Posted by The WORD in other words by Fr Deva Svariyappan SVD – Yangon Myanmar
Saturday 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Two Christians got lost in the Sahara desert. One is David, and the other is Michael. They were dying of hunger and thirst when they suddenly came upon an oasis, which looked like an emirate with a mosque in the middle.
David said to Michael: “Look, let’s pretend we are Muslims, otherwise we’ll not get any food or drink. I am going to call myself “Mohammed.” Michael refused to change his name, and he said: “My name is Michael, and I will not pretend to be other than but what I am….Michael.”
The Imam of the mosque received both well and asked about their names. David said: “My name is Mohammed.” Michael said: “My name is Michael.” The Imam turned to the helpers of the mosque and said: “Please bring some food and water for Michael only.” Then he turned to the other and said: “Well, Mohammed, I hope you are aware that we are still in the month of Ramadan!”
The Lord requires sincerity and avoidance of hypocrisy in our spiritual practices. In teaching us the proper way of fasting, Jesus discourages us from following the hypocrites’ form of fasting (putting on a sad face) and their motive (to be seen by others) (cf. Mt 6, 16-18).
In today’s Gospel, he gives us further reflections while defending his disciples from the criticism of the Pharisees for not fasting:
First, let us look joyful in all our spiritual practices. Jesus who came to give joy to the world said in John 15:11, “That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Therefore fasting and other spiritual practices should be done with inner joy, sincerity, and spontaneity, rather than out of compulsion or fear.
Second, our spiritual practices, if done only to be seen by others in order to be called godly persons, we are mistaken. The point here is that we refrain from advertising our religiosity. We do them for God, not for others to see. For God doesn’t look on external appearance, but he looks at the heart. They’re not just an outward practice but an inner transformation.
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