Daily Readings - Wed Mar 05 2025
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
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the essence of true faith and the call to live a life of sincerity and humility before God. The first reading from Joel emphasizes the importance of genuine conversion. Joel calls the people to return to the Lord with their whole hearts, warning against superficial displays of piety. He urges them to rend their hearts, not their garments, signaling a deeper, inward transformation. This passage is set against the backdrop of a time of crisis, where the people are urged to seek God’s mercy and spare them from disgrace. Joel’s words remind us that true repentance is not about outward shows but about an inner change that reflects our commitment to God.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians complements Joel’s message by highlighting our role as ambassadors for Christ. Paul implores the Corinthians to be reconciled to God and not to receive His grace in vain. He emphasizes the urgency of the present moment as the time of salvation, quoting Isaiah to stress that God’s favor is available now. This passage underscores the responsibility that comes with receiving God’s grace—namely, to live in a way that reflects His love and mercy to the world. Paul’s words challenge us to consider how we respond to God’s grace and whether we are living as true representatives of Christ.
In the Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus’ teachings on the proper way to practice justice, prayer, and fasting. Jesus warns against performing these acts for the sake of human approval, as the hypocrites do. Instead, He calls His followers to do these things in secret, where only God can see. This teaching emphasizes the importance of sincerity in our relationship with God. When we give alms, pray, or fast, our focus should be on pleasing God rather than seeking human praise. Jesus’ words remind us that true spirituality is about cultivating a deep, personal connection with God, free from the need for external validation.
These readings, when taken together, offer a powerful lesson about the nature of authentic faith. Joel calls us to conversion, Paul reminds us of our role as ambassadors, and Jesus teaches us how to live out our faith with sincerity. The common thread is the call to humility and a focus on God rather than on ourselves. In our daily lives, we are challenged to examine our motivations and ensure that our actions are driven by a genuine desire to please God. Let us strive to live in such a way that our hearts are truly converted, our lives reflect God’s grace, and our spiritual practices are rooted in sincerity. May we embrace this call to authentic faith, living as ambassadors of Christ with humility and integrity.