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Gospel: Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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 you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate both chocolate and ashes… romance and sacrifice… Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday.
On the surface, the two may seem like a contradiction in terms. But if we dig deeper, then we should discover that both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday are rooted in the same theme:
Love.
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In Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet, a young Juliet gazes down upon Romeo and says: “Romeo, the more I give to you the more I seem to have.”
His happiness led to hers.
That’s what Valentine’s Day is all about – reminding ourselves that the happier our loved one is, the happier we become.
Our hearts naturally seem fuller after cooking a special dinner for a friend or spouse; writing a gushy card; or sending a bouquet of flowers. That smile coming from our beloved’s face makes us happy in return.
The more we give, the more we have.
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Ash Wednesday – and by extension, Lent – takes the logic of Valentine’s Day and stretches it.
In today’s Gospel, the Lord instructs us to pray, fast, and give alms. The more we do these things – not just for a friend or spouse – but for strangers, the less fortunate, even our enemies, the happier we will become.
“For if you love those who love you,” Jesus says, “what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.”
“Rather, love your enemies and do good to them. Lend and expect nothing back. Then your reward will be great in heaven.”
Trust Jesus: the more we give to others this Lent, the more we will seem to have.
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Image credits: (1) ABC 13 (2) Simcha Fisher (3) Christianity.com