Fr. Jorge Miró shares with Exaudi readers his commentary on the Gospel for Sunday, October 26, 2025, entitled  “The publican went down to his house justified, but the Pharisee did not.”

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Today the Word invites us to conversion, to live not in self-sufficient arrogance, but in humility: because, as we sang in the Psalm, The Lord is close to the afflicted, he saves the crushed… no one who takes refuge in him will be punished.

In the Gospel, we see two people: the Pharisee and the tax collector. Two people with very different attitudes.

The Pharisee thinks he’s earned salvation through his own efforts. In reality, he expects nothing from God, has nothing to ask of Him, ostentatiously reminds Him of his “merits” and disdains others, setting himself up as a ruthless judge. Deep down, he believes God owes him salvation.

The Pharisee’s life is apparently “more orderly” than the tax collector’s, but he is overcome by pride, the worst of all sins; pride that leads to judgment and contempt, a sign that the Holy Spirit is not in his heart.

The tax collector, on the other hand, recognizes his sinfulness and asks God for his conversion, relying on God rather than on his own works. He is open to heaven and expects everything from God : he knocks at the door, and it is opened to him, because the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds and does not stop until it reaches its destination.

To reach heaven, prayer must spring from a humble and poor heart ; from a heart that recognizes itself as small and in need of mercy and salvation; from a heart that confesses that everything comes from God:  whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

The humility that leads you to emerge from narcissistic, self-referential self-sufficiency and arrogance to recognize that everything is a gift ; it leads you to accept your poverty, your weakness, and to surrender them to the Lord so that He may heal them; it leads you to enter into your history, the history of your family, of your priesthood, of your religious consecration…  and there to encounter the Risen Jesus Christ, who makes everything new through the power of His Spirit.

Humility to trust that the Lord’s criteria and plans are better than yours … Humility to entrust yourself to God’s love, a Love that becomes the measure and criterion of your own life. Humility to be grateful.

One ascends to heaven by descending  (cf.  Phil 2:5-11).

The Kingdom of God belongs to the poor and the little ones. The Lord puts down the mighty from their thrones and exalts the lowly. The Lord has hidden these things from those who think they are wise and understanding, but has revealed them to little ones.

Come, Holy Spirit!