By Errol Fernandes, SJ
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. Every year on Ash Wednesday, the Gospel text is from Mt 6:1-6, 16-18. In these verses which form part of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (5:1:7:29), the Matthean Jesus speaks of three pious practices prevalent at that time. These were almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Jesus prefaces the instructions on the HOW of these practices, with what may be seen as an anchor to what follows.
This anchor is that there ought to be no ostentatiousness. Pomposity is condemned in the practice of pious duties. There is a great difference between living a conspicuously good and godly life (5:13–16) and striving to gain a reputation for piety. The difference lies not only in the motive, but in the result: the former brings glory to God, the latter only to the self. The ostentatious person gets his/her reward from humans, which is not the true reward. The true reward is the one received from God. The ostentatious person is a hypocrite (originally meaning ‘actor’) because he/she is performing before an audience in order to impress and gain applause.
In this regard, it is instructive to note that Jesus does not use the imperative before his teaching on the pious practices. This means that he does not impel a person to give alms, pray or fast. Instead, he uses the adverb “when” or “whenever” which exhorts and even encourages, but does not force. In other words, what is done must be done from one’s heart and because one wants to do it for the deed itself.
We can look at almsgiving, prayer and fasting as metaphors in which almsgiving may be seen as an outward activity flowing from an inner disposition, prayer as an inward activity which results in an outer transformation and fasting which is both inward and outward.
On the surface level, almsgiving is seen as an act of giving in charity to a needy individual or to an institution. On the deeper level, almsgiving may be seen not only as an act but an attitude or disposition. It may be seen as an attitude which thinks of the other before oneself.
There is a great difference between living a conspicuously good and godly life and striving to gain a reputation for piety.
To be sure this does not mean that we do not take care of ourselves. It means instead that we realize that one of the better ways of self-care is to care for others. While we might not expect a return favour for every good deed that we do, it is very likely that we may expect a thanks from the person who has been the recipient of our action. The attitude to which we are invited this Lent is to give with no expectation whatever. We are not even to expect thanks for the good that we do.
The words of Jesus in this regard are, “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Mk 6:3). While we will not impose our goodness on others, we are called to give even when people are ungrateful. Jesus summarizes this beautifully in Lk 17:10, when he tells us, “So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”’
Prayer has been defined variously. Some see prayer as talking with God, others as listening to God, still others as being silent in front of God and as simply being. My own definition to which I invite you this Lent is, “Prayer is action”. By this I mean that whether one talks with or petitions God, listens to God or is silent in front of God, the result of my prayer is what matters. If my prayer does not result in my becoming more loving, caring and other-centered, it is sterile. My encounter with God must lead to a transformation.
In the case of Zacchaeus, his brief encounter with Jesus led to a total transformation. The one whom people considered dishonest, a sinner and a cheat was transformed into a man who totally renounced his former ways. He became a generous giver (Lk 19:8). This change was not because Jesus asked or expected him to change, but because of his own desire to change after his encounter with the Lord.
If my prayer does not result in my becoming more loving, caring and other-centered, it is sterile.
The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane is a classic example of transformation after prayer. Before he began to pray, Jesus was frightened, even terrified. He admitted as much to his inner circle of disciples when he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’ (Mk 14:34). However, after his prayer, though he received no audible response from his “Abba”, he was transformed, fortified and invigorated. He was able to face the challenge of the cross as is evident in his words to his captors after his arrest, “But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” (Mk 14:49).
The invitation then is to not merely recite prayers, but to be transformed after every time of prayer we spend with the Lord.
Fasting is usually associated with abstaining from food and drink. This abstention is of different types. Some abstain from morning till night, other abstain from one meal or from certain types of food. Many studies have shown the benefits of fasting from food at least once every week. But we are more than food and drink. There is more to fasting than fasting from food and drink. The invitation this Lent is to fast from everything that is negative. As a matter of fact, LENT can be seen as an acronym for Leave Every Negative Thought. If we do this, then our words will be positive and our actions even more so.
Fr. Errol Fernandes, SJ (BOM) is Chaplain of the Shrine of the Infant Jesus at Nashik Road. He is active on social media. He has his own YouTube Channel on which he posts videos every day. He also has his own blog which is updated every day. He can be contacted at errolsj@gmail.com.