REWARD - 06/21/23 (Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious)

Matthew 6:2-6

When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062123.cfm

Blessed Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga! In our gospel reading for today, our Lord Jesus reminds us that our righteous deeds should be done with pure intention which is to serve God, not for us to seek the praise of other people. If we lack this pure intention and fall to pride, even when we perform good deeds, we won't be able to receive the reward that God prepares for us. And yet, Jesus also speaks of the rewards that some people, whom our Lord called as hypocrites, receive despite seeking attention from other people. What's the difference with their reward with the reward that comes from God for those who truly love Him? 

Our Lord Jesus was referring to the Pharisees when He mentioned about the hypocrites. There is nothing wrong with fasting, giving alms to the poor and praying. However, the reason why the Pharisees were wrong was because they did not have the pure intention of doing these things out of love for God and for their neighbors. On the contrary, their intention was to be seen as "holy" by other people. It's about their pride that they wanted to be seen as better among others. So, what kind of reward did they receive? Unfortunately, it's spiritual blindness. All of our actions either lead us to God or may lead us to distance away from Him. The more that a person sins, especially without humbling himself or herself and without repentance, will lead this person to be more attached to these sins. They become more enslaved by the devil, and this makes it difficult for them to see what's wrong with their actions similar to addictions which is difficult to change. On the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, some of his family members did not have the will of God in their view as they were guiding the saint. His father wanted St. Aloysius to be a soldier, but when the saint expressed his desire to renounce his wealth and be a Jesuit, his father even threatened him of physical violence. Meanwhile, some of his family members told him that he should be a secular priest, not a Jesuit, so that they could arrange a way for him to be a Bishop, not for the sake of serving the people but for him to be famous. The more that we don't center our lives on God, the more it will be difficult to see His will in our lives. Fortunately, God granted St. Aloysius Gonzaga the strength to follow Him and persevere in his piety and faith despite the negative influence of some of his family members. 

What does God want us to do? He wants us to do everything out of love for Him. Our Lord desires for us to be pure in our hearts. When we avoid the temptations of sins, it's not because we want to be considered as holy by other people. It's because we have a holy "fear" of God, which is based on our love for Him that we don't want to offend Him considering His goodness. When we do good to other people and give alms to the poor, it's because we want to help them, and we see Jesus in the face of the poor. When we perform pious deeds such as fasting, making sacrifices and prayers, we desire to be united with God and to offer everything for conversion of sinners. The reward that God has for us is His love for us, and this love will bring us to eternal life. Everlasting happiness in heaven is awaiting to those who love God with pure intention while we are here on earth. And, the more that we also follow Jesus and practice the Catholic faith, the more that our hearts will be open to God's graces enabling us to persevere in holiness and to give greater glory to Him. St. Aloysius Gonzaga renounced the worldly life in order to receive the eternal life. When he was near his death at 23 years old, the saint wrote a letter to his mother saying, "In return for my short and feeble labors, God is calling me to eternal rest; his voice from heaven invites me to the infinite bliss I have sought so languidly, and promises me this reward for the tears I have so seldom shed." Let's love our Lord who dwells within us and promises us His divine love. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

For more information on St. Aloysius Gonzaga, click on the link below:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/june-21--st-aloysius-gonzaga

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth