Daily Readings - Wed Feb 14 2024
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
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.