THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in the Ordinary Time, 2021

2Cor 9:6-11

Ps 112

Matt 6:1-6, 16-18

Your Father who sees…

Dear friends in Christ, the constant presence of one’s guardian particularly parents is a source of comfort in any situation. In many places today, there are close circuit television monitoring to constantly keep watch. With this, it becomes easier in some cases to prevent intruders or get to know what an intruder is planning but more importantly to know what happened while nobody was taken notice. Beyond what is done where cameras are taking note, God sees all of that to the most secrete of places.

The gospel passage of today (Matthew 6:1-6.16-18) teaches us the need to do our deeds knowing that God is watching and so not parade them to have human praise. “Jesus said to his disciples, Beware of practicing your piety before men in other to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven.” Good deeds must flow forth naturally from a Christian without calling third party attention.  As Christians, we can do much more without any form of noise. Jesus teaches us how to live our piety if they are to win us some reward from God.

In the first place is, “When you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men.” We must always remember that whatever we have in excess belongs to others except they all have enough of it already. To that extent, we must be always willing to give. It must be in our nature to do so and not by compulsion. The Lord also talks about prayer, “When you pray, you must not be like hypocrites; for they love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and in the street corners, that they may be seen by men.” Prayer is a great way to keep connected to God. This cannot be for show. The Lord makes that clear. The Lord tells us about fasting, “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men.” The Lord invites us to do any of these three discretely with the assurance that God sees all that we do even in secret and will reward us. Real heroes do not do their acts for show, but for the good of the other. Are you a hero or someone craving attention?

Let us pray: Lord help me to be more concerned about the good of the other and not my own praise. Amen. 

+Remain blessed