“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word.” (Canticle of Simeon)

Jesus was presented to God in the temple 40 days after His birth as prescribed by the Jewish faith. An aged man named Simeon was directed by the Holy Spirit to see Jesus that day in the temple. The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. After he had seen the child, he looked up to heaven and said, “Lord, let Your servant now depart in peace, according to Your word for my eyes have seen Your salvation.”

“O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.” (Psalm 104:24)

“May the glory of the Lord endure forever, may the Lord rejoice in His works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! (Psalm 104:31-32)

“When Thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead! And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead, all the powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life! Christ our God! Glory to Thee!” (Troparion Tone 2)

“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted!” (Isa 49:13)

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16-17)

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col 3:17)

Zacchaeus began his repentance with a simple desire: He wanted to see Jesus Christ. Everything begins with the simple desire to see Christ. Nothing can happen without this desire. We must desire to see Christ as well. This is our first step toward the approaching Great Lent and Pascha.

“Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10)

“Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10)

The story of the Publican and Pharisee encourages us to take a deep look inward, to search the depths of our souls and to ask for forgiveness and mercy. We are called to acknowledge our sins and to fall before the face of God in repentance, making the publican’s prayers our own: “God be merciful to me a sinner!”

The Gospel for this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is taken from Luke 18:10-14. Two men went to the temple to pray, a publican and a Pharisee. The Pharisee was a very religious man who fasted, prayed and gave ten percent of his goods to charity. Yet he boasted about his accomplishment and, as a result, his prayer was rejected by God. The publican, on the other hand, was truly a sinner. He sought to make a change in his life by confessing his sinfulness and begging God for mercy. God saw the sincerity of his repentance. As a result, he was justified and his prayer was accepted by God.

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150)

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150)

Zacchaeus taught us to desire being with Jesus and the publican taught us to humbly face our sins and honestly repent. The Prodigal Son now teaches us that God will truly forgive a sincere repentant sinner. He will willingly and lovingly accept us if we return home to Him. The prodigal son left his father and home with his inheritance and squandered it with loose living. He became destitute and his thoughts were of returning to his father and their home. He hoped that he could become a servant in his father’s house. His father’s joy was so overwhelming when he saw him that he ran to meet his beloved son and embraced him and clothed him and celebrated his return. “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

I have recklessly forgotten Your glory, O Father; and among sinners I have scattered the riches which You had given me. Therefore, I cry to You like the Prodigal: “I have sinned before You, O compassionate Father; receive me a penitent and make me as one of Your hired servants.” (Kontakion – Tone 3)