Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his listeners to do their religious acts–prayer, fasting, almsgiving–in secret, so that their reward comes from God, not admiring neighbors.
However, the point of the gospel is not about getting a reward. Jesus isn’t telling us how to heap up points in God’s eyes. Rather, he is telling us how to be truthful. Give credit where credit is due. And the truth is that we don’t deserve credit for our prayer, our almsgiving or our fasting; God does.
It is God, not we, who moves us to pray and brings good out of our prayer. It is God who blesses people through our almsgiving. And it is God who brings good out of our fasting. For us to appear great or holy and receive acclaim for such deeds is to imply that we are responsible for the good that follows from those good works.
Among the “tools of good works” in Chapter 4 of St. Benedict’s Rule, we read: “Place your hope in God alone. If you notice something good in yourself, give credit to God, not to yourself, but be certain that the evil you commit is always your own and yours to acknowledge.” (RB 4:41-43)
Reflection by Abbot Benedict Neenan, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections