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| “The Vocation of St. Aloysius Gonzaga” by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, c. 1650 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Commentary on 2 Cor 9:6-11
This is possibly part of a second letter, written after Titus was sent from the churches of Macedonia to initiate a collection for the Church in Jerusalem. Here St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they should be generous as the Heavenly Father is generous and have faith that he will supply their needs as a consequence of their own generosity. “The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God's own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as scripture itself attests (2 Corinthians 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone.”[4]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9
R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9
Psalm 112 is a hymn of praise. The psalmist assures the faithful that those who follow God’s own beneficence will receive a like reward. (“Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just.”) The psalmist also encourages the faithful to give generously to the poor.
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Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Commentary on Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
The Lord continues the Sermon on the Mount. In this selection, the Lord specifically addresses the pious acts of charity, prayer, and fasting, contrasting each with the spurious or pandering acts of the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells his audience that when they do these things, do them for God to see, not other people. They are to do what is right for God’s glory, not their own, not so that others will place them in high esteem because of their piety or generosity. In all three instances, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, the same instruction is given. We are to give generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to fast with purpose but hide our discomfort. (Omitted from this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.)
CCC: Mt 5:43-44 1933, 2844; Mt 5:44-45 2303, 2608; Mt 5:44 1825, 1968, 2262; Mt 5:45 2828; Mt 5:46-47 2054; Mt 5:47 1693; Mt 5:48 443, 1693, 1968, 2013, 2842
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Reflection:
Sacred scripture deals with a difficult subject that contains some interesting traps for the unwary Christian. We speak of course about “almsgiving” or stewardship. As in almost every society, as far as written history reaches, material wealth and the disposition of it is a subject of great interest. This is especially true for the society in which we live.
From the beginning of man’s encounter with God, the Father’s great generosity and mercy toward his creation has been seen as an example to follow. Since his gift of life was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden, God has always been generous to his faithful, generous in material wealth, in spirit, and in what he only can offer- life. How we have responded to this example is the subject of the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that was presented in St. Matthew’s Gospel.
Jesus takes issue with the Scribes and Pharisees who feel a need to be recognized within the social structure for their acts of charity and piety. He points out that, if it is the admiration of people that is important to one motivated to almsgiving, prayer or fasting, the total reward will be just that, NOT God’s grace, but simply the admiration of one’s peers. When the object of the action is ostensibly to please God, the admiration of peers is a poor substitute indeed. To quote another part of the Gospel, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16: 26)
For us this message is clear. Our piety and generosity must be motivated by a desire to please God, not the neighbors. Acts of intense love of God should not be for others to see, but for God to see and reward. To be facetious, acting pious for others to see is like appearing to be diligent at work for your peers to see but ignoring the desires of your boss who is the one who will let you keep your job!
We mentioned that there were traps involved in these instructions and there are. We too are called to be examples to others. It is the principal way in which we spread the good news of the Gospel – through our own example. How are we to be that example if we are instructed to keep our acts of piety and charity a secret from others? Therein lies the distinction we must draw. The Lord asks that we behave in ways that let everyone see that we love one another. We do not try to draw attention to ourselves (blowing our own horn as the Gospel says). Rather our efforts and intentions on behalf of God and others will be seen, even if we do so innocuously.
Today we smile (because, as St. Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver”) as we go into the world as a people sent by God to continue the work of his Son. We dedicate our efforts to the Lord, working to use his gifts for the good of all so that all might see and give glory, not to us, but to God.
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Vocation of St. Aloysius Gonzaga” by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, c. 1650
[4] See NAB footnote on 2 Corinthians 9:6ff
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