Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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 be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return
1) Look inside of you. Don’t do everything for others to see. Stop being so active on social networks, lower your profile and stop taking so many selfies. Today, we are invited to begin to look inside ourselves and to reflect on what we see, during forty days. It is time to change. The party is over, and we must take life seriously. Let us start analyzing our “spiritual self”. You should take what I call a ‘spiritual selfie’. This is a picture you will not publish, but it is useful to take a hard look at your life, to question yourself and ‘publish it for God’s eyes only’. Let’s see what God has to say about this picture. Will He give it a ‘Like’? Or make comments?
2) Almsgiving, fasting and prayer. These are the three axes around which Lent revolves. It is a time to do penance, to fast in order to feel needy, not just to lose weight. Lent is a period to give others your time, and your effort; it’s time for sharing. It’s a time for prayer to talk to God more often about your life.
3) Mary. Today, come closer to Mary. Ask her to help you live Lent profoundly. Maybe you are not a fan of praying the rosary, but you can find an image or statue of Mary, the one you like best, and ask her to take care of your heart and to help you change. She is our Mother and knows exactly what we need. Today, it is important that you should participate in mass so that the priest may place the ashes on you and remind you that ‘you are dust and to dust you shall return’. Start anew. Clean yourself.May God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Always remember that Heaven is our goal.
