Fasting - 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. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 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.
Treasure in Heaven – 19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
The Light of the Body – 22 The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.
God and Money – 24 No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
The focus of the one fasting should be God not man. It should be an act of faith.
We should have the proper attitude towards the goods of the earth. We should not be preoccupied with attaining goods. Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing (Mt. 6:25)?” We should not be absorbed with gaining earthly possessions that are temporal but strive for ‘treasure’ in this life that is everlasting. Whatever you value the most is where your greatest desire will be, and you will be a slave to it. If our desire is set on God, then everything else will find its proper place. The foundation of our being must be sound for it is from there that our attitude and behavior is formed.
We must perceive things the way God wants us to perceive things. If we discern things correctly, then the results of our life will be good and pleasing to God; "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (Mt. 5:16).” The desires of our heart can only be sound if we accept Jesus who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Jn. 8:12).” We must be able to discern who God is and in whose hands we can place our innermost being. Correct discernment will fill our whole being with light.
We must be of one mind and heart when we serve God. We must love God above all things; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mk. 12:30).” We cannot be a slave to material goods and a servant of God at the same time. Serving God is the only way we can be free to fulfill our innermost desire put there by God; “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13).”
Almighty God, you created me out of love to serve you with joy. You know my innermost being and yearn for me to allow you to show me who I truly am and why formed me. In your mercy, forget not the image you created, but teach me to discern what is true and good and pleasing to you, so that I may fulfill my purpose. Through Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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