Praying the Communion Antiphon Series Saturday Third Week of Lent

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon.

A Time Set Apart: Saturday Third Week of Lent

The Prayer of a Humble Heart

Communion Antiphon (Luke 18:13)
The tax collector stood at a distance, beating his breast and saying:
“O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

 

Thinking About the Words

“The tax collector stood at a distance…”

Already we see humility.

The tax collector does not push forward or draw attention to himself. He recognises his need for God.

“Beating his breast…”

This gesture expresses sorrow and repentance. It is an outward sign of an inner movement of the heart — a recognition that something within needs healing.

“O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

The prayer is simple and direct. There are no excuses, no comparisons with others. Only an honest appeal for mercy.

This is the prayer placed on our lips at Communion.

 

The Deeper Meaning

Earlier this week we reflected on loving God, loving our neighbour, and loving ourselves rightly.

This antiphon adds an essential balance.

Healthy self-love does not mean ignoring our faults.
It means standing truthfully before God.

The tax collector does exactly that.

He does not pretend to be righteous, yet he does not fall into despair. Instead, he places himself in the hands of God’s mercy.

Jesus tells us that this man went home justified.

 

The Lenten Invitation

Lent invites us to learn this prayer.

Not a complicated prayer.
Just an honest one.

Sometimes the most powerful prayer we can offer is simply:

“Lord, have mercy on me.”

This prayer opens the heart to the grace that heals and restores.

 

Reflection

• Am I able to stand truthfully before God about my life?
• Do I trust in God’s mercy when I recognise my sin?
• Where might I need to ask God for healing today?
• How does humility open my heart to grace?

 

There is something very beautiful in how this week closes.

After speaking about love, precepts, and the path of life, the Church brings us to a very simple prayer:

“God, be merciful to me.”

Because in the end, the path back to God always begins with humble trust in His mercy.

 

Prayer

Lord,
be merciful to me.
Heal what is wounded within me
and lead me in your mercy.

 

TAKING THIS FURTHER

The parable only becomes fully alive when we understand who the Pharisee was in that society.  At first glance the Pharisee’s prayer can almost look like healthy self-acknowledgement. However, the deeper issue is where the prayer is directed.

 

The Pharisee in Jesus’ Time

The Pharisees were not villains in their own day.

In fact, they were often deeply respected religious leaders.

They were known for:

• careful study of the Law
• strict observance of religious practices
• teaching the people how to live according to God’s commandments

They believed that faithfulness to the Law would keep Israel close to God.

So when Jesus tells this parable, His listeners would likely have assumed the Pharisee was the model religious person.

 

What the Pharisee Says

The Pharisee prays:

“God, I thank you that I am not like other people…”

Then he lists his religious practices:

• fasting twice a week
• paying tithes

These were genuine religious disciplines.

In other words, the practices themselves are not wrong.

Fasting and generosity are good.

 

Where the Prayer Goes Wrong

Luke gives a small but important detail:

The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself.

That is the turning point.

The prayer never really reaches God.

Instead of opening himself before God, he measures himself against other people. His attention turns inward — not toward humility, but toward comparison.

 

The Subtle Danger

The Pharisee's problem is not that he recognises good things in his life.

The problem is self-reference.

His identity is built on:

• comparison
• moral superiority
• distance from others

This kind of self-focus quietly closes the heart to mercy.

Because if we believe we are already righteous, we no longer feel the need for God’s mercy.

 

The Tax Collector

The tax collector, on the other hand:

• stands at a distance
• does not lift his eyes
• simply asks for mercy

He does not compare himself to anyone.

His prayer goes directly to God.

And Jesus says:

“This man went home justified.”

 

The Lenten Insight

This parable invites a gentle examination.

Sometimes we can approach prayer in the same way as the Pharisee — reviewing our spiritual achievements.

But Lent invites a different posture.

Not comparison.
Not self-congratulation.

Simply standing before God in truth.

 

A Beautiful Balance with Yesterday

Yesterday we reflected on loving ourselves rightly.

Today the Gospel reminds us that healthy self-love always includes humility before God.

We acknowledge both:

• the good God is doing in us
• our continuing need for His mercy

 

The Pharisee recognises the good he has done, but his prayer turns inward and becomes a comparison with others. The tax collector simply stands before God and asks for mercy. Lent invites us to move beyond comparison and to place our whole lives honestly before God.

This parable is very rich for Lent. It reminds us that the deepest prayer may be the simplest one:

“God, be merciful to me.”

In a quiet way, it prepares the heart for the next stage of Lent — because once we know mercy, we become much more capable of extending it to others.

Personal note:  I am sorry that this post has been posted late for Saturday third week of Lent. I posted it  because it is still relevant to our Lenten journey and a gospel that we hear too in Ordinary time.