The Danger of Vanity
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Father Walter Schu, LC
Matthew 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 be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
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 be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I believe in You with a living faith. Though I am so inclined to
sin and weakness, I trust in Your mercy. I want to show my love for You in this
meditation. I long for my recompense to come only from You, not from people’s applause.
Petition: Lord, help me to
act with greater purity of intention in my life.
1. Who Do You Seek
to Please: In today’s Gospel reading, Christ presents a difficult challenge and,
at the same time, a great consolation. His teaching can be summed up with a
simple phrase: In everything we do, act always before God alone. At the end of
our life, all that will remain is what we have done for God and our brothers
and sisters. Everything else, all of our vanities, our desires to be esteemed,
loved or taken into account will vanish on the last day, like fog disappears
under the rays of the sun. The challenge is clear: to act before God with
absolute purity of intention. But where is the consolation? Our heavenly Father
“sees in secret.” What might never be perceived or recognized or appreciated by
the world will one day be rewarded in heaven.
2. Between You and
God: Mother Theresa echoes the Gospel teaching in a brief poem entitled
“It’s Between You and God.”
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Why?
Because in the final analysis, all of this is between you and God….
It was never between you and them anyway.
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Why?
Because in the final analysis, all of this is between you and God….
It was never between you and them anyway.
3. Our Everlasting
Reward: Christ declares three times that hypocrites who act before others have
already received their reward. One day each of us will stand alone before
Christ. Our eternal destiny will depend upon the outcome of that moment. May we
not discover to our chagrin that our hands are empty because we have secretly
acted to win the applause of men. Rather, may we perform our good deeds in
secret, not letting our left hand know what our right is doing. Then our
heavenly Father, “who sees what is hidden” will repay us.
Conversation with
Christ: Thank You, Lord, for always seeing what is hidden, for always being
ready to reward what is done for You. Your words and the example of holy men
and women inspire me on this point. I wish to live facing You and eternity and
to give up all my vain ambitions and worries about what others think of my
actions.
Resolution: I will renew my
purity of intention in the different activities of the day, doing them out of
love for Christ and to help establish his Kingdom.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
216 We have come to Cracow today [April 18, 1933]. What a joy it is to
find myself again where I took my first steps in the spiritual life! Dear
Mother Directress [Mary Joseph] is ever the same, cheerful and full of love of
neighbor. I entered the chapel for a moment and joy filled my soul. In a flash
I recalled the whole ocean of graces that had been given me as a novice here.
241 Love of neighbor. First: Helpfulness towards the sisters. Second:
Do not speak about those who are absent, and defend the good name of my
neighbor. Third: Rejoice in the success of others.
242 +O God, how much I desire to be a small child.[71] You are my Father, and You know how little and weak I am. So I beg You, keep me close by Your side all my life and especially at the hour of my death. Jesus, I know that Your goodness surpasses the goodness of a most tender mother.
242 +O God, how much I desire to be a small child.[71] You are my Father, and You know how little and weak I am. So I beg You, keep me close by Your side all my life and especially at the hour of my death. Jesus, I know that Your goodness surpasses the goodness of a most tender mother.
294 +Once the Lord said to me,
Act like a beggar who does not back away when he gets more alms [than he asked
for], but offers thanks the more fervently. You too should not back away and say
that you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to you. I
know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many treasures from
My Heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And I will tell
you one more thing: Take these graces not only for yourself, but also for
others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to trust in
My infinite mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete confidence in
Me. I will do everything for them.
588 On one occasion, I heard these words within me: Every movement
of your heart is known to me. Know, My daughter, that one glance of yours
directed at someone else would wound Me more than many sins committed by
another person.
590 When I receive Holy Communion, I entreat and beg the Savior to heal
my tongue, that I may never fail in love of neighbor.
704 I spend every free moment at the feet of the hidden God. He is my
Master; I ask Him about everything; I speak to Him about everything. Here I
obtain strength and light; here I learn everything; here I am given light on
how to act toward my neighbor. From the time I left the novitiate, I have
enclosed myself in the tabernacle together with Jesus, my Master. He himself
drew me into the fire of living love on which everything converges.
742 My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My
mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My
mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me.
You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not
shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
861 Particular examen:
remains the same; namely, to unite myself with the Merciful Christ (that is;
what would Christ do in such and such a case?) and, in spirit, to embrace the
whole world, especially Russia and Spain.
General resolutions.
General resolutions.
I. Strict
observance of silence - interior silence.
II. To see the image of God in every sister; all love of neighbor must flow from this motive.
III. To do the will of God faithfully at every moment of my life and to live by this.
IV. To give a faithful account of everything to the spiritual director and not to undertake anything of importance without a clear understanding with him. I shall try to clearly lay bare to him the most secret depths of my soul, bearing in mind that I am dealing with God himself, and that His representative is just a human being, and so I must pray daily that he be given light.
V. During the evening examination of conscience, I am to ask myself the question: What if He were to call me today?
VI. Not to look for God far away, but within my own being to abide with Him alone.
VII. In sufferings and torments, to take refuge in the tabernacle and to be silent.
VIII. To join all sufferings, prayers, works and mortifications to the merits of Jesus in order to obtain mercy for the world.
IX. To use free moments, however short, for prayers for the dying.
X. There must not be a day in my life when I do not recommend to the Lord the works of our Congregation. Never have regard for what others think of you [for human respect].
XI. Have no familiar relationships with anyone. Gentle firmness toward the girls, boundless patience; punish them severely but with such punishments as these: prayer and self-sacrifice. The strength that is in the emptying of myself for their sake is for them a [source of] constant remorse and the softening of their obdurate hearts.
XII. The presence of God is the basis of all my thoughts, words and deeds.
XIII. To take advantage of all spiritual help. To always put self-love in its proper place; namely, the last. To perform my spiritual exercises as though I were doing them for the last time in my life, and in like manner to carry out all my duties.
II. To see the image of God in every sister; all love of neighbor must flow from this motive.
III. To do the will of God faithfully at every moment of my life and to live by this.
IV. To give a faithful account of everything to the spiritual director and not to undertake anything of importance without a clear understanding with him. I shall try to clearly lay bare to him the most secret depths of my soul, bearing in mind that I am dealing with God himself, and that His representative is just a human being, and so I must pray daily that he be given light.
V. During the evening examination of conscience, I am to ask myself the question: What if He were to call me today?
VI. Not to look for God far away, but within my own being to abide with Him alone.
VII. In sufferings and torments, to take refuge in the tabernacle and to be silent.
VIII. To join all sufferings, prayers, works and mortifications to the merits of Jesus in order to obtain mercy for the world.
IX. To use free moments, however short, for prayers for the dying.
X. There must not be a day in my life when I do not recommend to the Lord the works of our Congregation. Never have regard for what others think of you [for human respect].
XI. Have no familiar relationships with anyone. Gentle firmness toward the girls, boundless patience; punish them severely but with such punishments as these: prayer and self-sacrifice. The strength that is in the emptying of myself for their sake is for them a [source of] constant remorse and the softening of their obdurate hearts.
XII. The presence of God is the basis of all my thoughts, words and deeds.
XIII. To take advantage of all spiritual help. To always put self-love in its proper place; namely, the last. To perform my spiritual exercises as though I were doing them for the last time in my life, and in like manner to carry out all my duties.
871 + My Master, cause my heart never to expect help from anyone, but I
will always strive to bring assistance, consolation and all manner of relief to
others. My heart is always open to the sufferings of others; and I will not
close my heart to the sufferings of others, even though because of this I have
been scornfully nicknamed "dump"; that is, [because] everyone dumps
his pain into my heart. [To this] I answered that everyone has a place in my
heart and I, in return, have a place in the Heart of Jesus. Taunts regarding
the law of love will not narrow my heart. My soul is always sensitive on this
point, and Jesus alone is the motive for my love of neighbor.
1029 The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the
Passion Service, although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my
own room. Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and
rendered a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I
suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater
pleasure by rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time.
I answered, "But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I
rendered this service." And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter, but
whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me.
1039 + I suffer great pain at the sight of the sufferings of others.
All these sufferings are reflected in my heart. I carry their torments in my
heart so that it even wears me out physically. I would like all pains to fall
upon me so as to bring relief to my neighbor.
1148 June 20, [1937]. We resemble God most when we forgive our
neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy...
Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect
My mercy. My Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My
beloved must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy
for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine.
1244 August 15,
1937. During meditation, God's presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of
the Virgin Mary's joy at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the
ceremony carried out in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and
She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at
that moment She covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle.
With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with
Her left hand She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered
with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres
zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory,
and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues:
humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and
mercy. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight,
and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will
of God and how to apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy
decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. My
daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God's wishes,
for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you
distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God's will. Put the
will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the heavenly Mother
was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God was entering my
soul.
1358 Where there is genuine virtue, there must be sacrifice as well;
one's whole life must be a sacrifice. It is only by means of sacrifice that
souls can become useful. It is my self-sacrifice which, in my relationship with
my neighbor, can give glory to God, but God's love must flow through this
sacrifice, because everything is concentrated in this love and takes its value
from it.
1382 + When Sister Dominic [219] died
at about one o'clock in the night, she came to me and gave me to know that she
was dead. I prayed fervently for her. In the morning, the sisters told me that
she was no longer alive, and I replied that I knew, because she had visited me.
The sister infirmarian [Sister Chrysostom] asked me to help dress her. And then
when I was alone with her, the Lord gave me to know that she was still
suffering in purgatory. I redoubled my prayers for her. However, despite the
zeal with which I always pray for our deceased sisters, I got mixed up as
regards the days, and instead of offering three days of prayer, as the rule
directs us to do, by mistake I offered only two days. On the fourth day, she
gave me to know that I still owed her prayers, and that she was in need of
them. I immediately formed the intention of offering the whole day for her, and
not just that day but much more, as love of neighbor dictated to me.
1633 March 10, [1938]. Continuous physical suffering. I am on the cross
with Jesus. On one occasion, M. Superior [Irene] said to me, "It is a lack
of love of neighbor on your part, Sister, that you eat something and then you
suffer and disturb the others during their night's rest." Yet I know for
sure that these pains which occur in my intestines are not at all caused by
food. The doctor [probably Dr. Silberg] has said the same thing. These
sufferings come from the body itself, or rather are a visitation of the Lord.
Nevertheless, after that remark I resolved to suffer in secret and not to ask
for help, because it is of no avail anyway, since I throw up the medicines that
are given to me.
Many a time, I have managed to suffer through attacks that were known only to Jesus. The pains are so violent and severe that they cause me to lose consciousness. When they cause me to faint, and I am drenched in cold sweat, then they gradually begin to go away. Sometimes they last three hours or more. O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done; I accept everything from Your hand. If I accept the delights and raptures of love to the point of becoming oblivious to what is going on around me, it is only right that I should accept with love these sufferings which cause me to faint.
Many a time, I have managed to suffer through attacks that were known only to Jesus. The pains are so violent and severe that they cause me to lose consciousness. When they cause me to faint, and I am drenched in cold sweat, then they gradually begin to go away. Sometimes they last three hours or more. O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done; I accept everything from Your hand. If I accept the delights and raptures of love to the point of becoming oblivious to what is going on around me, it is only right that I should accept with love these sufferings which cause me to faint.
Third Day.
1768 My daughter, in this meditation, consider
the love of neighbor. Is your love for your neighbor guided by My love? Do you
pray for your enemies? Do you wish well to those who have, in one way or
another, caused you sorrow or offended you?
Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.
1769 Application: O Jesus, my Love, You know that it has only been for a short while that I have acted toward my neighbor guided solely by Your love. You alone know of my efforts to do this. It comes to me more easily now, but if You Yourself did not kindle that love in my soul, I would not be able to persevere in this. This is due to Your Eucharistic love which daily sets me afire.
Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.
1769 Application: O Jesus, my Love, You know that it has only been for a short while that I have acted toward my neighbor guided solely by Your love. You alone know of my efforts to do this. It comes to me more easily now, but if You Yourself did not kindle that love in my soul, I would not be able to persevere in this. This is due to Your Eucharistic love which daily sets me afire.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-216, 241-242, 294)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-588, 590, 704, 742, 861, 871)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1029, 1039, 1148)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1244)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1358, 1382)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1633, 1768-1769)
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