Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Our readings today focus on the proper interior attitude needed in our works of charity and manner of worship. St. Paul explains to the Corinthians that one must give according to what one has so bountifully received from God without sadness or compulsion, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). The responsory from Psalm 112 praises the one who fears the Lord, who lavishly gives to the poor; “his generosity shall endure forever” (Ps 112:11).

The gospel from St. Matthew brings further clarity to the selfless inner disposition needed for religious practices and acts of charity. Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting are all are to be done in secret rather than in elaborate public display for the sake of appearance. “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you… When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites… When you fast, do not look gloomy…” (Mt 6:2, 5, 16). Each of the three statements ends with the phrase “And your Father who sees in secret [or what is hidden] will repay you.” Today’s entrance antiphon presents a model prayer, exhibiting a humble reliance upon our Father in heaven who is to be addressed in the privacy of our inner rooms: “O Lord, hear my voice, for I have called to you; be my help. Do not abandon or forsake me, O God, my Savior!” (Psalm 27:7, 9).

The communion antiphon from Psalm 27 sets the tone for the kind of interior disposition to which Jesus calls us in our spiritual practices. “There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Ps 26:4). One thing alone is important: a heart that remains focused on God (“to live in the house of the Lord”) rather than one that seeks earthly recognition for religious observance or works of generosity.

Thought for today: Do I secretly desire to be recognized for my service to the church or to have people take note of the fervor of my prayer life or my works of charity?

Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB