Ash Wednesday: Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting
“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 you 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 they 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 be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.
“And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18)
All Catholic Christians are reminded this Ash Wednesday with these three things: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.
Let us define each of these categories …
- Almsgiving: this can be in the form of tithing where you give 10% of your gross income or 10% of your asset. By doing this what you have will be multiplied by God because we share them and he blesses and prospers, as we experience the abundance God. Remember when we give we do not let the left hand what our right is doing. If we do this our reward in heaven is already paid. All of these belongs to God.
- Prayer is the communication with God that we never give up talking to him and we can hear his voice through our conscience and through the anointing of the Holy Spirit we may be able to discern the direction of God’s will. As what mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew when we pray we have to do it in private and in silence of our hearts. If we display ourselves in public there is no more merit of what we ask from God.
- Fasting: Can be in the form of food, your favorite TV shows, listening to your favorite radio station, your favorite hobby most likely, fishing, exercise, and basketball. We can refrain in doing all of these because we offer them to the Lord as act of our sacrifice.
All Catholics all over the world are celebrating Ash Wednesday that we are reminded the humility of God among his people and we must do the same thing. The main purpose of this is to serve God and to cooperate in the coming of God’s Kingdom.
This is the beginning of Lenten Season and again, as saying: “ashes to ashes; dust to dust” … that we are reminded on Genesis 2:7 “the Lord God formed a man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.”
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