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 others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you
1) To be seen. Your life should not be led by appearances, it’s not about being seen, nor should you look for positions or to show off. You must do what makes you happy and what God gives you as a gift. There are people who live to be looked at, to show off. A Christian cannot fall for this mistake. Please fight this temptation. Be as authentic as you can and do not be dependent on what others say. Learn to confront situations. Look for your personal peace of mind, because if you live by what others say or think, you will never live in peace.
2) In secret. You should not be a show-off.You should learn to do your good deeds in silence, in secret, so to say, not announcing your actions to the world for the sake of recognition. If you go on social media, you will see that people even publish what they eat. No! Learn to do things in silence and only be accountable to God. There are times when it seems that you are running a political campaign and looking for votes or likes. If you are a showoff, this will only lead to isolation and misery in the long run.
3) Hypocrisy. We cannot be two-faced; we are called to live in truth as Jesus taught us. Today let us ask him to help us to be honest and authentic. The key to not fall into hypocrisy is to be absolutely sincere with oneself and with others.
God bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Remember, Heaven is our goal!
