Question re yesterdays Gospel and yesterday

danniemcq

At mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday and the priest read out the same gospel as last year, so assuming its the same in others but anyway. The gospel was Matthew 6:1-6,16-21. There was a few passages that i thought odd for a mass never mind one on Ash Wednesday. Just wondering if people could shed light on it.

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

here is the main one, to me its saying don't draw attention to yourself and what you are doing, but here we are putting crosses on our foreheads in (usually) the biggest building in the area and the place is packed. Everywhere in town you see people and you know who was at mass. Surely this is going against the passage quoted here?

To a lessor extent the same could be said for the one just before this

So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

With everyone given numbered envelopes for donations to the church and everyone around you seeing if you do or don't put your envelope in plus the added emphasis on charity boxes that again are left in the church before mass.

I get my second point might just be me nitpicking but the first one is something i always wondered about

homer911

Good question

The tradition of ashes probably started with Sackcloth and Ashes, in which case the ashes were a mark of repentance for transgressions - an admission of failure if you will.

http://www.gotquestions.org/sackcloth-and-ashes.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christians-hypocrites.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Ash-Wednesday.html

Tricky one to know where to draw the line - what about any Christian who "advertises" their faith - eg who wear crosses or crucifixes or put fish stickers on their cars? Perhaps their is a difference between a once a year activity and someone who lives their faith day in and out?

While we are told not to judge, we might be sceptical of people known to us who rarely if ever go to mass, and then are suddenly spotted with ashes on Ash Wednesday...

danniemcq

homer911 wrote: »

Good question

The tradition of ashes probably started with Sackcloth and Ashes, in which case the ashes were a mark of repentance for transgressions - an admission of failure if you will.

http://www.gotquestions.org/sackcloth-and-ashes.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christians-hypocrites.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Ash-Wednesday.html

Tricky one to know where to draw the line - what about any Christian who "advertises" their faith - eg who wear crosses or crucifixes or put fish stickers on their cars? Perhaps their is a difference between a once a year activity and someone who lives their faith day in and out?

While we are told not to judge, we might be sceptical of people known to us who rarely if ever go to mass, and then are suddenly spotted with ashes on Ash Wednesday...

I guess i would fall into the second catagory myself there rarely showing up at weekends. The priest last year really pissed me off by going on about it last year (same mass). I know its not a holy day of obligation (those are the days i try to always make) for my own reasons but in typical Irish fashion my Ma would kill me if i didn't go.

I just thought it was a very odd reading to have on that day in praticular. The admission of failure i guess you could sau that its harder to admit to yourself so again why the need for such a public exhibition.

Benny_Cake

DannieHasABrazilian wrote: »

I just thought it was a very odd reading to have on that day in praticular. The admission of failure i guess you could sau that its harder to admit to yourself so again why the need for such a public exhibition.

Hmmm, that is interesting timing. I haven't been in a Catholic church on an Ash Wednesday in quite a while so I don't know if that reading comes up every year. It seems appropriate though.

The first thing that always comes to mind for me with those two passages is that Jesus is warning against taking pride in outward displays of religious devotion. So the regular church attender who passes judgement on an infrequent attender, or someone who is walking down the street, ashes on forehead, thinking they are better than every other person - they are the people being warned there I think.

It's interesting how different people take different emphases from the same text. Incidentally, this is how the Message Bible (a paraphrase) puts Matthew 6:1-6:

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

Seems like good advice for everyone!

J C

DannieHasABrazilian wrote: »

At mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday and the priest read out the same gospel as last year, so assuming its the same in others but anyway. The gospel was Matthew 6:1-6,16-21. There was a few passages that i thought odd for a mass never mind one on Ash Wednesday. Just wondering if people could shed light on it.



here is the main one, to me its saying don't draw attention to yourself and what you are doing, but here we are putting crosses on our foreheads in (usually) the biggest building in the area and the place is packed. Everywhere in town you see people and you know who was at mass. Surely this is going against the passage quoted here?

To a lessor extent the same could be said for the one just before this



With everyone given numbered envelopes for donations to the church and everyone around you seeing if you do or don't put your envelope in plus the added emphasis on charity boxes that again are left in the church before mass.

I get my second point might just be me nitpicking but the first one is something i always wondered about

The Biblical Passages you refer to tell us as Christians to not make loud outwards displays of prayer or good works ... do these quietly and with respect ... and our reward will be great in Heaven.

They do not however, ban Christians from wearing symbols of Christian identity or identifying themselves as Christians ... which is a totally separate thing from wearing the proverbial 'sackcloth and ashes' and expecting public acclaim for our deprivations.

If a Roman Catholic wears ashes in public as a sign and reminder that we are all destined to return to clay and ashes and must give an account to God then IMO that is compatible with Scripture and a timely reminder to seek Salvation while we all can ... but if they wear ashes as an outward sign of their Lenten denial and fasting, then that would not be compatible with Scripture.
In my experience, the former is generally the case ... although I'm open to correction from Roman Catholics on this.

Obliq

Speaking as a complete outsider to interpreting the bible (ie. I have no religion, but have a good grasp of English), to me it seems quite clear from the use of the word hypocrites that it's referring to those who pay lip service to prayer - who go to church to be seen, particularly on special occasions (like on ash wednesday). If this mass seems unusual, perhaps the priest was having a subtle dig at those who do this, as opposed to those who pray for real (whether anyone is there to watch them or not - presumably the real faithful)?

I think the second paragraph hammers that principal home - that those who give in secret are truly not doing it for the reward, as opposed to those who are doing it for as to show how good they are. If in your heart, giving is automatic, rather than knowing in yourself you're doing it to prove you're being generous, then you are not letting "your left hand know what your right hand is doing".

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I'd have sat up and paid attention to who at that mass was looking uncomfortable at those words, personally! (if anybody got the subtle dig that I think it is) But then, I'm not bothered about rewards in heaven.....