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for the Lord resists the proud and gives His grace to
the humble. Pride and humility are like two weights
is under
placed in the balance : if the scale of humility
weight, then pride will bring man down to the earth;
but in proportion as pride diminishes, humility gains
the ascendency in the soul and raises it to God.
Humility has also this advantage that it moves
the divine mercy and obtains for man forgiveness of
sins as in the case of the publican in the Gospel.
This parable has an allegorical meaning which sums up
the whole history of the Jewish people and of the
gentile world. The arrogant and presumptuous pharisee
represents the Jewish people, confiding in the
promises made to the patriarchs, proud of their tra
ditions and their observances ; the contrite publican,
bowed down in self-abasement before God, represents
the gentile world, ashamed of its sins, repenting of
its errors, and trusting in God s mercy alone to obtain
forgiveness.
Their pride in themselves as a nation was the chief
cause of the fall of the Jews. For all other nations
whom they treated as gentiles they had nothing but
contempt. Hence God humbled them deeply, for it is
with nations as with individuals :
eth himself shall be humbled.
"
"
Everyone that exalt-
The gentiles plunged as
they were in every kind of licentiousness, but yet con
scious of their unworthiness, drew down the divine mercy.
And in the place of the Jews, they were called to share
in the inheritance of Abraham, the Father of all true
believers.
In the parts of the Mass which are sung we are urged
to join confidence to humility. If, on the one hand,
humility reveals to us our weakness, on the other,
confidence teaches us to rely on God who is ever ready
13 The Liturgy of the Roman Missal.