Daily Readings - Wed Mar 02 2022
Joel
12"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;13and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.14Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?15Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;16gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.17Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"18Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.
Matthew
1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.2"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true repentance, genuine faith, and the importance of living out our relationship with God in sincerity and humility. In the first reading from the prophet Joel, we hear a call to conversion, urging the people to return to the Lord with their whole heart. Joel emphasizes that true repentance is not merely external—tearing garments or outward signs of mourning—but rather an inward transformation, a rending of the heart. This call to conversion is rooted in God’s mercy and steadfast love, who is always ready to spare and forgive, even in the face of human failure.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians deepens this theme of reconciliation. Paul reminds us that we are ambassadors for Christ, entrusted with the mission of reconciling the world to God. He implores us not to receive God’s grace in vain, emphasizing that the time for salvation is now. This passage underscores the urgency of living out our faith with authenticity, not letting opportunities for conversion and growth pass us by. The “acceptable time” and the “day of salvation” are not in some distant future but in the present moment.
In the Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus’ teachings on the proper way to live out our faith. He warns against performing acts of piety—such as almsgiving, prayer, and fasting—with the intention of being seen by others. True faith, Jesus teaches, is not about external appearances but about sincerity and humility. When we give alms, pray, or fast, these acts should be done in secret, directed toward God alone, who sees what is done in secret and will reward it. Jesus calls us to a faith that is genuine, unpretentious, and rooted in a deep, personal relationship with the Father.
These readings, taken together, remind us that our relationship with God is not about outward appearances but about the condition of our hearts. Joel calls us to rend their hearts, Paul urges us to live out our faith with urgency and sincerity, and Jesus teaches us to direct our spiritual practices toward God alone. In our daily lives, let us examine our motivations and actions, ensuring that they flow from a place of genuine love for God and a desire to grow closer to him. May we embrace the call to conversion, live as true ambassadors of Christ, and cultivate a faith that is humble, sincere, and deeply personal.