A LESSON FROM THE SHOPPERS

In the Gospel for this Sunday, October 23, Jesus tells us the parable of the two men who went up to the temple to pray:

Jesus addressed this parable

to those who were convinced of their own righteousness

and despised everyone else.

"Two people went up to the temple area to pray;

one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,

'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --

greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'

But the tax collector stood off at a distance

and would not even raise his eyes to heaven

but beat his breast and prayed,

'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;

for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Lk 18:9-14)

There is a good lesson here about our own approach to prayer.

International Friendship Bridge

The International Friendship Bridge crosses the Paraná, River, which marks the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The prices of goods are much lower in Paraguay, enticing thousands of shoppers to cross the bridge, many of them on foot, to take advantage of he bargains. Many of the shoppers crossing from Brazil into Paraguay are carrying huge canvas bags or large suitcases which are, like those canvas bags, completely empty. The shoppers returning from Paraguay are also lugging large carryalls and suitcases, but now the bags are bulging with the bargains they're bringing home to Brazil.

You and I can learn something about prayer from these Brazilian bargain hunters streaming across the

bridge into Paraguay with their empty bags and suitcases: These shoppers show up, you might say, empty-handed, with plenty of room to receive the things they hope to buy.

Now look at the two characters in the gospel story. The Pharisee shows up feeling quite full of himself and doesn't really think he needs anything from God. The tax-collector, by contrast, shows up like one of those Brazilian shoppers crossing the International Friendship Bridge with their empty bags: he comes before the Lord empty-handed and needy, asking for nothing but the Lord's mercy.

When Saint Augustine is pondering the mystery of why God does not always answer our prayers, he suggests that our continual prayer and repeated asking have the effect of making our hearts capacius, "roomier." In this way, we will be even more able to receive the grace of God's answer when it finally comes. I can't help thinking of those optimistic shoppers crossing that bridge carrying their huge, empty bags that contain nothing but empty space waiting to be filled.

May the Lord teach each of us how to come before the throne of mercy, how to show up empty.