On every human face
“Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” (Luke 18:9)
The Pharisee certainly does not come off well in this story: proud, arrogant and self-righteous. Yet, he shares one characteristic with the tax collector who merely prays, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Both of them focus on their relationship to God while neglecting their neighbors.
The Pharisee’s contempt is stated plainly; the tax collector, who admits his sinfulness still exploits his neighbors on behalf of the occupying Romans, does not mention them at all.
Combine the contempt of the Pharisee and the opportunism of the tax collector, and you can have politicians who focus on themselves, ignoring the common good while exploiting others for the benefit of their political party.
Ten years ago this September, Pope Francis came to America and addressed members of Congress, telling them that the first call of public service is “to protect by means of the law the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.”
Commenting on the Pope’s message, then-Bishop Robert W. McElroy of San Diego (now Cardinal McElroy of Washington, D.C.) wrote, “The core of the vocation of public service, and of all politics, is to promote the integral development of every human person and of society as a whole. That vocation requires special and self-sacrificial concern for the poor, the unborn, the vulnerable and the marginalized. It’s a commitment to pursue the common good over that of interest groups or parties or self-aggrandizement.”
That message needs to be repeated every day to ensure policies that help the poor, the refugee, and the marginalized — and respect the institutions that work on their behalf. These people are our brothers and sisters — people in need of assistance, not expenses to be cut.
Regardless of which party is in power, we must always speak out on behalf of the least of these, standing in solidarity with those who need our help.
Deacon Walter Ayres served as Director of Catholic Charities Commission on Peace and Justice in the diocese of Albany, New York, before retiring in 2023.