Daily Readings - Wed Mar 02 2022
Joel
12"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."13Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.14Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.15Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.16Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.17Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"18Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.
Matthew
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.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. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done 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.