The Smugness Virus

Play
For 26 March 2022, Saturday of the third week of Lent, based on Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’


Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Henderson

About Ruth Anne Henderson, O.P.

Born and raised in Scotland, she was a university teacher in Wales until moving in 1979 to Italy, where until her retirement she was a professor of English Language at the University of Turin. She was President of the European Council of Lay Dominican Fraternities from May 2011 to May 2014, and is a translator and text editor for the Curia Generalizia of the Order.