Luke 18.9-14

This gospel about the Pharisee and tax collector in the temple suggests I ask myself:
- are there any ways in which I pride myself on being good and despise others?
- are there times when I find myself thinking like this:

- "They don't care about the poor. They only care about themselves. What a pain it is to
have to associate with them.  I'll keep on avoiding them as much as I can".

- "Those politicians are a bunch of hypocrites. I can't stand them".

- "That person just dropped rubbish on the footpath.....what a pig".

- "Those kids are terrible. They don't care about anything. What a hopeless group".

- "My spouse is so dumb.  Can't do anything right".

- "That celebrity sure made a mess of their life.  What an idiot".

- "Thank goodness I'm not like that hypocritical Pharisee at the front of the church".

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Dear Jesus, as an act of humility, I will try to pick up a few bits of rubbish from
the street each day .....a little act to try to keep the lid on  my pride... a little act
I'll turn into a prayer by saying each time I put rubbish in the bin: "Lord, please bless our country".