From: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
An Upright Intention in Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting
[2] “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Tru-
ly, I say to you, they have 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
in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
[5] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to
stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be
seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. [6] But when 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 when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfi-
gure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they
have their reward. [17] But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
[18] that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in se-
cret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
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Commentary:
1-18. “Piety”, here, means good works (cf. note on Matthew 5:6). Our Lord is
indicating the kind of spirit in which we should do acts of personal piety. Alms-
giving, fasting and prayer were the basic forms taken by personal piety among
the chosen people—which is why Jesus refers to these three subjects. With com-
plete authority He teaches that true piety must be practiced with an upright inten-
tion, in the presence of God and without any ostentation. Piety practiced in this
way implies exercising our faith in God who sees us—and also in the safe know-
ledge that He will reward those who are sincerely devout.
5-6. Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church has always taught us to pray
even when we were infants. By saying “you” (singular) our Lord is stating quite
unequivocally the need for personal prayer—relating as child to Father, alone
with God.
Public prayer, for which Christ’s faithful assemble together, is something neces-
sary and holy; but it should never displace obedience to this clear command-
ment of our Lord: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray
to your Father”.
The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the teaching and practice of the
Church in its liturgy, which is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church
is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows [...]. The spiritual
life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is
indeed called to pray with others, but he must also enter into his bedroom to pray
to his Father in secret; furthermore, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he
must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)” (”Sacrosanctum Concilium”,
10 and 12).
A soul who really puts his Christian faith into practice realizes that he needs fre-
quently to get away and pray alone to his Father, God. Jesus, who gives us this
teaching about prayer, practiced it during His own life on earth: the holy Gospel
reports that He often went apart to pray on His own: “At times He spent the
whole night in an intimate conversation with His Father. The Apostles were filled
with love when they saw Christ pray” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 119;
cf. Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; etc.). The Apostles followed the Mas-
ter’s example, and so we see Peter going up to the rooftop of the house to pray
in private, and receiving a revelation (cf. Acts 10:9-16). “Our life of prayer should
also be based on some moments that are dedicated exclusively to our conversa-
tion with God, moments of silent dialogue” (”ibid”, 119).
16-18. Starting from the traditional practice of fasting, our Lord tells us the spirit
in which we should exercise mortification of our senses: we should do so without
ostentation, avoiding praise, discreetly; that way Jesus’ words will not apply to
us: “they have their reward”; it would have been a very bad deal. “The world ad-
mires only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacri-
fice that is hidden and silent” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 185).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Joel 2:12-18 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 50:3-6,12-14,17 |
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Second reading | 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 © |
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Gospel | Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 © |
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