Never lose sight of our radical need for God. In our Gospel passage today we encounter two people praying in the temple. On the surface it appears as if the Pharisee is praying a prayer of Thanksgiving and the tax collector, one of contrition. Upon closer examination though it becomes readily apparent that one is a prayer of self justification and the other is a prayer of self subjugation. The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the rest of humanity and then "informs God of his righteousness. The tax collector begs God for His Mercy and acknowledges his need for God's redemptive act of forgiveness. One asserts his reliance upon himself and the latter his reliance upon God. Today, may we echo the tax collector's prayer, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." Never lose sight of our radical need for God.