Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 6:7-15

Prayer should not be like that of pagans. Pagans think that their prayers are heard. So their prayer is important. They have to convince their God. They have to say many words to argue their points to their God. God of the bible knows the needs of the people even before they ask. He grants their needs even before they ask for it.

So their prayer is only to praise God (hollowed be your name), and ask for his kingdom to be established (your kingdom come) and his will to be done on earth. The people have to have this mentality in their prayer. And their action (which is also considered as prayer) is to forgive others. This mentality and this action are the only prayer.

வேண்டும்பொழுது நமது தேவைகளை முன்வைத்து வேண்டக்கூடாது. நமது தேவைகளை இறைவன் அறிவார் மேலும் நமது தேவைகளை அவர் நிவர்த்தி செய்து கொண்டிருக்கிறார். நமது வேண்டல்களுக்குபின் உள்ள நமது மனநிலை முக்கியமானது (இறைவனை போற்றுதல்> இறை அரசுக்காக> இறை சித்தத்திற்காக) அதோடுகூட (நமது செயல்) பிறரை மன்னித்தலும் அவசியமானது.

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

Pious activities are done in order to show the relationship between the individual and God. Pious activities reveal the faith of the individual in a God whom he believes in. Jews believed in a God who redeemed them from the Egyptian and his name was also revealed to them through Moses as Yahweh. This God wanted a personal relationship with people of Israel.

This relationship was revealed through their pious activities: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. But as the years passed by the people particularly the so called pious people exercised these pious activities not only to show their relationship with God but also to be seen by the onlookers. Later these activities ended up as action-shows for the onlookers to reveal that they are pious people and these actions had nothing to do with God.

பக்திமுயற்சிகள் இறைமனித உறவை வெளிப்படுத்தவே. தனிமனிதனை வெளிப்படுத்த அல்ல பக்திமுயற்சிகள். இறைவனை மறந்து செயல்படுத்தப்படும் செயல்கள் பயனற்றவைகள்.