The prayer of the publican

This is something I have been praying a lot about recently, and I would like to share it with you. Read Luke 18:9-16, it is the parable of the publican and the Pharisee. It is also below: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Now what follows is a paragraph from a book I am reading right now called Tuning Into Grace: The Quest for God by Andre Louf. It is an intense book great for meditation and providing lots of 'food for thought' so to speak. It's a great reflection on the proper attitude we should have while praying to God. From page 77, "To all his brothers and colleagues he has become a kind and gentle friend. Their defects no longer irritate him. He sympathizes with their weakness. His confidence is no longer in himself but in God. He is possessed, as it were, by the love and omnipotence of God. He is therefore also poor, really poor - poor in spirit - and stands close to all who are poor and to all forms of poverty, spiritual and physical. He regards himself as the foremost of sinners, but has obtained forgiveness. Therefore he can relate to all sinners in the world as an equal and a brother. He is close to them, because he is not better than they are. His favourite prayer is the prayer of the publican. It is like breathing, like the heartbeat of the world, the expression of its deepest longing for salvation and healing: 'Lord Jesus, be merciful to me a poor sinner!'" This was from the chapter entitled 'Contrition of the Heart' and it is aptly named. So often we get wrapped up in our own good doings and our own lives that we forget that God created each and every single person out of love. We are made in His image, and we need to accept His love for us by showing it to other people. We can grow in love and charity by humbling ourselves, to follow the example of Jesus, who humbled himself to accept death on a cross. This struck me powerfully and I wanted to share this with everyone. Thoughts? Please post comments :)