Walk in the Spirit February 2020

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Wednesday 26th February 2020
Ash Wednesday
Joel:2/12-18
Psalm:50/3-6,12-14,
17
(51/1-4,10-13,15)
2 Corinthians:5/20-6/2
Mathew:6/1-6,16-18
The Gospel Proclamation
Beware of practicing your piety
before others in order to be seen by
them, for then you have no reward
from your Father in heaven.
"So whenever you give alms, do
not sound a trumpet before you, as
the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may be
praised by others. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward. But when
you give alms, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, so
that your alms may be done in secret;
and your father who sees in secret will
reward you.......
Prayerful Awareness
Once more the blessed season of
Lent is with us. It mainly invites us to
look at ourselves and engage in deeper
prayer, fasting and almsgiving, to gain
merit in the sight of God and as atonement
and forgiveness for our sins. Here
we are faced with a problem - the problem
of outward show when we pray, fast
and give alms. In fasting, unkempt hair,
soiled clothes, whitened faces and telling
others of it are some ways condemned
by Jesus. Can these be regarded as acts
of humility? Surely not. They are acts
of spiritual pride. If fasting is undertaken
for its own sake then there is no
value in it. It is just a demonstration of
superior piety. Jesus calls to conversion
and penance, like that of the prophets
"Abba Father! Abba Mother!"
before Him, do not aim first at outward
works, sackcloth and ashes", fasting and
mortification, but at the conversion of
the heart, interior conversion. Without
this, such penance remains sterile and
false, however interior conversion urges
expression in visible signs, gestures and
works of penance." (C.C.C.1430). Wise
fasting is an excellent thing. It is good for
self-discipline. It would do much good
to us if we at least once a fortnight, set
aside our wishes and desires and exercise
stringent self-discipline. Fasting is good
for health. It is a way of respite to the
digestive system, which if overburdened
results in getting soft and flabby. If it is
neglected it is easy to reach a stage where
we might live to eat instead of the reverse.
The ability to do without certain things is
preserved by fasting. How many things
in our life are regarded as essential or we
cannot do without? We can be independent
if there are fewer essential things. If
our list of essential things is long, then we
will be at the mercy of the luxuries of life.
How about walking along a street lined
with shop windows and making a list of
things we can do without? To appreciate
things all the more - when some pleasures
come seldom, we yearn to enjoy them.
Such hedonistic engagements kill true
fulfillment. Instead, fasting keeps us
satisfied deep within leaving us fresh
and new. What Jesus condemned was the
wrong kind of fasting and never to eliminate
it from life. Let us make it a way to
go to Him. And in prayer - Our prayers
are full of conditions for God to comply
with. If, instead of our telling God "Thy
will be done", He tells us "Thy will be
done"? The voice crying in the wilderness
is a call to penance through which let us
make this Lent a time of salvation - to go
to where we should be.
Prayer Starter
Help us to see and free ourselves from
the hypocrisy of almsgiving, fasting and
prayer. Amen.