Daily Readings - Wed Feb 14 2024
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
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of true conversion, reconciliation, and the authenticity of our relationship with God. The prophet Joel calls us to return to the Lord with our whole heart, warning against superficial acts of penance and urging us to rend our hearts, not our garments. This is not a call to outward displays of piety but to an inner transformation that flows from a deep encounter with God’s mercy and love. Joel reminds us that God is gracious, merciful, and patient, always ready to spare and forgive, but we must approach Him with sincerity and humility.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians complements Joel’s message, as St. Paul emphasizes our role as ambassadors for Christ, imploring others—and ourselves—to be reconciled to God. He reminds us that now is the time of salvation, the favorable moment to embrace God’s grace and live in a way that reflects our union with Him. This passage underscores the urgency of living as people transformed by the Gospel, not as those who take God’s gifts for granted.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the true nature of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. He warns against performing these acts for human praise, as the hypocrites do, and instead calls us to do them in secret, where only God sees. True spirituality, Jesus tells us, is not about outward appearances but about the inner disposition of the heart. When we pray, fast, or give alms, we must do so with the desire to please God alone, trusting that He who sees in secret will reward us.
These readings remind us that our faith must be lived authentically and humbly. In a world often driven by appearances and self-promotion, we are called to cultivate a deeper, more personal relationship with God. Let us examine our hearts and actions, ensuring that our spiritual practices are not for the sake of others’ approval but for the sake of pleasing God. May we embrace this time of grace, return to the Lord with sincerity, and live as true ambassadors of Christ, guided by His love and truth.