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Message of the Day
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“But it is not necessary for us to set forth our petitions before God in order to make known to him our needs or desires, but rather that we ourselves may realize that in these things it is needful to have recourse to the divine assistance.”
- St. Thomas Aquinas [13th C.], Summa Theologica, 2, 2, 83,
2 (Prayer opens us to “the divine assistance.” What do you need from God?)
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Readings of the Day
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2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14; Ps 31:20, 21, 24 Mt 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." USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“When you give alms, for example, do not blow a horn before you in synagogues and streets like hypocrites looking for applause.” —Matthew 6:2
Jesus
commands us not to display our good works (Mt 6:2ff). If the Lord wants others to know our good deeds, He will let them be “proclaimed from the rooftops” (Lk 12:3). However, we must not praise ourselves. “Let another praise you — not your own mouth; someone else — not your own lips” (Prv 27:2). We live for an audience of One, Almighty God.
Jesus preached the Good News to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Some were swayed by the authority and
power of His words as well as the mighty signs He worked (see Mk 1:27; Jn 7:46). “There were many, even among the Sanhedrin, who believed in Him; but they refused to admit it because of the Pharisees, for fear that they might be ejected from the synagogue. They preferred the praise of men to the glory of God” (Jn 12:42-43). Jesus once said to the Jews: “How can people like you believe, when you accept praise from one
another yet do not seek the glory that comes from the One [God]?” (Jn 5:44) “As the crucible tests silver and the furnace gold, so a man is tested by the praise he receives” (Prv 27:21). In addition, a man is likewise tested by the praise he desires. Let us pray that God would change our desires, that we desire that God be praised rather than ourselves. Prayer: “From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus” (from the Litany of
Humility prayer). Promise: “The Lord keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.” —Ps 31:24 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter 5: Charismatic (Ministry)
Gifts - Selected quotes
A charism can be given by the Spirit at any time to any person as the need requires. I recall, for example, a time years ago when I was meeting with a young woman for spiritual direction. She was depressed because her doctor had just told her that the results of
a biopsy for a spot on her lungs showed a malignant tumor to be the cause. As I listened to her, I felt a strong—almost overwhelming!—desire to pray for her healing. I asked if she wanted to join hands to pray for healing, and she was most willing. As I prayed, I felt a strong flow of energy moving through me; the woman felt it, too. We ended the session shortly after this prayer, and that was the last I heard from her for a few weeks. Then one day, she came bursting into my office with the
news that, much to the puzzlement of her doctors, the tumor was gone. She was sure that a healing had happened when we prayed, as she had felt better from that time on. But she thought it might have been just a spiritual healing, enabling her to accept her condition and stay close to God during the difficult journey ahead. During her next medical visit, she asked for an X-ray, which was reluctantly granted. Then came the good news!
I mention this incident because it’s about the only time it has ever happened to me, and I’ve had thousands of spiritual directions sessions since—often with people who were struggling with an illness of some kind. I have never since felt moved to pray with someone for healing as on that day long ago, however, and I don’t consider myself someone blessed with a gift of healing. But God wanted to heal that woman and I was the person in the
Church chosen to be the vehicle for this grace. Other isolated manifestations of various charisms have happened through the years as well.
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