Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew: 6:1-8, 16-18

 

Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.  “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street  corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

 

Welcome to the Great Fast; the 40 days of Lent.  Today is the first day of a great journey towards the narrow gate which leads to heaven.  I think the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew is probably the first “How To” book ever written. Jesus spells out everything we need to do to be a good follower of Christ. The reading today focuses on the main pillars of lent. Today’s Gospel reading clearly tells us what we need to do during our Lenten journey. We need to pray, to fast and to give alms. Why is praying, fasting and almsgiving so important? Because these are the cardinal works of a pious life; these are the pillars of a good Christian life. But when your piety becomes more about what others think then about pleasing God, your piety becomes boosting and prideful. It becomes more about fulfilling your own desires then about fulfilling the needs of your neighbor. Lent is not about “me” but about “you.” Do you pray, fast or give alms so others will feel more highly about you or do you do it for the glory of God. Many of you are active in a number of church activities and ministries. Are we involved in those activities so we can check off a confirmation requirement or so that others feel good about us. Jesus warns us about self-seeking glory and that it will not buy us a place in heaven. He tells us that it is better to do these things and nobody know about them. The important thing is that God knows what is in our heart. He hears our prayers, he knows the things that we give up and he sees the aid we give to others. Nobody else needs to know. True piety is a loving devotion to our Lord and Savior. It is through the gifts that we have been given by God that we show God our appreciation. If we use these gifts to “impress others” then we are taunting these gifts in front of others for our own glory. We will be rewarded for our efforts, not by those who we impress, but by our God in heaven.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, I am your servant, may everything I do be for you.

Instill in me a faith which is on fire and a hope which is unending.

May my actions be for your glory and not the glory of others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon