「施捨」、「祈禱」和「禁食」，是基督徒靈修的基本功。四旬期要做，平時也應該做，為的是與自己和好，與天主和好，與別人和好。
「禁食」空虛自己，削弱這難以駕馭的肉體。這樣，你可以開始與自己的身體對話，是與自己修和的好機會。倘若禁食是為了在人前炫耀自己的虔誠，並且陶醉在別人的稱讚時，又怎樣與自己的身體對話，踏出與自己修和的第一步呢（創3:7）？固此，你應該知道怎麼樣的禁食態度纔對罷！
「祈禱」是向天主投降，把自己完全交托在天主的手中，這是與天主修如的正確方法。倘若你把祈禱用來抬舉自己，踐踏別人（路18:11），天主又要寬恕你多一條驕傲的罪了。當你表面上好像準備與天主修和的時候，你卻多犯一條罪，試問天主怎樣與你修和呢？所以，你已經知道怎樣的祈禱態度纔對罷！
因為種種原因，你擁有的比一些匱乏的小兄弟較多（瑪25:40）。你願意「施捨」，願意補償你的富有帶給別人的貧窮；你把財富再分配，改善眼前貧富不均的現象。這是你與他人修如的努力。倘若施捨是為了沽名釣譽，試問這種偽善的表現，對方怎樣能接受，怎樣促進修和呢？那麼，你還不知道怎樣選擇正確的施捨態度嗎？
天主聖神啊！求祢賜予我們哀慟溫良的心（5:4-5），幫助我們扎實地修練自己。亞孟。
Proper Christian Attitudes (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)
Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are works of basic Christian spirituality. Christians do them during Lent. They put them into practice during ordinary times as well in order to reconcile with themselves, with God and with others.
Fasting empties oneself and weakens the difficult-to-handle flesh. In this way, you may start a dialogue with your own body. It is a good opportunity to reconcile with oneself. If fasting becomes a way to boast about one's piety before the others and to enjoy the praises heaped on by others, how can you begin a dialogue with yourself and put forwards the first step of reconciliation with yourself (Genesis 3:7)? Now, you should know the proper attitude towards fasting!
Prayer is to surrender yourself to God and entrust yourself completely into God's hand. This is the proper way to reconcile with God. If you exalt yourself and trample upon the others with your prayers (Luke 18:11), God needs to forgive you one more sin of pride. When you seem to be prepared to reconcile with God but commit one more sin, how would God reconcile with you? Therefore, you have known what the proper attitude of prayer should be!
For some reasons, you possess more than some needy little brethren (Matthew 25:40). You are willing to give alms to make up the poverty you bring about with your wealth. You try to redistribute wealth to mend the wealth gap. It is good of you to try to reconcile with others. However, if instead you intend to buy your fame with your wealth, how can the needy accept your hypocrisy? How can you promote reconciliation? Now, how can you not know the proper attitude towards almsgiving?
God the Holy Spirit! Grant us a mourning and meek heart (5:4-5) to help us solidly work ourselves out spiritually. Amen.
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