Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(II Corinthians 9:6-11; Matthew
6:16.16-18)
The term politically correct means to be seen as just in other people’s
eyes. What a politically correct person
really thinks or does is secondary according to this mindset. Although it is mostly associated with the
left side of the political spectrum, political correctness should not be
limited to either a liberal or conservative viewpoint. Politically correct conservatives will mouth
their opposition to abortion, for example, even though they hardly care about
unborn babies. In the gospel today Jesus
in effect condemns political correctness.
At issue in the gospel are the
chief components of a pious life. In many
religious traditions pious people give alms, pray, and fast. Jesus does not wish to denigrate these
age-old customs. But he does call for
sincerity in their practice. If fasting,
praying, and almsgiving are done for God, then the doers of these actions
should not be trying to impress other people.
According to Jesus, acting piously to court favor undermines goodness
and merits no eternal reward.
We may hear criticisms of
almsgiving as helping the undeserved poor, of praying as fruitless because God
already knows our needs, and of fasting as of no value beyond losing
weight. Such talk, however, does not
take into account the profound dimensions of these actions. Yes, we should take care that our alms meet
people’s basic needs, that we don’t just mouth platitudes in our prayers but
set our hearts on what we ask God, and that we fast for love of God and not for
vanity. We should also endeavor not to capture
the attention of others by these acts so that they may be done out of true love
of God, not love of self.
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