Beginning of Lent

Matthew 6:1-18
Teaching about Almsgiving
Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
Teaching about Prayer
 When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him
The Lord's Prayer
This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one.
If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.
Teaching about Fasting
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearances, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

Reflection:
CRAZY! I opened the Bible in a random place to do some reading and prayer and BOOM! I opened it to this page. Today is ash wednesday and it is that time of the year when I get to think about what I should give up for 40 days. I think this is the first time I am actually going to do what we are supposed to: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I guess I am in the right track if God told me to read this passage tonight. I have recently gone back to believing in God and everything is fitting in perfectly. Dear God, just please give me a sign or just point me in the right direction in terms of my major and vocation. Amen.