So let's talk about today's readings 6/17/09

[cheeto1]

usccb.org/nab/today.shtml

Today’s gospel only strikes me.

First of all, it says to give alms in secret, and you will be rewarded. I’ve
always wanted to know how to reconcile it with Matt 5:16 which says to let your
good deeds be known so God will be praised.

Also, the gospel says

1. When you give alms secretly - then you will be rewarded
2. When you pray secretly - then you will be rewarded
3. When you fast secretly - then you will be rewarded.

What kind of reward will it be?

So what struck you about today’s readings? :bible1::twocents:

 

[GodIsGracious]

Ooh! Can I jump in too? If I am derailing this topic of today’s readings, let me know and I won’t do it again.

But what struck me about the readings was the Gospel.

When we’re out eating at a restaurant we say grace before our meal. Being Catholic, we say do the sign of the cross, say grace, the dig in and chow down. When I am at work, I generally eat at my desk and I can put my back to the entrance to my cubicle then I say grace.

The issue I have been having deals directly with today’s gospel reading about praying in public. Are we doing exactly what we should NOT be doing, according to today’s Gospel? Sometimes I’m a bit embarassed. My motive is not to show how pious I am, but to give gratitude to our Lord God for the blessing of food. Having been homeless and not knowing where my next meal comes from, I certainly do know that having a meal to eat at any one point is definitely a blessing and gift.

So how do I reconcile today’s Gospel with saying grace out in public? I guess the thing for me is that at that point it doesn’t matter what other’s say or think. I know my motives, God knows my motives.

To reference both readings for today, I guess the lesson to be learned is to be humble in your prayers. It’s easy to be pious and show outward signs of devotion, but who are you really when no one is looking? What do you really do when no one is around? What are your motives or intent?

Now, all of this is what I gathered from the readings but I may be completely off base.

Comments?

 

[cheeto1]

Ooh! Can I jump in too? If I am derailing this topic of today’s readings, let me know and I won’t do it again.

Good Gracious, if you don’t jump in, then how can we talk?
No matter what struck you about today’s readings, you are Never derailing the topic…

This is a great subject you bring up. It used to be a problem with me as a younger
person, but I’ve figured it out for myself. Each person will have to examine their own
motives, but for me, I knew the reasonI wasn’t doing it because I was embarrassed in public since no one else was doing it.

You make me think of another thing: genuflecting. I was raised to genuflect, but
later on when for the most part, people stopped doing it, I stopped too. Same reason.
I didn’t want to feel embarrassed since no one else was doing it.

And how about listening to Christian music with the car windows rolled down? I
used to turn it off if I was by another car. I didn’t want to feel embarrassed since
“no one” else was listening to it.

There was another time I was at a cub scout banquet. They were serving chicken
on a Friday during lent. I ate it, but the children in the other family complained to
their mother that they wanted the chicken too, and their mom said no, because it
is lent. Now I felt embarrassed the other way, because I couldn’t tell them I was
Catholic, and it would have been a big help to that family to see another family
following their faith come what may.

I figured out for myself to always do the things I do to honor God, and not to
withhold honoring Him when others are around. Who’s opinion is more important,
peoples or Gods? What happens if certain unreligious strangers thought you were “cool”? What do you get for that? They can’t get you to heaven…

Those people in today’s reading that were blowing the trumpets when they gave to
the poor, probably don’t do that when no one’s around…