Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to his disciples:

Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

— Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18


The peace of the Lord be with you. Today, Jesus reminds us there is a link between reward and payment. The commentary on today’s Gospel says the the author uses two different words to compare and contrast God’s reward versus the world’s reward. The word apecho, which is used to describe worldly reward, implies payment in full, versus God’s reward, which is not fully realized. This reminds me of something I recently read by author and teacher Dr. Scott Hahn. As he talks about heaven in his book Hope to Die, he says that it will be revealed there, how all our decisions and choices have been woven together into God’s plan. He says, in heaven, we will see how the choices we made not only effected those in close proximity to us, but we will also see how our decisions effected people outside our time and location.

Like Jesus, Dr Hahn implies that one of our greatest rewards will be seeing how our faith informed our decisions and became an essential thread in the tapestry of God’s divine plan — a reward that cannot be realized unless we listen for, and respond to, his call as the motivation for our actions. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Wednesday, June 17, 2020