Matthew
6:1-6,16-18
Jesus
said to his disciples:
‘Be
careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by
doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you
give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you
solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand
must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and
your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And
when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers
standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them;
I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your
private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in
that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will
reward you.
‘When
you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces
to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their
reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no
one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in
secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
Food
for thought!
The
Do's and Don'ts of life and living!
Jesus
is an expert on life and living. Today, he gives us some dos and don'ts. The
dos are intended for getting benefit from life and living; the don't are meant
to minimize the losses. He groups them into three areas: giving to others
(charity); giving to God (prayer); and giving to ourselves (fast).
Jesus
says, "when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you." What
does he mean by this? Firstly, Jesus says, WHEN YOU GIVE, not, IF YOU GIVE. It
means that life and living is about giving; it is about sharing with others.
Giving is not optional (it is not "If you give" but mandatory:
"when you give"). Giving is vital, because it is by giving that we get.
In order to get we must give. That is the rule. And it works in every sphere of
life, business, social, relationships, spiritual. You get in as much you give,
as St. Francis so well taught us:
Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace,
Where
there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where
there is injury, pardon;
Where
there is doubt, faith;
Where
there is despair, hope;
Where
there is darkness, light;
Where
there is sadness, joy.
O
Divine Master,
grant
that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to
be understood, as to understand;
to
be loved, as to love.
For
it is in giving that we receive.
It
is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and
it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
And
then Jesus says, "when you pray," not, "if you pray." It
means that life and living is about giving to God; it is about prayer. Prayer
is not a "may" but a "must" in life. Prayer is a matter of
life and death. If we don't pray enough, we can lose the battle. As St Paul
urges us: "Pray without ceasing." (1Thessalonians 5:17). Christ
himself admonishes us: "Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38). St Theresa of
Avila, makes it potently clear: "He who neglects mental prayer needs not a
devil to carry him to hell, but he brings himself there with his own
hands."
And
again Jesus says, "When you fast"; he does not say, "if you
fast." So life and living is also about fasting. When you fast, "put
oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting
except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who
sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’" Fast is not necessarily
and solely of food; it is anything that, by abstaining from it, gives both our
bodies and spirit more life.
When
did you last fast, donate and pray?
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