for rain. Pray for the Reign of God to fall upon us.

Please God, at times in prayer we’ll have the experience of Teresa of Avila in prayer. Bernini’s sculpture of St. Teresa in Ecstasy in Rome is worth reflecting upon.

In deep prayer God will flow down on us like rain.

What a great image, God coming like a rain storm in spring.

What a great image.

Sometimes God comes like the dew on the morning grass, or the morning clouds, but dew soon disappears.

Teresa of Avila says ask for me. She asks for rain storms of Living Water.

Ask for the ocean!

Why not dream that when I pray I will get caught in a rain storm of God’s love and that I am soaked with God’s mercy and love?

When was the last time - when it was really raining - we walked outside and stood in the pouring rain and loved the feeling and the moment?

CONCLUSION

Today’s readings provide good stuff for prayer.

Today’s gospel gives us two persons and their prayers.

Both people give us two real prayers.

Let us pray. Let us pray these two prayers. Amen.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.




Picture on top, the statue of St. Teresa of Avila [ 1515-1582], in Ectasy. If you get to Rome find St. John Lateran church and ask someone where Santa Maria della Vittoria is. Check out this famous work of art by Gian Lorenzo Bernini [1598-1680]. It's 11 feet and 6 inches high.