Daily Word - June, 19th 2019

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

1"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2"Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

What touched my Soul

“when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by men”

To me all public demonstrations of something are always fake and not really what they are showing.

Maybe because of this text from Matthew, where Jesus tell us to keep our demonstrations of faith hidden to the men’s eyes but visible to God that see in our hearts.

Let’s ask God to help us be humble and give without expect public recognition. Serve our neighbours without expecting any return from it other then their happiness. Pray, fast and express our faith in a appropriate quiet and non scandalous way. Like Jesus teach us.

Maybe this is the main reason why I always find hard to back-out the people in Fatima fulfilling their promises to the Virgin Mary sometimes taking it to a level that according to this reading of the gospel is not attractive to God. People dragging themselves along the floor on their knees or even compeletly payed down.

For me that is not an true expression of faith as Jesus puts it . Its just a payment for some sort of contract the people believe done with God through the interception of the Virgin Mary.

i believe we catholics must reflect who are we following? God or the men on hearth? Just a thought.