Zabenthung Dominic

Lord Jesus, today, as I hear your words in the Gospel, I feel you calling me to something deeper. You are not giving me rules to follow or burdens to carry. You are showing me a way to live that brings true joy, true peace, and true closeness to you. 

You speak of prayer, fasting, and giving. These are not just actions. They are movements of the heart. You want me to do them quietly, not to be noticed by others, but to be seen by the Father who knows me completely. You remind me that love grows in secret, in the hidden corners of the heart where only God can see. 

There is something freeing about this. So often, I worry about what others think. I want them to see me as good, as kind, as generous. But today, you whisper to me that I do not need to prove anything to anyone. I only need to turn my heart toward the Father. He sees. He knows. That is enough. 

Fasting, too, is not about suffering but about making space for you. When I let go of something, even something small, it opens my heart to receive more. It reminds me that I am not made for this world alone. I belong to you. I hunger for more than food. I hunger for you. 

And when I give, you invite me to do it with a heart full of love, not calculation. Not thinking about what I will receive in return, not waiting for approval, not measuring how much is enough. Just giving, as you gave—freely, completely, joyfully. 

Jesus, help me to live this way. Teach me the beauty of the hidden life. A life where my heart seeks only to be close to you, where I am content to be seen by the Father alone, where love flows quietly and deeply. Let my prayer be simple. Let my fasting be joyful. Let my giving be full of love. 

Today, as I begin this journey of Lent, I do not walk alone. You walk before me. You invite me to follow. You show me how to love. Let my heart become more like yours.