Jesus talks about prayer, alms giving and fasting

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18), Jesus talks about the three works of Judaism: Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting.

Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr Paul says Jesus uses repetition to make his point about these three concerns.  It reminds him of the way a child asks the same question over and over again.  It is through repetition that Jesus drives home the message and draws the response.

For Jesus in this Gospel what really matters in all three of these areas is the relationship between God and ourselves and how that is expressed in the good works of Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting.

In our prayer today, Fr Paul invites us to reflect on how good, how deep is the relationship I have with God in my life at the moment?