Yesterday in the gospel passage we heard Jesus telling us to be perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Today, the "perfection" that Jesus wants us to consider is a "purity of thought" – a single-mindedness that focuses on God, rather than us, or, even, anyone else. When we keep our focus - as pure as we can make it – set in God's direction (on his love for us, on the Friendship he offers us) - as much as we can determine it to be - then everything else makes more and more sense and we know better how to get along with one another and ourselves –our human faults and weakness are less of a hindrance and our lives seem more constructive, productive and happy.
And so, in the gospel passage, Jesus has us consider three very important activities of a disciple: giving alms, prayer and fasting. I was watching a television program the other night and it showed a man talking to his young son about a pet goat: and he told the son: "Goats are not just for Christmas, they are for every other day of the year, as well." Giving alms, prayer and fasting are not just for Lent; they are very useful and even vital to our Christian spiritual lives the whole rest of the year, as well.
And when we do these things, Jesus tells us in a very detailed way, we are not to do them "for show" – to "make a name for ourselves" – to become "popular." We are to do them because the life of God that flows into and through us needs to be released in a positive way: the life that is enhanced by constant prayer, and periodic fasting must spill out into "giving to others from our want" not from our surplus. Tithing is giving from our ordinary means – and is essential for the smooth operation of a religious community; but almsgiving is from a heartfelt desire to take from what is in not even in great supply to us and share it with others who are in even greater need. God richly blesses this GIVING IN PRIVATE (alms giving), if it is done IN PRIVATE! In fact it was so highly esteemed in the early Church that it was considered a way to have less serious sins forgiven.
It is very true what is said in the first reading today about giving: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows bountifully, will reap bountifully: God loves a cheerful giver, who gives from the heart, both from his lack and from his surplus – and he rewards such a giver, abundantly!
A goat is not just for Christmas… give, give from the heart today, and every day of the year for the good of the Church…the good of your neighbor… and you will be closer to perfection than you were yesterday and God will be very pleased!
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