“Whether we give alms, pray, or fast, we are to do it in a hidden way, not to be praised by people but to enter into closer communion with God. Lent is a time of returning to God. It is a time to confess how we keep looking for joy, peace, and satisfaction in many people and things surrounding us, without really finding what we desire. Only God can give us what we want…Lent is a time of refocusing, of reentering the place of truth and reclaiming our true identity.”
Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) from Sabbatical Journey: The Diary of His Final Year as recounted in Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen, comp. by Judy Bauer (Liguori: Liguori Publications, 2005) 8.
On this, the first “feast day” of Lent (if you are new to lenten practice, a “feast day” means a break from the 40 days of fasting), let us pause to reflect on why we are doing this. Why are we learning the hidden way? It’s not for others. It’s for us. It’s to help each of us recalibrate our lives to Christ.
For today’s feast, let’s read (“feast on”) Jesus’ instructions for us in Matthew 6:1-18. In this text, I see Jesus reorienting giving, praying, and fasting from pathways for seeking human recognition (“give…pray…fast…to get praised by others”) to pathways for gaining heavenly reward (do this, as Nouwen said, to refocus, reenter the place of truth, and reclaim our true identity).
What do you see in this passage? Do you sense the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart as you read God’s Word. How do you give? How do you pray? How do you fast? Identify one thing you have learned about the hidden way today and put it into practice this week. Don’t talk to anyone else about it, but in your daily prayer time, talk to God about what you are learning.