Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 16, 2021
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.”
I like to pay taxes. I may be an outlier in this way, but I like that we have a system for figuring out what my family’s fair share is, and that some of what I earn is used to provide local emergency services, a social safety net, a strong defense, and aid to less fortunate countries.
Although maybe I’m not so much an outlier in this, I also like donating to my parish, and to charities that perform corporal works of mercy. My wife and I don’t exactly sound a trumpet when we give alms, but we’re not secret about it either. As our children grew up, we made a point of letting them see us put money in the collection basket. We also prayed with them in public, such as a prayer of grace before meals at a restaurant.
I don’t want to think of myself as a hypocrite, but I certainly can identify with the Pharisees and Sadducees who felt justified in making a public show of giving alms, fasting, and praying. Somebody has to set an example for moral ways to behave! From characters in movies to public figures sounding their own trumpets on Twitter or Instagram, our culture has more than enough examples of immoral behavior.
But I get what Jesus is telling us. The real work of becoming an image of God’s love must be done in the secret of my heart. Making contributions, of both time and money, to others in need has to be grounded in my relationship with the only one we can call good: God. It’s hard, but I’m working on it. How about you?
Prayer
My God, Our Father, we are tempted to do good to others from mixed motives. We want to be helpful; we want to be recognized and somehow rewarded. Let it be enough in our hearts to know we have tried to love you in whatever we do, whether in our hidden prayers for others or our kindness and service as well. We pray with the Church through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Lutgard is held as one of the greatest female mystics of her age; an encounter with the Lord in a vision changed her life.
She was born in 1182 in the Netherlands. Her father had saved money for her marriage dowry, but lost it in a bad business deal. Fearing that she would never be married, her parents sent her to live in a Benedictine convent.
She was an average girl for her time—she was attractive, liked to dress well, and amused herself with simple things. She did not appear to have a vocation to become a nun, and was allowed to live at the convent like a boarder—she could come and go and receive visitors as she liked.
One day, as she was visiting with a friend, Jesus appeared to her. He showed her his wounds, and asked her to love him alone. She accepted instantly, and changed her life—she turned away from worldly concerns and began to dedicate her energy to prayer and conversion in order to respond to this graced encounter.
The older nuns in the convent saw her fervor and said that it would not last but it only increased. She frequently saw the Lord when she was in prayer, and had a familiarity with him. If she was called away during her prayer, she would simply say, “Wait here, Lord Jesus, and I will come back as soon as I have finished this task.” She also saw Mary and several other saints. Sometimes strange signs accompanied her prayer—she would rise from the ground, or people would notice a strange light above her head.
She often felt like she was poorly responding to the opportunity she had been given to grow in holiness. After 12 years, Lutgard decided to increase her practice of the faith by moving to a convent with a stricter way of life.
Eleven years before she died, she lost her sight. She saw this loss as a gift—as a way to further detach herself from the things of this world. During one appearance, Jesus warned her of her impending death, and instructed her to prepare for it with three practices: to praise God for all she had received; to pray for the conversion of sinners; and to rely on God alone. She did these things and died on the day that was foretold to her, which was on this date in 1246.
Relics of St. Lutgard rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. This painting of her is from the collection at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on campus, and is used with permission.
St. Lutgard, who became a mystic after being sent to a convent because her dowry was lost in a scam, pray for us!
Image Credit: Anonymous (Czechoslovakian, 16th century), Saint Lutgarde of Aywières, 16th century, oil on panel. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: Gift of Dr. Lillian Malcove, 1974.091.