April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS
Pope Francis the sinner
Jesus, help me bring all my sins to you, so you can help me change! Amen.
"Two men went to a temple [like a church]," Jesus said. "One stood up front and prayed, 'God, I'm so glad I'm a good person. I obey the law - not like that terrible tax collector!' But the tax collector, who was seen as a bad person, stood in a corner and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'" Jesus finished, "The tax collector was the one God was happy with. Those who show off will be humbled, but those who are humble will be made great."
A reporter asked Pope Francis to describe himself. The pope surprised a lot of people when he started his answer with, "I'm a sinner." Everyone makes mistakes, of course, but you might wonder: When so many people look up to the pope, is it a good idea for him to admit he's a sinner?
This week's Gospel (Luke 18:9-14) story from Jesus is about two men: one who thinks he's awesome but isn't, and one who knows exactly who he is and is humble about it.
The first man is like a lot of people: He probably knows he makes some mistakes, but he doesn't think they're a big deal. He seems to think that, because he goes to church and doesn't break the law, that's all he needs to do to be close to God.
In a way, the second man is like Pope Francis. He has an important job; as a tax collector, he's responsible for handling a lot of money. But he knows he has made mistakes - big ones. People might see some of his mistakes, like stealing, but only God knows all of his sins.
Everyone sins - even Pope Francis. The Gospel story and the pope himself are trying to show that what's really important is admitting it. God knows what's in your heart; God knows whether you're ignoring your mistakes or feeling sorry about them and trying to do better.
As Jesus said, God admires people who are humble and bring their mistakes to God for help in changing. That's true whether you're a tax collector, a kid or the pope![[In-content Ad]]
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