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.
“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.
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."
SHEDDING THE LIGHT
As we begin this holy season of testing and preparation, let us ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, love and embrace His will fully in our lives. We may find difficult to offer ourselves in front of God because of the impurities we have done, but still His unfathomable love hold and lead us to His way, truth, and life. This is what Pope Francis would say about God's loving presence, "God never tires of forgiving us, we are the ones who tire of seeking His mercy". Now, we can securely say, God will never abandon and leave us in any circumstances of life.
On this season of Lent, allow God to mold us once again. Allow His transforming love to heal and build us to become a better person for others. Let His love overflow into our being that we may see people around us as gifts and signs of life. May we choose God rather than going on our own ways. May we open our hearts and minds to let the Spirit of God conquers us and dwell into our utmost being. May we be courageous enough to face our daily temptations using the grace of God, and exercise our capacities of reason and responsible freedom in order to live the Gospel of life everyday. If we fail and fall, don't let yourself be forever in the pit of sinfulness. Ask God's mercy and compassion to overcome it by starting life better again.
This is what the Gospel Reading of the day speaks to us, Jesus inspires us to free our hearts from all that would keep us captive to sin, and develop a deeper relationship to God that is free from all forms of personal intention and deceit . He wanted us to develop an intimate relationship with Him in the form of true piety and loving devotion to His Heavenly Father.
May this Lenten Season ignite our hearts to pray earnestly, to fast from any form of sinfulness, and to give the self to others out of generosity...
CHALLENGE
How can you best follow and imitate Christ on this Season of Lent?
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