Once a Japanese tourist was riding a taxi car around Manila. He said: “This is Toyota…Made in Japan. Very fast.” Seeing a car pass by, he remarked: “Ah, that’s Mitsubishi…Made in Japan. Very fast.”

Reaching his destination, the Japanese was flabbergasted to see the high taxi fare. The driver said, tapping the meter: “Taxi meter made in Japan. Very fast!”

The boasting Japanese might well sound like the Pharisee in this 30th Sunday’s gospel. Hence, Jesus says, “He who exalts himself shall be humbled.”

In Christ's parable, the self-righteous Pharisee thanks God, "I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, nor even like this tax collector." He goes on to remind God that he religiously goes to church, pays tithes, fasts twice a week and prays.

The tax collector, on the other hand, stood timidly on a dark corner at the back, beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Lk 18, 13).

It was this tax collector, this self-accused sinner, Jesus said, who "went down to his house justified rather than the other."

What was terribly wrong was the Pharisee's whole attitude. By boasting to God of his merits, he patted himself on his back.

Worst, he despised others, particularly the publican saying in effect, "What a good man I am!" Christ concludes: "Anyone who exalts himself shall be humbled while he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Lk 18, 14).

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When I was a school administrator, I recall how one faculty member would constantly justify his misdeeds and failings. Always the hero (bida) of his stories, he never admitted he ever made a mistake.

This has similarity of a university professor who went to see a holy hermit and asked to be enlightened. The holy man began to serve him tea.

He filled the guest's cup and then kept on pouring so that the tea was soon dripping unto the floor. Watching the overflow, the professor said: "Stop! It is full. No more will go in."

Emptying one’s cup can mean humility to listen to people’s advices instead of presuming you know everything.

Ask yourself: Do I have a “holier-than-thou” attitude or a loathsome pride? Do I tend to look down on others, especially the wayward, illiterate, and underprivileged?

Pride is the worst of all sins. It makes one feel that he is better than others, and that he doesn’t need help from anyone—including God.

St. Philip Neri once said: “Human pride is the hardest to die. It dies 10 minutes after you’ve stopped breathing.”

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This Sunday is “Prison Awareness.” What’s my attitude toward those in prison and ex-convicts? Are you trying to help them rebuild their lives by not rejecting them as they integrate themselves in society?

The Lord himself said: “I was in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25,36).

Various things should be done for the welfare of detainees and prisoners.

Our jails in Metro Manila and other cities are cramped and congested – a problem which spawns riots, gang wars and epidemics.

For instance, Quezon City Jail can accommodate only 700 inmates but presently there are 3,400 or even more now! To think that majority of those behind bars are still undergoing litigation.

This, too, is the woeful condition of many of our jails all over the country. Calling local government leaders to act on this festering problem.

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Support seminarians. Did it ever strike you that seminarians are our future priests, missionaries, bishops and Popes? We cannot have them if we don’t support seminarians NOW.

Let’s support our seminarians. For inquiries, email: [email protected].