By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture - The famous Gospel passage has many applications: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’” (Lk. 18:9-14)... The Pharisees took sinful pride in abiding by visible religious observances disconnected from virtue, and/or ruined their goodness by taking pride in it.