Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 219
Lectionary: 219
If the blessing and distribution of ashes take place outside Mass, it is appropriate that
the Liturgy of the Word precede it, using texts assigned to the Mass of Ash Wednesday.
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.
Devoting our lives to God
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 (godly) 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).
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 (godly) 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).
Fulness of life with God our Father
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.
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.
In the wilderness of prayer and fasting with Jesus
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 (expressing true sorrow for sin and wrongdoing) as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover of Jesus' victory over sin, Satan, and death.
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 (expressing true sorrow for sin and wrongdoing) as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover of Jesus' victory over sin, Satan, and death.
Growing in lively faith, firm hope, and fervent
charity
The Lord Jesus gives us spiritual food and supernatural strength (faith, hope, and love) 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 you begin this holy season of testing and preparation, ask the Lord Jesus for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit so that you may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will more fully in your life.
The Lord Jesus gives us spiritual food and supernatural strength (faith, hope, and love) 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 you begin this holy season of testing and preparation, ask the Lord Jesus for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit so that you may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will more fully in your life.
"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."
A Daily Quote for Lent: Lent - the epitome of our whole
life, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 AD
"Christians must always live in this way, without
any wish to come down from their cross - otherwise they will sink beneath the
world's mire. But if we have to do so all our lives, we must make an even
greater effort during the days of Lent. It is not a simple matter of living
through forty days. Lent is the epitome of our whole life." (excerpt
from Sermon 205, 1)
SEASON OF LENT
The Season of Lent is a Catholic liturgical season consisting of forty days beginning at Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday. The official liturgical color for the season of Lent is violet. Throughout our history, Christians have found prayer, fasting, and alms giving to be an important part of repentance and renewal. Rather than giving up something, many Catholics address personal habits that need work or perform some outreach to others in need. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of universal fast and abstinence. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal a day and is mandatory for all who have completed their 18th year and have not yet reached their 60th year. 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.
ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14,
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: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father" (Mt 6:1).
TO KNOW: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asked his disciples to examine their motives when performing virtuous deeds. He gave three examples, which were 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. The prophet Joel said: "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. The prophet 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: .In what ways will I pray, fast and give alms this Lent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to do everything for the love of God and neighbor.
Ash Wednesday
Traditionally, 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). Being marked with ashes at the beginning of Lent indicates our need for deeper conversion of our lives during this season of renewal. The faithful are signed on the forehead with the ashes and told: "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 to sin so that we can rise to new life in Christ.
FEBRUARY 14, ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
Saint Valentine, officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly known as the patron saint of lovers. Although not much of St. Valentine's life is known, it is agreed that Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome. In 313 A.D. Roman Emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity and ended Rome's persecution of Christians. These actions not only enabled the teachings of Christianity to spread unhindered within the empire, it encouraged non-Christians to convert to the once-persecuted religion. The pagans, however, who adopted Christianity as their religion did not entirely abandon the practices they held before their "conversion." One of these traditions brought into the church was the fertility celebration known as the Lupercalia. Eventually, a "Christianized" form of the festival was officially adopted by the church as a time to honor Saint Valentine. The Catholic Church currently recognizes at least three different martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus until 1969 when Pope Paul VI removed them from the calendar.
Wednesday 14
February 2018
Psalter Week IV. Ash Wednesday. Day of Fast and Abstinence.
Joel 2:12-18. Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14, 17. 2 Corinthians 5:20 –
6:2. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned—Psalm 50(51):3-6, 12-14,
17.
‘This is how you should pray.’
Today, the first day of Lent, is a time of fast and abstinence.
Lent is traditionally a time of penance, reflection and fasting, a time that
prepares us for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. Today we take some time
to ask: What does Lent mean for me?
How will I prepare for Easter?
For some, Lent is a time for giving; for others, it is a time to
do without. Maybe Lent is a time for removing distractions from our life so
that we can make time and space for God.
Dear Lord, I offer you my Lenten promise, in preparation for
Easter. I pray for the grace and strength I need to keep my promise. I draw
courage from your example and thank you, Lord, knowing that you keep your
promises to me.
Amen.
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saint of the Day for February 14
(Cyril: c. 827 – February 14, 869; Methodius: c. 815 – April 6,
884)
Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Story
Because their father was an officer in a part of Greece
inhabited by many Slavs, these two Greek brothers ultimately became
missionaries, teachers, and patrons of the Slavic peoples.
After a brilliant course of studies, Cyril (called Constantine
until he became a monk shortly before his death) refused the governorship of a
district such as his brother had accepted among the Slavic-speaking population.
Cyril withdrew to a monastery where his brother Methodius had become a monk
after some years in a governmental post.
A decisive change in their lives occurred when the Duke of
Moravia asked the Eastern Emperor Michael for political independence from
German rule and ecclesiastical autonomy (having their own clergy and liturgy).
Cyril and Methodius undertook the missionary task.
Cyril’s first work was to invent an alphabet, still used in some
Eastern liturgies. His followers probably formed the Cyrillic alphabet.
Together they translated the Gospels, the psalter, Paul’s letters and the
liturgical books into Slavonic, and composed a Slavonic liturgy, highly
irregular then.
That and their free use of the vernacular in preaching led to
opposition from the German clergy. The bishop refused to consecrate Slavic
bishops and priests, and Cyril was forced to appeal to Rome. On the visit to
Rome, he and Methodius had the joy of seeing their new liturgy approved by Pope
Adrian II. Cyril, long an invalid, died in Rome 50 days after taking the
monastic habit.
Methodius continued mission work for 16 more years. He was papal
legate for all the Slavic peoples, consecrated a bishop and then given an
ancient see (now in the Czech Republic). When much of their former territory
was removed from their jurisdiction, the Bavarian bishops retaliated with a
violent storm of accusation against Methodius. As a result, Emperor Louis the
German exiled Methodius for three years. Pope John VIII secured his release.
Because the Frankish clergy, still smarting, continued their
accusations, Methodius had to go to Rome to defend himself against charges of
heresy and uphold his use of the Slavonic liturgy. He was again vindicated.
Legend has it that in a feverish period of activity, Methodius
translated the whole Bible into Slavonic in eight months. He died on Tuesday of
Holy Week, surrounded by his disciples, in his cathedral church.
Opposition continued after his death, and the work of the
brothers in Moravia was brought to an end and their disciples scattered. But
the expulsions had the beneficial effect of spreading the spiritual,
liturgical, and cultural work of the brothers to Bulgaria, Bohemia and southern
Poland. Patrons of Moravia, and specially venerated by Catholic Czechs,
Slovaks, Croatians, Orthodox Serbians and Bulgarians, Cyril and Methodius are
eminently fitted to guard the long-desired unity of East and West. In 1980,
Pope John Paul II named them additional co-patrons of Europe (with Benedict).
Reflection
Holiness means reacting to human life with God’s love: human
life as it is, crisscrossed with the political and the cultural, the beautiful
and the ugly, the selfish and the saintly. For Cyril and Methodius much of
their daily cross had to do with the language of the liturgy. They are not
saints because they got the liturgy into Slavonic, but because they did so with
the courage and humility of Christ.
Saints Cyril and Methodius are the Patron Saints of:
Slavic Peoples
Ecumenism
Ecumenism
LECTIO DIVINA: ASH WEDNESDAY
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Ash
Wednesday
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 on the way to
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 in understanding 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 practicing 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:
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."
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 criticize and teach about almsgiving? Make a resume for
yourself.
d)
What does Jesus criticize and teach about prayer? Make a resume for yourself.
e)
What does Jesus criticize 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 criticizes
the fact that they practice 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 only think 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 the 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-emphasizes the manner of praying. He says that
we must pray in secret, only before God the Father. No one will see you. Maybe
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 eyes of others, who appreciate me as one who is pious and prays.
Matthew
6:16: How not to fast
Jesus
criticizes 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 favor, 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 reorganized 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 fulfills
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
practicing 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 (among the poor and persecuted) and where it will be soon (among the
other six groups).
Mt
5:12-16: Jesus addresses His words of consolation to His disciples and warns
that 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
radicalizes 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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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 Savior, 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 what 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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