Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 219
Lectionary: 219
Even now, says the
LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Responsorial PsalmPS 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 12-13, 14 AND 17
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reading 22 COR 5:20—6:2
Brothers and
sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Verse Before The GospelSEE PS 95:8
If today you hear
his voice,
harden not your hearts.
harden not your hearts.
GospelMT 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 be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
“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.”
Meditation: When you pray, fast, and give alms
Are you hungry for God and do you thirst for his holiness? God
wants to set our hearts ablaze with the fire of his Holy Spirit that we may
share in his holiness and radiate the joy of the gospel to those around us. St.
Augustine of Hippo tells us that there are two kinds of people and two kinds of
love: "One is holy, the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other
endeavors to equal Him." We are what we love. God wants to free our hearts
from all that would keep us captive to selfishness and sin. "Rend your
hearts and not your garments" says the prophet Joel (Joel 2:12). The Holy
Spirit is ever ready to transform our hearts and to lead us further in God's
way of truth and holiness.
Why did Jesus single out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for his
disciples? The Jews considered these three as the cardinal works of the
religious life. These were seen as the key signs of a pious person, the three
great pillars on which the good life was based. Jesus pointed to the heart of
the matter. Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself
so that others may notice and think highly of you? Or to give glory to God? The
Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory - the preoccupation with looking
good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling
good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God. It is an attitude
of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy
Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please
him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2).
What is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples?
It is communion with God our Father. In him alone we find the fulness of life,
happiness, and truth. May the prayer of Augustine of Hippo, recorded in his
Confessions, be our prayer this Lent: When I am completely united to
you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life
will be complete. The Lord wants to renew us each day and give us new
hearts of love and compassion. Do you want to grow in your love for God and for
your neighbor? Seek him expectantly in prayer, with fasting, and in generous
giving to those in need.
The forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of
God in imitation of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness. Forty is a significant
number in the scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God
for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the
wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised
land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to
the mountain of God. We are called to journey with the Lord in a special season
of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penitence as we prepare to celebrate the
feast of Easter, the Christian Passover. The Lord gives us spiritual food and
supernatural strength to seek his face and to prepare ourselves for spiritual
combat and testing. We, too, must follow in the way of the cross in order to
share in the victory of Christ's death and resurrection. As we begin this holy
season of testing and preparation, let's ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of
his Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will
more fully in our lives.
"Lord Jesus, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent
charity, and a great love of you. Take from me all lukewarmness in the
meditation of your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in
thinking of you and your grace, and fill me with compassion for others, especially
those in need, that I may respond with generosity."
 The Joy of Lent |
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February 18, 2015. Ash Wednesday
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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 hand is doing, so that your almsgiving may be in 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 into 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 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.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you know how much I need you and depend on you.
You know my weakness and my faults. I put all my confidence in your love and
mercy in my daily actions. I hope to learn to trust more in your power, your
promise, and your grace. Lord, I wish to start this season of Lent with a
sincere desire to grow in love, preparing myself worthily to celebrate the
mysteries of your passion, death and resurrection.
Petition: Lord, help me learn to change what needs to change in my
life.
1. Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving: As we begin the Lenten
season, we are reminded of the need to make reparation for our sins and be
reconciled with God. Any attempt to build a spiritual life that neglects the
pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving is building on sand. Prayer
purifies our intentions and relates all we do to God. Fasting detaches us
from our comfort and from ourselves. Almsgiving reflects our brotherhood with
the poor of Jesus’ family and reminds us that our true wealth is not in
things, but in the love of God. We all need to do a reality check on our
spiritual lives to make sure we are committed to prayer, fasting and
almsgiving.
2. Lose the Show: Jesus is severe in criticizing the
hypocrites who parade their works before others to get attention. Such
parades are of no use in pleasing God or making up for our sins; they only
add to our sinfulness. He encourages us to pray in private, to fast and give
alms in secret, without calling the attention of others to what we are doing.
In this way we can be sure we are doing all for love of God and not for love
of self. Those who make an outward show of piety or generosity “have already
received their reward” in this world, and they store up no treasure in
heaven. Let us work silently and discreetly, with no other intention but pleasing
God alone.
3. Joyful Sacrifice: Nothing brings us closer to Christ than
walking alongside him and doing the things he did for love of God the Father.
During Lent, God invites us to purify our hearts and minds and to turn our
intentions back to him. Christ’s public ministry was lived each day in loving
obedience to the Father’s will. Our Lenten program should reflect that same
simple, yet demanding, obedience and love. What can I do for God today? What
sacrifice can I offer that will be pleasing to him? Once I decide on it, I
will carry it out with no one else knowing.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, give me the grace
to begin this Lent with great enthusiasm and love. Help me live it with joy,
knowing that I am living it in your presence to please you and you alone.
Resolution: I will make a Lenten program of prayer, fasting, and
almsgiving.
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SEASON OF LENT
The season of Lent is a Catholic liturgical season consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer, and penitence beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday. The official liturgical color for the season of Lent is violet. In the first three centuries of the Christian era, most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting and praying for three days. In some places this was extended to the entire week before Easter (now known as “Holy Week”). The word Lent derives from the Middle English word lenten, meaning springtime – the time of lengthening days. In its early three-week form, Lent was the period of intense spiritual and liturgical preparation for catechumens before they were baptized at Easter. Many members of the community imitated this time of preparation with the catechumens. By the fourth century (when Christianity was legalized) Lent had developed into its current length of forty days, the length of the fast and temptation of Jesus in the desert (Lk 4:1-13). Once most people were Christian and baptized as infants, Lent lost the connection to the preparation of catechumens and the themes of repentance and fasting became dominant. Since Vatican II, thousands of men and women are received into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil. Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate joyfully the mysteries of our salvation.
ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, MATTHEW 6:1-6,
16-18
Day of Fast and Abstinence
(Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20 ̶ 6:2)
Day of Fast and Abstinence
(Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20 ̶ 6:2)
KEY VERSE: "When you fast you are not to look glum like the hypocrites do" (v 16).
TO KNOW: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asked his disciples to examine their motives when performing virtuous deeds. He gave three examples, characteristic of Jewish piety at the time: almsgiving (vs 1-4), prayer (vs 5-15), and fasting (vs 16-18). Jesus contrasted the hypocritical behavior of the religious leaders with the sincere conduct he expected of his followers. Prayer should express the disciple's relationship with God. Almsgiving should convey their solidarity with the poor. Fasting should represent their sorrow for sin. The prophets warned against outward signs without interior conversion: "Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord" (Jl 2:13a). Fasting had no value if only done to win the approval of others. Isaiah said that an acceptable fast should include acts of justice toward the prisoner, poor, hungry, oppressed and homeless (Is 58:5-7). Today, the placing of ashes on our foreheads is a confession of our sinfulness, but also a sign of hope and trust in a merciful God who is rich in kindness and relenting in punishment" (Jl 2:13b).
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to do everything for the love of God and neighbor.
TO SERVE: In what ways will I pray, fast and give alms this Lent?
Ashes
The ashes used for Ash Wednesday come from burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. They are then blessed by a priest. Ashes are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance used since the time of Moses ("sackcloth and ashes," Nm 19:9-10, 17-18). They also symbolize death to remind us of our mortality. Thus when the priest uses his thumb to sign the faithful with ashes, he says, "Remember! You are dust and to dust you shall return." It is also a reminder of the joy of eternal life: "Repent, and believe the good news!" Ashes remind us of the Day of Judgment when we stand before God. To prepare well for that day, we must die now to sin so that we can rise to new life in Christ. Being marked with ashes at the beginning of Lent indicates our need for deeper conversion of our lives during this season of renewal.
Fast and Abstinence Lenten Regulations
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of universal fast and abstinence. Fasting is mandatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal a day. Two smaller meals may be taken, which are not to equal one full meal. Abstinence (from meat) is required of all who have reached their 14th year. Drinking of ordinary liquids does not break the fast.
Wednesday 18 February 2015
Ash Wednesday. Day of fast
and abstinence.
Joel 2:12-18. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned—Ps 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17. 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.
Joel 2:12-18. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned—Ps 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17. 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.
Ash Wednesday marks the
beginning of the great pilgrimage to the feast of Easter.
In one sense, Lent is a
time when the whole church enters into a time of retreat. This time is marked
by three pillars: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These are not ends in
themselves. God isn’t particularly interested in how many more prayers we can
utter, or how little chocolate we eat, or how much we put into the Project
Compassion box. God is interested in the spiritual effects of these practices.
Does our extra time of
prayer bring us closer to God? Does our reduced eating prompt us to think about
what we truly hunger for? Do our acts of charity make us more mindful of the
poor and those in need? That’s the point of our Lenten practice. It prepares us
to be renewed in our baptismal commitment during the approaching Easter
festival.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Radiating Christ
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Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with Your Spirit and Life. Penetrate and possess our whole
being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours.
February
18
Blessed John of Fiesole
(c. 1400-1455)
Blessed John of Fiesole
(c. 1400-1455)
The patron of Christian artists was born around 1400 in a village
overlooking Florence. He took up painting as a young boy and studied under the
watchful eye of a local painting master. He joined the Dominicans at about age
20, taking the name Fra Giovanni. He eventually came to be known as Fra
Angelico, perhaps a tribute to his own angelic qualities or maybe the
devotional tone of his works.
He
continued to study painting and perfect his own techniques, which included
broad-brush strokes, vivid colors and generous, lifelike figures. Michelangelo
once said of Fra Angelico: “One has to believe that this good monk has visited
paradise and been allowed to choose his models there.” Whatever his subject
matter, Fra Angelico sought to generate feelings of religious devotion in
response to his paintings. Among his most famous works are the Annunciation and
Descent from the Cross as well as frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in
Florence.
He also
served in leadership positions within the Dominican Order. At one point Pope
Eugenius approached him about serving as archbishop of Florence. Fra Angelico
declined, preferring a simpler life. He died in 1455.
LECTIO DIVINA:
ASH WEDNESDAY
Lectio:
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Ash Wednesday
The meaning of prayer, almsgiving and fasting
The way to spend the time of Lent well
Matthew 6,1-6,16-18
The meaning of prayer, almsgiving and fasting
The way to spend the time of Lent well
Matthew 6,1-6,16-18
1.
OPENING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures
with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In
the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the
presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the
cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life
and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in
Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor
and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples
from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to
others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and
peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father
and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2.
READING
a) A key to the reading:
The Gospel of Ash Wednesday is taken from the Sermon on the
Mount and offers us help to understand the practice of the three works of
mercy: prayer, almsgiving and fasting and the way to spend the time of Lent
well. The manner of practising these three works has changed over the
centuries, according to the culture and customs of people and their state of
health. Old people today still remember when there was a strict and compulsory
fast of forty days throughout Lent. In spite of changes in the practice of the
works of mercy, there still is the human and Christian obligation (i) to share
our goods with the poor (almsgiving), (ii) to live in contact with the Creator
(prayer) and (iii) to be able to control our urges and desires (fasting). The
words of Jesus on which we meditate can give us the necessary creativity to
find new forms of living these three practices so important in the life of
Christians.
b) A division of the text to assist in the reading:
Matthew 6:1: A general key to the understanding of the teaching
that follows
Matthew 6:2: How not to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:3-4: How to go about almsgiving
Matthew 6:5: How not to pray
Matthew 6:6: How to pray
Matthew 6:16: How not to fast
Matthew 6:17-18: How to fast
c) Text:
'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract
attention; otherwise 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 human admiration. In
truth I tell you, 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. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when
you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so 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 are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the
hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are
fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when you fast,
put scent on your head and wash your face, 18 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.
3.
A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL SILENCE
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4.
SOME QUESTIONS
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What touched you or pleased you most in this text?
b) What is the meaning of Jesus’ initial warning?
c) What does Jesus criticise and teach about almsgiving? Make a
resume for yourself.
d) What does Jesus criticise and teach about prayer? Make a
resume for yourself.
e) What does Jesus criticise and teach about fasting? Make a
resume for yourself.
5.
FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO GO DEEPER INTO THE THEME
a) The context:
Jesus speaks of three things: almsgiving (Mt 6:1-6), prayer (Mt
6:5-15) and fasting (Mt 6:16-18). These were the three works of mercy of the
Jews. Jesus criticises the fact that they practise these works to be seen by
others (Mt 6:1). He will not allow that the practice of justice and mercy be
used as a means to social promotion within the community (Mt 6:2.5.16). In the
words of Jesus there comes to light a new kind of relationship with God that is
revealed to us. He says: “your Father who sees all that is done in secret will
reward you" (Mt 6:4), “your Father knows what you need before you ask him”
(Mt 6:8), “if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will
forgive you yours ” (Mt 6,14). Jesus presents us with a new way of approaching
the heart of God. A meditation on his words concerning the works of mercy may
help us discover this new way.
b) A commentary on the text:
Matthew 6:1: A general key to an understanding of the teaching
that follows
Jesus says: Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public
to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in
heaven. The justice referred to by Jesus is the place where God wants us to be.
The way there is found in the Law of God. Jesus warns that it is not enough to
observe the law so as to be praised by people. Earlier he had said: “For I tell
you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:26). In reading these
words we must not think only of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, but above all of
the Pharisee that is dormant in each one of us. Had Joseph, Mary’s spouse,
followed the justice of the law of the Pharisees, he would have had to renounce
Mary. But he was “just” (Mt 1:19), and already possessed the new justice
proclaimed by Jesus. That is why he broke the ancient law and saved Mary’s and
Jesus’ lives. The new justice proclaimed by Jesus rests on another foundation,
springs from another source. We must build our peace from inside, not in what
we do for God, but in what God does for us. This is the general key to an
understanding of the teaching of Jesus on the works of mercy. In what follows,
Matthew applies this general principle to the practice of almsgiving, prayer
and fasting. Didactically, he first expresses what must not be and then
immediately teaches what should be.
Matthew 6:2: How not to go about almsgiving
The wrong way of giving alms, then and now, is that of doing it
in public so as to be acknowledged and acclaimed by others. We often see on
pews of churches the words: “Gift of such-and-such a family”. On television,
politicians love to appear as great benefactors of humanity on occasions of
inaugurations of public works at the service of the community. Jesus says:
Those who act thus have already had their reward.
Matthew 6:3-4: How to go about almsgiving
The correct way of giving alms is this: “Your left hand must not
know what your right hand is doing!” In other words, we must give alms in such
a way that not even I must feel that I am doing something good that deserves a
reward from God and praise from others. Almsgiving is an obligation. It is a
way of sharing something that I have with those who have nothing. In a family,
what belongs to one belongs to all. Jesus praises the example of the widow who
gave of what was needed for herself (Mk 12:44).
Matthew 6:5: How not to pray
Speaking of the wrong way of praying, Jesus mentions some
strange practices and customs of his day. When the trumpet sounded for morning,
midday and evening prayer, there were those who sought to be in the middle of
the road to pray solemnly with arms outstretched so as to be seen by all and
thus be considered as pious people. Others took up extravagant poses in the
synagogue so as to draw the attention of the community.
Matthew 6:6: How to pray
So as to leave no doubt, Jesus over-emphasises the manner of praying.
He says that we must pray in secret, only before God the Father. No one will
see you. May be before others you may even seem to be a person who does not
pray. This does not matter! Even of Jesus it was said: “He is not God!” That is
because Jesus often prayed at night and did not care what others thought. What
matters is to have one’s conscience at peace and to know that God is the Father
who welcomes me, not because of what I do for God or because of the
satisfaction that I seek in the fact that others appreciate me as one who is
pious and prays.
Matthew 6:16: How not to fast
Jesus criticises wrong practices concerning fasting. There were
those who bore a sad face, did not wash, wore torn clothes, did not comb their
hair, so that all could see that they were fasting in a perfect manner.
Matthew 6:17-18: How to fast
Jesus suggests the opposite: When you fast, put scent on your
head, wash your face, so that no one may know that you are fasting, only your
Father who is in heaven.
As we said earlier, it is a new manner of accessing the heart of
God that is opening before our eyes. For our own interior peace, Jesus does not
ask what we do for God, but what God does for us. Almsgiving, prayer and
fasting are not currency to buy God’s favour, but are our response of gratitude
for the love received and experienced.
c) Further information:
i) The broader context of Matthew’s Gospel
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of converted Jews
who were experiencing a deep crisis of identity in relation to their past.
After their conversion to Jesus, they continued to live according to their old
traditions and frequented the synagogue, together with their relatives and
friends, just as before. But they suffered because of the strong pressure from
their Jewish friends who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. This tension grew
after the year 70 AD. When in 66 AD the revolt of the Jews against Rome broke
out, two groups refused to take part, the Pharisees and the Jewish Christians.
Both groups held that going against Rome had nothing to do with the coming of
the Messiah, as some thought. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans
in the year 70, all the other Jewish groups disappeared. Only the Pharisees and
the Jewish Christians remained. Both groups claimed to be the heirs of the
promise of the prophets and, thus, the tension grew between brothers, because
of the inheritance. The Pharisees reorganised the rest of the people and took
an ever-stronger position against the Christians, who ended by being excommunicated
from the synagogues. This excommunication rekindled the whole problem of
identity. Now the Christians were officially and formally separated from the
people of the promise. They could no longer frequent their synagogue, their
rabbis. And they asked themselves: Who are the real people of God: they or us?
On whose side is God? Is Jesus really the Messiah?
Thus, Matthew writes his Gospel (1) for this group of
Christians, as a Gospel of consolation for those who had been excommunicated
and persecuted by the Jews; helping them to overcome the trauma of breaking
away; (2) as a Gospel of revelation, showing that Jesus is the true Messiah,
the new Moses, who fulfils the promises; (3) as a Gospel of the new practice,
showing how they must achieve true justice, greater than the justice of the
Pharisees.
ii) A key to the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is the first of five sermons in
Matthew’s Gospel. It describes the conditions that will allow a person to enter
the Kingdom of God: the way in, the new reading of the law, the new way of
looking at and practising the works of mercy; the new way of living in
community. In a word, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus communicates the new
way of looking at the things of Life and the Kingdom. The following is a division
that serves as a key to reading:
Mt 5:1-16: The way in
Mt 5:1-10: The eight Beatitudes help us to see where the kingdom
is already present (Mt among the poor and persecuted) and where it will be soon
(Mt among the other six groups).
Mt 5:12-16: Jesus addresses his words of consolation to his
disciples and warns: anyone who lives the beatitudes will be persecuted (Mt
5:11-12), but his or her life will have meaning because he/she will be the salt
of the earth (Mt 5:13) and the light of the world (Mt 5:14-16).
Mt 5:17-to-6:18: The new relationship with God: A new Justice
Mt 5:17-48: The new justice must be greater than that of the
Pharisees
Jesus radicalises the law, that is, he brings it back to its
roots, to its main and ultimate purpose which is to serve life, justice, love
and truth. The commandments of the law point to a new way of life, avoided by
the Pharisees (Mt 5:17-20).
Jesus immediately presents various examples as to how the
commandments of the Law of God given to Moses are to be understood: of old it
was said, but I say to you (Mt 5:21-48)
Mt 6:1-18: The new justice must not seek reward or merit (This
is the Gospel of this Ash Wednesday).
Mt 6:19-34: The new relationship to the goods of this world: a
new vision of creation
Jesus comes to grips with the primary needs of life: food,
clothing, house and health. This is the part of life that causes most anxiety
in people. Jesus teaches how to relate to material goods and to the riches of
the world: do not accumulate goods (Mt 6:19-21), do not look at the world with
sad eyes (Mt 6:22-23), do not serve God and money at the same time (Mt 6:24),
do not worry about food and drink (Mt 6:23-34).
Mt 7:1-29: The new relationship with people: a new life in
community
Do not seek the straw in your brother’s eye (Mt 7:1-5); do not
cast pearls before swine (Mt 7:6); Do not be afraid of asking for things from
God (Mt 7:7-11); observe the golden rule (Mt 7:12); seek the narrow and
difficult path (Mt 7:13-14); be wary of false prophets (Mt 7:15-20); do not
just talk but do (Mt 7:21-23); the community built on these principles will
stand in spite of raging storms (Mt 7:24-27). The outcome of these words is a
new awareness in the face of the scribes and doctors (Mt 7:28-29).
6.
PRAYER IN A PSALM: PSALM 40 (39)
Proclaiming the great justice of God
I waited, I waited for Yahweh,
then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help.
He pulled me up from the seething chasm,
from the mud of the mire.
He set my feet on rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many will be awestruck at the sight,
and will put their trust in Yahweh.
then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help.
He pulled me up from the seething chasm,
from the mud of the mire.
He set my feet on rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a fresh song in my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many will be awestruck at the sight,
and will put their trust in Yahweh.
How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh,
who have not sided with rebels
and those who have gone astray in falsehood.
How much you have done, Yahweh, my God
your wonders, your plans for us -- you have no equal.
I will proclaim and speak of them;
they are beyond number.
who have not sided with rebels
and those who have gone astray in falsehood.
How much you have done, Yahweh, my God
your wonders, your plans for us -- you have no equal.
I will proclaim and speak of them;
they are beyond number.
You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering,
but you gave me an open ear,
you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;
then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.'
In the scroll of the book it is written of me,
my delight is to do your will;
your law, my God, is deep in my heart.
but you gave me an open ear,
you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;
then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.'
In the scroll of the book it is written of me,
my delight is to do your will;
your law, my God, is deep in my heart.
I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great assembly.
See, I will not hold my tongue,
as you well know.
I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart,
but have spoken of your constancy and saving help.
I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love,
in the great assembly.
See, I will not hold my tongue,
as you well know.
I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart,
but have spoken of your constancy and saving help.
I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love,
in the great assembly.
You, Yahweh, have not withheld your tenderness from me;
your faithful and steadfast love will always guard me.
For troubles surround me,
until they are beyond number;
my sins have overtaken me;
I cannot see my way.
They outnumber the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me,
your faithful and steadfast love will always guard me.
For troubles surround me,
until they are beyond number;
my sins have overtaken me;
I cannot see my way.
They outnumber the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me,
Yahweh, come quickly and help me!
Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life.
Back with them,
let them be humiliated who delight in my misfortunes.
Let them be aghast with shame,
those who say to me, 'Aha, aha!'
But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you!
Let them ceaselessly cry,
'Great is Yahweh' who love your saving power.
Poor and needy as I am,
the Lord has me in mind.
You, my helper, my Saviour, my God, do not delay.
Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life.
Back with them,
let them be humiliated who delight in my misfortunes.
Let them be aghast with shame,
those who say to me, 'Aha, aha!'
But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you!
Let them ceaselessly cry,
'Great is Yahweh' who love your saving power.
Poor and needy as I am,
the Lord has me in mind.
You, my helper, my Saviour, my God, do not delay.
7.
FINAL PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us.
May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever
and ever. Amen.
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