Eleventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time

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 we give alms, we shouldn’t make a display of it or count the cost. Instead we should give freely and in a spirit of sacrifice. When we pray, we shouldn’t make a scene just to bring attention to ourselves. Instead, we should pray to God with selfless intentions or if we do pray in public, it should be because that is where we feel called to pray and give witness to God. When we fast, we shouldn’t seek the pity of others or put on false airs. Instead, we should mortify ourselves in such a way that no one knows what we are given up. We do not perform righteous deeds in order for them to be seen. We do them because they are what God calls us to do. And if we do them without thought of self, then be will be rewarded by God for our gifts of alms, prayers, and fasts.

When we give alms, do we give them for the right reasons? When we pray, do we pray sincerely? When we fast, do we fast to detach ourselves from the world?

O Lord, may we always perform righteous deeds for you alone.

Amen.