Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Sister Isabel Angela Mejia, SSpS (Manila)
Wednesday 11th Week in Ordinary Time
When I started to teach and when all the Fridays of Lent were still days of fasting, my Principal was telling us, “Teachers, today is Friday, day of fasting. Please do not eat your pupils.”
That is very typical of us when we feel the effects of fasting; we are easily irritated and are cranky with others. We make others suffer for our fasting. We make others notice that we are fasting. Our Lord tells us, “Don’t let others know that you are fasting, only your Father who is unseen will know.” And it is not only fasting, it also includes our religious duties and charitable deeds.
Prayer, fasting, and alms giving are works meant to glorify God. If these are done for motives other than this, we deny the honor due to God. When we work to honor God, we are not to expect anything in return like the praise and esteem of others. We are not to replace God as the focus of our good deeds.
God only wants us to be good, holy, and righteous, but not to be showy and not to make sure that others know what we are doing. We must do good things whether others are watching or not, because God is watching and that is all that matters.
