"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
-- Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)
John Chrysostom, Homily 19 on Matthew:
For what, says He, do you wish? Is it not to have some to be spectators of what is going on? Behold then, you have some; not angels, nor archangels, but the God of all. And if you desire to have men also as spectators, neither of this desire does He deprive you at the fitting season, but rather in greater abundance affords it unto you. For, if you should now make a display, you will be able to make it to ten only, or twenty, or a hundred persons: but if you take pains to lie hidden now, God Himself will then proclaim you in the presence of the whole universe.
C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory:
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
Cyprian of Carthage, On Works and Alms:
Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we You an hungered, and fed You? Verily I say unto you, Insomuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me. What more could Christ declare unto us? How more could He stimulate the works of our righteousness and mercy, than by saying that whatever is given to the needy and poor is given to Himself?
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Book II, Ch. 6):
Brief is the glory which is given and received of men. Sadness always goeth hand in hand with the glory of the world. The glory of the good is in their conscience, and not in the report of men. The joy of the upright is from God and in God, and their joy is in the truth.
If God were the only witness to your day, what would change?
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Book IX, 43):
When thou hast done well, and another is benefited by thy action, must thou like a very fool look for a third thing besides, as that it may appear unto others also that thou hast done well, or that thou mayest in time receive one good turn for another?
St. Clair, MI -- Sunday, August 09
Sunny and warm, high near 84°F, light south-southwest wind 0-9 mph. Showers and thunderstorms move in after 9 PM (80% chance), low around 66°F.