If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him JN 14:23
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-11
My Soul's Beloved,
You are the Supreme Model, the Ideal, and in whose image and likeness we are created. You became like us so we could become like You in every way. Our whole life, day by day and moment by moment, we must strive to become like You, follow in Your footsteps, and live the Beatitudes. The greater our striving, the more pleasing we will be to God, our Father, who invites us to grow in holiness and perfection more and more every day, for He created us to be His sons and daughters and co-heirs with You to the Kingdom of Heaven.
You taught us by example that true love wills the good of the one loved. You held nothing back, but poured Yourself out for us and in doing so, You won for the Father the salvation of the whole world. Now, commanded by You, we are to go out into the world and sow the good seed of Your Word generously by the witness of our lives. The more we give of ourselves to others, the greater will be the reward, which is a fruitful and abundant harvest. We are called to give all as You did. You praised the widow who put two little copper coins in the temple treasury - it was all she had to live on, but she did not count the cost. Love prompted her to give all she had. So must true love expand our hearts, and we too will give without worrying whether or not we will have something left over for tomorrow. You assure us that God, our Father, who looks after the birds in the air and the lilies in the field,d will surely give His little ones all they need.
Every good deed we do is prompted by the Holy Spirit, so we must be attuned to His voice and open to His guidance. The more we empty ourselves, the more room there will be for the gifts with which God our Father desires to fill our lives.
Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one, and, made richer in every way, you will be able to do all the generous things which, through us, are the cause of thanksgiving to God.
PSALM 111(112):1-4,9
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one, and, made richer in every way, you will be able to do all the generous things which, through us, are the cause of thanksgiving to God.
PSALM 111(112):1-4,9
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18
MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18
My Soul's Beloved,
We are called to be givers, sharers of all that we have received and most especially sharers of the Good News of our salvation, which we have received freely and freely we are expected to give. We are called to be disciples who live in the shadow of God, becoming another Christ in the world. We are invited to be light and salt - living the life of the Gospel purposefully and always, so that the power of its light, which illuminates our life, we will lead those we encounter to walk in Your Light, which is Life. And as salt, we must flavor the world with the goodness and sweetness of Your Word.
However, none of this will have any merit if we blow our trumpet like the Pharisees who parade their good deeds so they will be admired by men. All our good deeds must be done in secret; our prayers and our fasting also must be done in secret, so only God sees and rewards us. Far, far better to be seen, known, acknowledged, and rewarded by God than by men and the world.
Help me, Lord, to always look for opportunities to love, to give, and to serve. Help me to be open to the promptings of Your Spirit so I will always be attuned to His will and desire to be used for Your glory.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
