A friend of mine, also a Priest, told me this little story about something that happened this past summer. A little boy in his congregation came up to him after Mass and said, “Father, I prayed really hard this week, but I don’t think God heard me.” And so my friend, who was the Priest, asked him, “Well, why do you think that?”

And the little boy said,
“Because I was praying really hard for a snow day.”
And my friend, the Priest, just smiled at him and said,
“Son, it’s July.”

It’s just a funny little story that he shared with me.
We have these cute little things happen with kids at Church all the time.
But it’s a little story that reminds us how honest a child can be.

And friends, sometimes our prayers are honest but off base.
And other times they’re quiet, even clumsy, but they’re deeply sincere.
And that brings us to today’s Gospel, the story of two very different prayers and what Jesus wants us to learn by them.

So the Pharisee’s prayer is more of a performance—letting others know about his good deeds and comparing himself to others.
But the tax collector simply says, “Be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Jesus tells us it’s this man, the tax collector, who humbled himself and goes home justified.

This little Gospel story is a powerful reminder for us all.
God isn’t moved by our accomplishments or our reputation or how many religious boxes we are able to check off.
God is moved by humility, by honesty, and by our hearts.

Friends, many of us watching today may feel at times like the tax collector—unworthy, ashamed, uncertain if God really hears you.
But let me remind you of this:
God hears the humble.
God runs to the brokenhearted.
God does not run away from anyone who comes before God with a sincere heart.
And that’s the Grace of this story today.

Now, for those of us who have been in the Faith for a long time, it is a gentle challenge to watch our hearts.
Because we all know how easy it is to slip into pride, to compare ourselves to others, to feel that we have earned something from God.
But God’s Mercy is never a reward for our performance—it is a gift for those who ask.

And so today, whether you feel like the tax collector or the Pharisee, let’s all say this simple prayer together:
“Lord, have Mercy on me, a sinner.”

It is one of the shortest prayers in the Bible, but it is one of the most powerful because it brings us all back to where we belong—and that is before the heart of a merciful God.

May we feel peace, trusting God’s Mercy today and always.