For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/061808.shtml
Mary, Queen of vocations, pray for us!
Today's Gospel, which we hear every year on Ash Wednesday, is one of the most difficult, I think, to understand and to apply. Jesus is not telling us to keep our faith or our piety private. Otherwise, why would He say at another time that we are not to hide the light of our faith under a bushel basket, but are to become the light of the world and the salt of the earth. No, our faith is to be shared, so that people can see our good works, and give glory to our Father in heaven. It is only when we wish for people to see us rather than seeing God, and only when we wish to appear holier than we really are, that Jesus must give instructions like the ones He gives in today's Gospel. Humility does not necessarily mean that we must hide our faith from others. Even in a society like ours where the separation of Church and state exists, this separation exists in order that a state does not have to become an expert in religion, and the Church does not have to become an expert in politics. The separation of Church and state helps to guarantee the freedom of religion, and this is a great and necessary thing that the Church prizes highly, but too many people absolutize the separation of Church and state to the point that they despise the contribution that religion reasonably makes to a human society. Religion's interest in politics is to provide a vision of humanity that goes beyond preserving the rights of people to live as they see fit. No, religion provides a vision for human flourishing and appeals to the deepest aspirations of man. This is why her contribution must not be minimized and religion overly privatized. This being said, of course now I am far away from the main point of the Gospel today, which is Jesus' appeal for his disciples to attain the virtue of humility. Without this virtue, we risk being seen as hypocrites, self-righteous and fake. Jesus reminds us that even as our piety grows and we take on my prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the sake of the kingdom of God, so should our desire for the virtue of humility, which always presumes that we are the least holy person around, and that wants deeply for people not to see us, but to see our Father who is hidden in heaven! +m
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