Gospel of the Day
Gospel of 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.”
Focused on You
My dear Jesus, today Lent begins. This time that our Mother the Church gives us so that we may prepare for Holy Week — Your Passion. That great mystery, the great secret finally revealed: the infinite love You have for me. You give Your life for me, suffering terribly, to pay for my sins, to rescue me and open for me the gates of Heaven.
Lord, help me to recognise my smallness, my nothingness without You, my everything with You. How am I living? Where is my heart?
This is a special time of prayer, of meeting You in the depths of my heart — to know You more, to know myself more, and to know my spouse more deeply.
A time to fast from those material things that have captured my heart, that consume my time (my phone, my plans, my… so much “me”), that distance me from my spouse.
A time for almsgiving — to give to others not what is left over, but to give myself. To give myself to my spouse.
And all this, not to be seen. Let no one see it, Lord — only You. We share it, You and I, in a loving intimacy. And we make it life, above all, within our marriage.
With this self-giving, You will work wonders. In You I trust.
Applied to Married Life
Alfonso: Ana, this Lent I truly want to live it well. I want to prepare my heart for that incredible moment which is Holy Week. It moves me deeply that our God comes down from Heaven to give His life for us.
Ana: Yes, it makes one tremble. I think it’s beautiful. Let’s write down three things we want to practise in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. And each day — when we wake up, at midday and at night — we can review how we’re doing. Without losing heart like other years if we slacken. If we fall, we simply rise again.
Alfonso: For prayer: every day, first thing, our conjugal prayer together. And I also want to set aside some time for personal prayer — to be alone with the Lord.
Ana: Me too. And I want to fast from overworking. I don’t want to arrive home late.
Alfonso: I will fast from my phone. No phone or screens after 9 p.m. Although I’m afraid… what if I miss something important?
Ana: I’m afraid too about reducing extra work. But let’s trust in the Lord. If we give the time to Him, He will take care of the rest.
Alfonso: For almsgiving, I’ll give you my leisure time. For you — for whatever you would like.
Ana: Me too. Let’s do it! It will cost us, but persevering together each day, with the Lord’s help, we will manage it.
Prayer
Mother,
Please help us to live this Lent focused on Your Son. May we live it as you did — in loving intimacy with Him.
Blessed and praised be God.