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News
--------------------------
Welcome
Benedict XVI
Master
--------------------------
History
Introduction
St Dominic's gift
Australia
---------------------------
Order
Discernment
Formation
Dominican habit
Novitiate
Studentate
---------------------------
Life
Introduction
Four pillars
Apostolate
---------------------------
People
Dominican saints
Our brethren
---------------------------
Resources
Lectio Divina
Links
Prayer
Reading
---------------------------
Site dedication
Ash Wednesday: 1 March, 2006
There's something quite invigorating about knowing a secret. Having some exclusive insight and sharing that insight with only your closest confidants is nothing short of a thrill! Among friends, a secret can strengthen the relationship; in a community, a secret shared can save money and even lives. A secret is a privileged exchange for a good purpose, otherwise it's merely rumour or gossip, and that's just hurtful.
God our Father knows our secrets. The Gospel passage from Matthew offers us some words of Jesus' concerning the kind of knowledge our Father has about us: "Your Father.. sees what is hidden.." and "Your Father.. sees what is secret." This is not to say that we should be watching our backs or being on our best behaviour when we are alone for fear that the Father is ready to pounce! Rather, these words of Jesus' about the Father are to console us: the Father's loving eyes are turned towards us even when we are alone, especially when we are alone, and when we are doing righteous deeds.
The Church offers us this reading for the beginning of our Lenten journey towards Easter to help us to get ourselves straightened out before setting out. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting for the right reasons is the lesson the Church wants us to learn before we even consider carrying them out! Of what use will be purses of coins emptied, decades of Rosary decades and weeks of forgone lunches if we have given, prayed and gone without just so that those around us will notice?
The Lord Jesus even warns us that the motive for doing righteous deeds can mean the difference between being called a hypocrite on the last day and receiving the reward of our Father in heaven.
Like the divinity of the Lord Jesus, veiled by his humanity and only revealed in full at his glorious Resurrection at Easter, so too our almsgiving, prayer and fasting are to be subtle and discreet. Take courage too that our reward will come, eventually, from our "Father who sees in secret."
