Reading 1
1 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground.
When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.
Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.
Gospel
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
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.”
Meditation: Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you. (Matthew 6:2)
When trying to master a foreign language, it’s important to listen for the accents on words. Without them, you may not understand what you’re hearing. That principle applies to these words of Jesus. When you read them, you may hear him saying only: “Don’t be a show-off.” It’s true that he was warning against outward displays of piety. But as people who were seeking to know God, his disciples would have been aware of this danger already.
Why shouldn’t we make a big show of our Sunday offering? Or make a point of praying loudly when we go to have our daily prayer time? Or let others know how much we are giving up during Lent? Not because it’s bad form but because they aren’t really meant to be public actions at all. They are meant to be part of a personal relationship with God, a God who wants to be our Father. And just as we keep many things “within the family” at home, so should we when it comes to our spiritual lives.
How often do you look at yourself in the mirror and see a son or daughter of God looking back at you? How much of your prayer is devoted to talking to God in the way a child would talk to his or her dad? It may sound a bit super-spiritual, but it is at the heart of who we are in Christ. It was for this very reason—to bring us back to our Father—that Jesus died and rose again.
Very often, we look at our spiritual lives in terms of how we are doing—Are we praying enough? Are we being successful in the fight against sin? Are we serving God enough? These are all good questions, but they are only one aspect of what it means to be a follower of Christ. Today’s Gospel reading tells us that we have a heavenly Father who loves to share secrets with us—and who loves it when we share secrets with him. He loves it when we partner with him in trying to bring his justice, his holiness, and his righteousness into this world.
“Father, thank you for your love! Lead me deeper into communion with you, so that I can take on the family resemblance more and more.”
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