Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This reading from Matthew is apt for the Lenten season we are about to enter into.  Ash Wednesday is the day when we receive ashes upon our heads as an outward reflection of our inner beliefs and of our repentance. This reading reminds us that true piety is shown not in practicing one’s religion for all to see, but in the quiet reflection which is done behind closed doors, done silently in the car, or a quick prayer for strength whispered just before an exam.  Though we receive ashes upon our heads, it is not the ashes which procure us our reward in Heaven, but the beliefs which they symbolize and the repentance which earned them.  Our silent relationship with God is reflected through our actions and relationships with each other, in giving ourselves and in our attempt to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.  This reading tells us that the glory of Christ does not shine through those who proclaim their own piety, but in those who humble themselves before the Lord and live according to His word.  The literal meaning of the reading is that God does not reward us double for our actions.  If we seek a worldly reward for our charity and our belief in God, then we shall receive it, however if we give praise and humble ourselves quietly before the Lord, with no concern for worldly acclaim and our minds on the life and the world to come, He shall reward us in Heaven.  We only get one reward for our actions, whether it is in this life or the next depends on us.