Mateus 6
Chromatius of Aquileia · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Mateus 6:2
Earlier Jesus taught that the work of justice is to be done not for the sake of humans but for the sake of God. Now we are also instructed that we should not blow the trumpet when we perform acts of charity. That is, we should not broadcast what we do, because it is not the mark of a devout mind to do any of the works of God in order to anticipate the glory of human praise. Many people, you see, make a donation for the use of the poor in order to reap from the gesture the human praise and the renown of their contemporaries. The Lord shows that they have received the reward of their work in this age. For as long as they seek the glory of this age, they lose the reward of the future promise. — TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 26.4.2
Mateus 6:3
Here the Lord is not speaking literally of the hands of the human body. Hands as such cannot know, having the senses neither of seeing nor or language. Rather, "on the right hand" means righteous deeds and "on the left" signifies sinful deeds or persons. Thus we read it written in the book of Kings that "hand" means people when it says, "Do I not have ten hands in Israel?"—that is, ten tribes of Israel. Therefore, there is no doubt that "on the right hand" means "the just" and "on the left" means "sinners," according to what Solomon related: "The Lord acknowledges the divisions on the right; the perverse are those who are on the left." The Lord makes very plain the meaning of this "right" and "left" in the Gospel when he declares that the just are to be placed at the right, the sinners on the left. If something is to be accomplished according to the teaching of the Lord, then the right hand of the just must not know what the left is doing. That is, in order to labor religiously and faithfully, we should not boast in the sight of sinners and unfaithful people. — TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 26.5.2-4.11
Mateus 6:6
We find in the books of Kings that very holy woman Hannah fulfilling the precepts of this Gospel teaching. For while praying without uttering a sound, in her heart and in the sight of God, she poured out her desire in her prayers. She was immediately found worthy to be heard by the Lord. In the same way the Lord granted to Daniel, who always prayed in secret with three servants, to understand the interpretations of his dream and the secrets of revelation. Cornelius too, not yet instructed in the precepts of the gospel, prayed secretly and faithfully in his room and was found worthy to hear the voice of the angel speaking. What should we say of Jonah, who, not only in his room but trapped in the stomach of the whale, deserved so greatly to be heard through his prayers that from the depths of the sea and from the belly of so great a beast he escaped unharmed and alive? — TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 27.1.4-5
Mateus 6:7
Nonbelievers think that they can more easily obtain from the Lord what they require by using many words, but the Lord does not expect this from us. Rather, he wants us to send up our prayers not with wordy speech but with faith that comes from the heart. By doing so we command the merits of justice to him. He surely knows better all the things of which we have need and before we speak is aware of everything that we are going to request. — TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 27.2.1-2
Mateus 6:7
We have an example of just how great a distance there is between the wordy and the humble and simple prayer in the story of the Pharisee and the publican. The prayer of the Pharisee vaunting himself in his abundance of words was rejected. The humble and contrite publican, on the other hand, asking forgiveness for his sins, came away more justified than the self-boasting Pharisee. In this we find fulfilled what was written: "The prayer of the humble penetrates the clouds," reaching God who is ready to hear the request of the one who prays. — TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 27.2.3.26