Justice and Humility
Children seem to have a highly evolved sense of justice. As both a parent and a teacher, I can still hear the whiny refrain, “but it’s not fair,” and the complaint that so and so had more crayons or a bigger piece of cake or got to choose the game at recess. Really, though, what they have is a sense that someone has something bigger or better than they do and they do not like that at all.
As adults, we are different. Right? Maybe. You may be familiar with the Litany of Humility. Some parts of that prayer are hard to say, let alone desire. “From the desire of being loved… praised… preferred, deliver me Jesus… From the fear of being humiliated… despised… forgotten, deliver me Jesus… That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.”  
Humility is necessary to submit ourselves to the justice of God. Humility teaches us to behave like the tax collector in today’s Gospel and not like the Pharisee. The Pharisee is very concerned with doing what is correct according to the law and comparing himself to those he believes are not as good as he is. He shows a lack of humility and is judgmental. The tax collector, in contrast, begs for God’s mercy. He knows who he is, a sinner, like all of us. If we do not humbly acknowledge our sinfulness, we cannot receive God’s mercy.  Only when we go before God and acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness do we receive mercy.
The Pharisee and the tax collector are us. Maybe not at the same time, but certainly over a lifetime. We cannot help but be both because humility is not an easy virtue to acquire or to maintain. I have noticed that my ability to be humble lessens when I begin to think about life being “not fair” like children do. It also lessens when I think, “oh, look at me, I’m so humble,” somehow thinking it came from something I did rather than from God.
Praying the Litany of Humility is not easy, but it may be your time to pray it. Go slowly, notice what stings a bit or where you catch your breath and write it down. Then ask God to help you grow toward humility in those areas.
Life may not seem fair, but God is. I invite you to accept your life, with its joys and sorrows, in humility, knowing that God exalts the humble. 
By Deanna Bartalini