Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 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 others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

 

Today is the start of the Great Fast, Lent.  This is the start of a season of conversion and reconciliation.  It is a season for us to refocus our lives to bring us closer to God.  However; we are warned not to brag about our sacrifices.  Our sacrifices and commitments are between us and God and not a way to make us look more holy.  During Lent, we are reminded that we must pray, give alms and fast to help center our life.  We should always be in a state of prayer, fasting and alms giving.  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 what is pleasing to God, your piety becomes boosting, prideful and sinful. Do you pray, fast or give alms so others will think 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 that others will feel good about us. Is so, Jesus warns us that we are seeking self glory and that will be the only reward we receive.  But if we do these things for the glory and love of God, our reward will be a place in heaven. 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. The greatest gift we can give God is to use the gifts that we were given by God to further his work here on earth.  When we do this 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.  Lent is also a time for meditation.  Spend some time meditating on the sacrifices you are making and how they will lead you closer to God.  Take an extra five minutes after reflecting on the Gospel, to reflect on those things in your life which create barriers to heaven.  Use this time as an opportunity to reject these items or to give them up for others.  Use this time to reflect on how you can bring others closer to Christ.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, thank you for the gifts you have given me.

May I humble myself to use these gifts to serve you.

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

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon