Matthew 6: 1”Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2”So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5”And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6: 16”When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Once a year, beginning the season of Lent, remembering, together as fellow worshippers, Christ’s death and our own death in Him, is not for the purpose of being honored by men.
If you think so, just look at all the negative comments here on the thread about it.
As a person who said she was raised Catholic, you must have heard the explanation for the ashes. If you choose, in spite of that, and in spite of reading the truth here, to condemn some for receiving and wearing ashes, that’s no one’s problem except yours.
This Scripture is so widely misunderstood. God knows the hearts of those who grandstand in their works and those who do not. This Scripture does not pertain to those who are humble and do many works of unconditional love that is seen by others.
Works of charity are almost always going to be seen by fellow man .It’s what is in the heart of those doing for others that matters.These can be SELFLESS OR SELFISH
What’s even worse is the people who misunderstand this and do nothing when they see a poor beggar on the street and say to themselves ....”Works mean nothing” and teach the same things to their children. This is true coldness of hearts toward fellow man
AMEN. Jesus taught us how to pray — from our hearts, without pain or discomfort, away from the attention of men.