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The Journey Starts Now
From Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever 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 whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Today will be an interesting day for those who have never seen people with smudges of something on their foreheads. Think back to your first recollection of either receiving the smudge or seeing someone with it. The smudge that I'm referring to is the outward symbol of some traditions of receiving ash on the forehead as a reminder of where we came and where we are headed as humans with human bodies. To receive the ash, a person may have said to us, "You are dust and to dust you will return," as a reminder of our mortality. But it is the start of a forty day journey to reconnect with the eternal. Jesus' message was all about reconnecting with God and God's love and sharing that love with one another. Jesus knew that we were made to serve God and God's people. Our piety was not so much a holier than thou practice as it was a helping one another practice. The giving of alms was sharing with those less fortunate from the blessings we had. Our prayer life is not so much about how good we can pray but rather to know the good of God that is ours by connecting with God through prayer. The emphasis by Jesus is the inward blessing we are receiving by our faithfulness. There are those who do strive for the limelight and seek attention, but Jesus said if attention is all you want, then attention is all you'll get.
For some faith traditions, fasting is the giving up of something special and/or nourishing. For many years, our Catholic brothers and sisters observed meat free Fridays as well as giving up those things that were special, candy and chocolate for some, sodas for others. True fasting is the giving up of physical nourishment so that our spirits may be nourished by something we take up in its place, like a time of prayer. I remember the first time I learned about fasting and I decided on my own (inward, remember?), I was in high school. I was determined to fast that supper after school. I did not check with my mom nor my dad, I simply went home and knelt by my bed. I shared a room with my three brothers and kneeling was a form of punishment for my dad, so to see me on my knees my brothers thought I had done something wrong and dad had me there thinking about what I had done. So, they were cool about that. But then it was time for Dad to come home and my mother started supper. I'm in prayer, still on my knees, when the first waft of that meal made its demonic way into my room. It was like the cartoons of my childhood where the aroma floated in heavenly form from the stove, down the small hallway, under my door, and straight into my nostrils the aroma of my favorite meal, tacos! I felt a tinge of regret for having chosen the wrong day but quickly repented and centered again on what I was doing and kept praying. Mom always timed supper with my Dad's arrival so that he went straight to the table and we were all expected there with him, all five of his children. Minus one, Lord knows where he was. Mom knew. "Did you call your brother?" No one had, they thought I was being punished. So mom goes down the hall and opens the door. "Supper's ready! I made tacos." Uh, what do I do? What do I say? "Um, I'm not hungry?" Those of you who know me know that I seldom go through hunger. My mom was straight old school Mexican; the bigger you were, the healthier you were. "Are you sick?" she asked in Spanish. No, I'm not eating tonight. "Why not?" I finally had to go outward and I told her, "Mom, I'm fasting." By now, my dad was there a little upset that his dinner was growing cold because of my absence. I told them I felt the need to fast and they left. I felt bad inside for my attempt to be inward in my fast was now outward. I kept praying, feeling a failure, but in thinking back, it was a little after that first fast that God spoke to my heart about entering the ministry.
If you so choose this Lenten time to give up something, replace it with a spiritual discipline to make it a true fast. Every time you would normally have that coffee that you gave up, spend time praying or reading a passage of scripture. Nourish your soul while denying your body. Fasting is also a time of petition with God and Jesus fasted when He knew He was going to face situations and challenges that needed His complete focus and attention. In the same way, our petitions are made stronger by our reliance more on the spiritual than the physical. If you have been praying for the illness of a loved one, fast as well for a meal; instead of a huge supper, have a huge prayer time of praying, reading, singing, and praising God. Your devotion during that time blesses your heart and mind and you are better able to understand and accept just where you are and what you and your loved one are facing. And sometimes, God works in ways that make us marvel and wonder; but we're called to not make sense of unexpected things, but to make praise of that which may come. We will more deeply understand that that which we may face here is temporal; the greater thing Jesus said is that which awaits us in heaven. Our heart should be connected to the heavenly storehouse so that while here, we have glimpses of the glory of God as revealed through Jesus Christ and we will see it through.
PRAYER: LOVING GOD, these first steps of a forty day journey I tremble and may walk slowly, but with Your loving arms around me I can move ever forward and ever upward in my attitude and my gratitude. Thank You for allowing me to connect with You and to focus on that which is eternal and better for me. I may not fully understand all things now, but I trust and love You. I pray this prayer of faith in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
