“Be careful not to practice your righteousness before others to be admired by them.” (Mtt. 6:1)
Today’s Gospel puts us at a crossroads: in life we must choose whether to be admired by others or to be seen in secret by the Father’s heart and be blessed. Beautiful things, like praying, giving alms, fasting, and doing good, can be corrupted by our vanity if we are not careful.
Recognition
Deep down, in all of us, there is this subtle temptation to seek recognition or admiration. A mother or father expects a small recognition from their children for what they have done for them, and, at times, complains if they do not do things that give them satisfaction, such as being good at school, or being generous, helpful, and paying heed to everything that is told to them. A wife also expects appreciation from her husband, and vice versa; consecrated men and women also await their rewards, which can include being flattered, surrounded by people who praise their deeds, and being at the center of attention, even doing good things to show off, to seek the approval of men.
Love Seeks Secrecy and Silence
While hypocrisy seeks noise, public squares, and blows trumpets only to be praised by men, love seeks secrecy and silence; it seeks Jesus. What do we seek? We all know how difficult it is to remain hidden, to do good without being seen by anyone, especially in this age of the internet, content creation, and an obsession with algorithms. We can think of how thin the line is between doing good for its own sake and doing good to be praised, to show off one’s ego. Today, therefore, we want to ask ourselves: is it better to be applauded (by men) or to be blessed by God? We all have these two alternatives before us.
Entrust It to Him
The Lord asks us, in the secret of our hearts, to entrust everything to Him, every gesture of ours, even every misunderstanding suffered, in the certainty that He will give us strength and consolation. Let us not, therefore, expect rewards and applause from others, but whatever we do, let us do it for the Lord and in secret, knowing that from Him we will receive every reward (Col. 3:23-24).
