For many people, justification and recognition are their main goals. When each of us sets a goal, or reflects on our life, our relationships with other people, our work, we feel the need to defend ourselves and our vision, our effort, our choices before others. Being rejected by others is considered a blow to one’s dignity. Failure to meet goals is regrettable. Then the person easily blames others and life circumstances which did not help them achieve their goals. It is difficult for a person to judge themselves to ascertain what was wrong on their part. But only genuine self-criticism, which has to do with what we call "humility", becomes the basis not for the justification of the human being, but for the reassessment of the goals they set and their behaviour towards others.

All of this also applies to the spiritual life, which most people do not make a priority within their lives. It is our struggle to experience virtue, but also to fight against evil in its various forms. And in the spiritual life there is a need for justification. For salvation. For a sign of God's love, for His presence in our hearts and lives.

This need for justification is particularly evident in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, which the Church introduces us to in the most reverent liturgical period of the year, the Triodion. Two people go to the temple to open their hearts to God. One has every reason to feel justified for the life he has chosen. He keeps God's commandments to the letter. He is not like the rest of the people who have surrendered themselves to apostasy from the divine will, as especially seems to be the case with the tax collector. The Pharisee has as his yardstick the life of the world and the lives of certain fellow people who are with him in the temple. On the other hand, the tax collector finds no argument that makes him feel justified before God. Obviously, he fully accepts what the Pharisee testifies about him. And upon examining himself, only the cry “God, have mercy on me, a sinner." (Luke. 18:13) was able to can come out of his mouth. He has felt his failure, his sin, his defeat on account of of himself and his passions. And he will hit his chest, as a sign of mourning for his life.

The words of Christ about these two people sound out of place, especially in our times. "He went down justified to his house rather than the other" (Luke.18:14). The tax collector left for his home innocent and reconciled to God, while the Pharisee did not. Humility therefore justifies. The awareness that it is not ultimately our works that save us, but repentance, placing our lives at God's mercy, avoiding the condemnation of others, standing aside and being aware of our limits, all of which are evident in our gaze.

We need not agonise over being justified; Christ tells us. We need to see our mistakes and passions, not in order to despair, but rather to take refuge in God's temple, in the way of the Church, and the Lord will remember us in our humility. God gives justification. Let us not seek it from people, no matter what we do. God knows us. Others, because they themselves have this need of self-justification, even if they recognise us, in essence they will have us second to themselves. This recognition will be in words and such will often bring about jealousy, hatred and envy. It will not generate love and admiration. But it is a volatile situation. From the "Hosanna" it easily passes to the "crucifixion". For when we expect justification from people, we will strive to be liked by them, and this path leads to the spiritual collapse which is brought about by pride.

So let us choose the path of humility and He will give us both the remission and the final justification of His mercy, which is the illumination and joy of the presence of the Spirit in our lives. The joy which springs forth from experiencing His words: "all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke. 18:14). Therefore, let us go against the tide of the times and the path followed by many.