On the Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican (Luke 18:10-14), Fr. Matthew Howell explains how the Orthodox Church gives us our Lenten struggles in order to realign, reorient, and recalibrate our relationship with God. He also talks about how the pride of the Pharisee is contrasted with the humility of the Publican, showing how pride leads to delusion, arrogance, egocentrism, and ultimately judgment of neighbor. At one point he says, "The Pharisee was in relationship with three people: me, myself, and I. But the Publican was pursuing relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." But in order to realign ourselves with God, we must avoid playing "armchair quarterback" with our neighbor, our priest, our bishop, and everyone else who does not live up to our expectations or mirror our thoughts and behaviors. We must then recognize with all humility that we are broken and wounded sinners. Along the way, he mentions the Super Bowl, pokes fun at himself for an eye condition he's currently dealing with, and gives the most outlandish example of pride ever uttered at a parish council meeting.
