Sharing Our Faith - May 4

Today’s Readings -  Psalm 56, 57, [58]; Lev. 16:1-19; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 6:1-6,16-18

When I was in the sixth grade my mom sent a note to school to say that I wouldn’t be eating lunch. It was Ash Wednesday, and my family fasted on the first day of Lent. My teacher was not the kindest of people. Rather than quietly allowing me to sit in the library during lunch she found the idea of fasting ridiculous and made sure all my classmates knew how she felt, ridiculing me in front of everyone. The attention was painful. I can only imagine what she would have done if I had come to school that morning after having received my ashes. I wasn’t seeking attention, it wasn’t even my idea to fast, it was at my mother’s insistence that our family fast on certain holy days, but I took the brunt of it. 

 As an adult after receiving my ashes, people will occasionally ask if I know I have a dirty smudge on my forehead. Or they may ask what it means. As a sixth grader I wasn’t savvy enough to explain the importance of religious practices but as an adult their questions give me an opportunity to explain my faith and why the practice is meaningful to me. I’ve come to understand that there’s a fine line between bragging and living into our faith; between demonstrating our piety in order to impress others or living boldly without fear of retribution or ridicule, not considering the attention it might garner. 

 People all over the world are punished, and some put to death because of their religious practices. We are fortunate to have religious freedoms that many live without. Pious practices can reveal our faith, and they can also bring us deep, lasting joy that can be hard to achieve in this world. Our world is a place that easily induces fear and anxiety. There are wars, climate change, prices are going up on everything, rental rates have surpassed what many who have a minimum wage job can afford and the violence that we hear about on the news seems to grow worse everyday. People are lonelier now than ever before and it feels as though some of us are losing hope and losing a sense of joy in the world. 

 I believe joy and hope are two of our most precious commodities. Joy bubbles up from our deepest places. Unlike happiness we can experience deep joy in the midst of pain, grief, even tragedy. Hope may be hard to come by.  When we lose hope something inside us dies and in a way, we quit living to our fullest. 

 Perhaps what Christ is trying to say in today's gospel is that those who abuse the practices of piety need to understand that we don’t do them for others. We do them for the joy they bring, to honor God, to bring us closer to God and to our true selves, not for anyone else’s benefit, not to impress others, or to elevate ourselves in other’s opinions. They are for us and for God alone.

 So, practice your piety but do so with the joy that comes from knowing Christ, from having a reason to hope for life eternal, and share why your piety is important. You never know who you might inspire – impressing them for all the right reasons. 

 Faithfully,

 Sally+

 Questions for Reflection and Challenge - How do you practice your piety? What are some ways you can bring yourself closer to God? How might you share your piety so that you might draw others closer to God?