'When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites'

Women wear the mark of ashes at St. Helen Church in Glendale, Arizona, in this 2016 file photo. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)

Today's Gospel from Matthew points out that ostentatious prayer, fasting and sacrifice should be reconsidered. What about Ash Wednesday, when many Christians, especially Catholics, receive ashes on their foreheads as a sign of repentence and reflection. Some people wipe them off; some people feel like wiping them off is disrepectful.

If you wear ashes, is that like parading around your holiness? In this Random Nun Clip, a listener asks if people who wear ashes on Ash Wednesday are showing off their holiness.

You can listen to the full episode of Ask Sister, which includes other Lenten issues, by clicking here.

GSR shares clips from our friends at A Nun's Life Ministry, which has a live prayer podcast Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays) at 4 p.m. Central Time and other live podcasts throughout the month: "Ask Sister," "Motherhouse Road Trip" and "In Good Faith." Dates and times for the full, live episodes are listed on their program schedule.

 

1941