JUNE 19, 2019 : WEDNESDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 367

Reading 12 COR 9:6-11

Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:

He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.

The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God.

Responsorial PsalmPS 112:1BC-2, 3-4, 9

R.(1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

AlleluiaJN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Romuald, please go here.

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Meditation: When you pray, fast, and give alms

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?

True piety and devotion 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).

Completely united with God our Father
What is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples? It is union with God our Father. In him alone we find the fullness of life and happiness, truth and beauty, love and joy. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) wrote the following prayer in his Confessions: 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 rewards those who seek him with humble and repentant hearts. He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with glad and generous hearts. 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.

“Lord Jesus, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and a great love for you. Take from me all lukewarmness in meditating on your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace. Fill my heart with compassion for others, especially those in need, that I may respond with generosity.”

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Pray with the angels, by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.

"When you pray, it is as if you were entering into a palace - not a palace on earth, but far more awesome, a palace in heaven. When you enter there, you do so with complete attentiveness and fitting respect. For in the houses of kings all turmoil is set aside, and silence reigns. Yet here you are being joined by choirs of angels. You are in communion with archangels and singing with the seraphim, who sing with great awe their spiritual hymns and sacred songs to God, the Lord of all. So when you are praying, mingle with these voices, patterning yourself according to their mystical order. It is not to human beings that you are praying but to God, who is present everywhere, who hears even before you speak and who knows already the secrets of the heart. If you pray to this One, you shall receive a great reward. 'For your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.' He did not merely say he would give it to you but reward you, as if he himself had made a pledge to you and so honored you with a great honor. Because God himself is hidden, your prayer should be hidden." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 19.3)

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-18
Weekday
(2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Psalm 31)

KEY VERSE: "Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see" (v. 1).
TO KNOW: Jesus asked his disciples to examine their motives when performing virtuous deeds. He gave three examples that were characteristic of Jewish piety at the time: almsgiving (Mt 6:1-4), prayer (v. 5-15), and fasting (vs. 16-18). While good in themselves, these acts must be carried out in ways to honor God, and not be used to make a public show of holiness. Jesus contrasted the hypocritical behavior of the religious leaders with the sincere conduct he expected of his followers. Prayer should express a right relationship with God. Fasting should convey sorrow for sin. Almsgiving should show solidarity with the poor. These works have no value if only performed to win the praise and approval of others. God, the sole judge of all deeds, will reward each according to the true intentions of the heart. Without a willingness to have one's heart changed, salvation cannot be experienced.
TO LOVE: Do I work for the admiration of people or for eternal reward?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to give glory to God by serving my neighbor through my good works.

Optional Memorial of Saint Romuald, abbot

In 976, Sergius, a nobleman of Ravenna, Italy, quarreled with a relative about an estate, and he slew him in a duel. His son Romuald, horrified at his father's crime, entered the Benedictine monastery at Classe, to do a forty days’ penance for him. This penance ended in his own religious vocation. After three years, Romuald went to live as a hermit near Venice. He founded many monasteries, the chief of which was that at Camaldoli, a wild desert place. There he built a church, which he surrounded with a number of separate cells for the solitaries who lived under his rule. His disciples were hence called Camaldolese. Among his first disciples were Saint Adalbert and Saint Boniface, apostles of Russia, and Saint John and Saint Benedict of Poland, who were martyrs for the faith. He was an intimate friend of the Emperor Saint Henry, and was reverenced and consulted by many great men of his time.​

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Wednesday 19 June 2019

2 Corinthians 9:6-11. Psalm 111(112):1-4, 9. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.
Happy are those who fear the Lord – Psalm 111(112):1-4, 9.
‘Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’

Today’s gospel reminds us of the value of humility in practising our faith. This humility is not about being humiliated or diminishing our sense of self-worth; it is about remaining grounded and centred on God as the source of all we have. Spiritual pride can easily surface when we take our eyes off God and our relationship together.

No matter how much we might impress others with our piety and acts of charity, if our heart is not set on God such actions are empty. This is certainly the case with prayer. When I close the door to my room and pray, I can only be who I am in the presence of God. There is no one I need to impress with pious words or gestures, just the One who knows me and loves me for who I am. Lord, call me to attend to your presence today.

www.pray.com.au

Saint Romuald

Saint of the Day for June 19

(c. 950 – June 19, 1027)

 

Fresco of Saint Romuald | In the Dominican Cloister of Saint Mark, Florence, Italy | Fra Angelico

Saint Romuald’s Story

In the midst of a wasted youth, Romuald watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna. After three years, some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out.

Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope’s permission to preach the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed.

During another period of his life, Romuald suffered great spiritual dryness. One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit which never left him.

At the next monastery where he stayed, Romuald was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life. Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He was given a severe penance, forbidden from offering Mass, and excommunicated—an unjust sentence that he endured in silence for six months.

The most famous of the monasteries Romuald founded was that of the Camaldoli in Tuscany. Here began the Order of the Camaldolese Benedictines, uniting the monastic and eremetical lives. In later life Romuald’s own father became a monk, wavered, and was kept faithful by the encouragement of his son.

---

Reflection

Christ is a gentle leader, but he calls us to total holiness. Now and then, men and women are raised up to challenge us by the absoluteness of their dedication, the vigor of their spirit, the depth of their conversion. The fact that we cannot duplicate their lives does not change the call to us to be totally open to God in our own particular circumstances.

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Lectio Divina: Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Lectio Divina

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

1) Opening prayer

Almighty God,
our hope and our strength,
without You we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to Your will.
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) 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."

3) Reflection

• The Gospel of today continues the meditation on the Sermon on the Mount. In the previous days we have reflected at length on the message of chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel. In today’s Gospel, and the following days, we meditate on the message of chapter 6 of this Gospel. The sequence of chapters 5 and 6 can help us to understand it. The following is the schema:

Matthew 5:13-12: The Beatitudes: solemn opening of the new Law
Matthew 5:13-16: The new presence in the world: Salt of the earth and light of the world
Matthew 5:17-19: The new practice of justice; relationship with the ancient law
Matthew 5:20-48: The new practice of justice: observing the new Law.
Matthew 6:1-4: The new practice of piety: alms
Matthew 6:5-15: The new practice of the works of piety: prayer
Matthew 6:16-18: The new practice of the works of piety: fasting
Matthew 6:19-21: New relationship to material goods: do not accumulate
Matthew 6:22-23: New relationship to material goods: correct vision
Matthew 6:24: New relationship to material goods: God and money
Matthew 6:25-34: New relationship to material goods: abandonment to Providence.

Today’s Gospel treats three themes: almsgiving (6:1-4), prayer (6:5-6) and fasting (6:16-18). These are three works of piety of the Jews.

• Matthew 6:1: Be careful not to parade your uprightness to attract attention. Jesus criticizes those who do good works to be seen by others (Mt 6:1). Jesus says to build up interior security not in what we do for God, but in what God does for us. From the advice that He gives comes a new type of relationship with God: “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 your failings” (Mt 6:14). It is a new way which opens itself now to have access to the heart of God our Father. Jesus does not allow the practice of justice and piety to be used as a means for self promotion before God and before the community (Mt 6:2,5,16).

• Matthew 6:2-4: How to practice almsgiving. To give alms is a way of sharing, and highly recommended by the first Christians (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). The person who practices almsgiving and sharing to promote themselves before others merits exclusion from the community, as it happened to Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11). Today, in society as well as in the Church, there are people who make great publicity of the good that they do for others. Jesus asks the contrary: do good in such a way that the left hand does not know what the right hand does. It is the total detachment and the total gift in total gratuity of the love which believes in God the Father and imitates all that He does.

• Matthew 6:5-6: How to practice prayer. Prayer places the person in direct relationship with God. Some Pharisees transformed prayer into an occasion to show themselves before others. At that time, when the trumpet sounded at the three moments of prayer; morning, noon and evening, they should stop where they were to pray. There were people who sought to be in the corners in public places, in such a way that everybody would see that they were praying. Well, such an attitude perverts our relationship with God. This is false and has no sense. This is why Jesus says that it is better to close up ourselves in our rooms to pray in secret, maintaining the authenticity of the relationship. God sees you even in secret, and He always listens to you. It is a question of a personal prayer, not of a community prayer.

• Matthew 6:16-18: How to practice fasting. At that time the practice of fasting was accompanied by some very visible external gestures: not to wash one’s face, not to comb one’s hair, to wear sober dress. These were visible signs of fasting. Jesus criticizes this form of fasting and orders the contrary, so others cannot be aware that you are fasting: bathe, use perfume, and comb your hair well. In this way, only your Father who sees in secret knows that you are fasting and He will reward you.

4) Personal questions

• When you pray where others can see you, such as at Mass, do you make a show of your praying, or do you do it humbly and without grand showy gestures?
• When you give or help someone, either at the collection, or on the street, or near others, do you talk louder or make a show of it, or do you become quieter and more private with the other person?
• It is rare these days that anyone fasts and also goes out in the manner Jesus describes. But, we have other ways to do that. When giving, or doing some manner of sacrifice for others, do you complain, or groan to others about it, or give subtle clues that you are doing this thing?

5) Concluding Prayer

Yahweh, what quantities of good things You have in store
for those who fear You,
and bestow on those who make You their refuge,
for all humanity to see. (Ps 31:19)

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