Reading:
2Cor 9:6-11 ; Ps. 112; Matt. 6:1-6.16-18
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
LEARN
TO PRACTICE YOUR RELIGIOUS PIETY AND HUMANITARIAN SERVICES SECRETLY
There
are three principle disciplines that guide all our religious pieties, this
disciplines include: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. They can be rightly
extended to every act of righteousness and services rendered to humanity. These
disciplines have not been properly understood or implemented by people, for
most people see this disciplines as an opportunity to display their piety in
order to gain cheep human popularity and admiration.
The
negative attitude towards these religious discipline has been greatly adopted
by many people including religious leaders who should know better. Therefore,
it is this ugly and negative attitude that Jesus is addressing in our Gospel
passage today, when he warns his disciples not to indulge in any form of
outward display of their religious pieties so as to attract the admiration of
others. Here Jesus presented how we should properly carryout our religious
pieties and obligations, and any service we render for the sake of humanity.
Using
each of these three spiritual disciplines, he gave us the basic formula saying:
That we should not blow trumpets in the streets to draw the attention of
everyone when we give alms to the poor. We should not say our prayers in the
most conspicuous places so that people will marvel at our holiness and when
fasting, we should not put on gloomy and drawn looks so that everyone will know
that we are fasting. Then he calls us not to be like the hypocrites who
displays their charitable deeds, for they have received their reward. After
which he instructed us regarding the secret practice of piety and promise us
that God will reward us for any piety practiced in secret.
Thus,
Jesus calls us to carryout our religious pieties and obligations to humanity
secretly, for when it is done in the secret we will receive great reward from
God and as recipients of these rewards, we will be surprised, because we have
no idea that we did anything remarkable or that anyone noticed our charitable
acts. For we certainly did not perform the charity to gain rewards. Rather, it
is the combination of our selfless, sacrificial and unassuming attitudes that
opens the channel by which God dispenses His blessings upon us.
Little
wonder St. Paul tells us in our first reading today saying: “Do not forget: thin
sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should
give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made
to, for God loves a cheerful giver”. This is exactly what we see in the life of
St. Aloysius Gonzaga whose memorial we celebrate today. Though born into a
wealthy family, he renounced the world’s riches and honour in order to live a
life of service, simplicity, holiness and piety. For we are called to humbly
look into our lives and identify all those ugly attitudes of pride in us and
get rid of them.
Dear
friends, we are called to cultivate the right attitude towards our religious
pieties and carry them out with the right intention and purpose, and not just
for any selfish purpose. Therefore, it
is important that we have the right disposition and direction towards our
religious pieties and shun all forms of worldly interest or rewards, so as not
to be distracted by the vanity of the things of this passing world. Let
humility, faithfulness, sacrificial love be the driving force towards all our
religious pieties and every other things we do for the good will of humanity.
LET US
PRAY: Lord God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously grant us through
the intercession of St. Aloysius the gift of humility and sacrificial attitude
towards our family, religious and societal obligation and responsibilities. May
we carry them out faithfully and selflessly with right attitude and good
intentions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.
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