Deacon Tom Anthony

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 73

Reading 1 Is 58:7-10

Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (4a) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
His justice shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 Cor 2:1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.

Alleluia Jn 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

We as Christians are the Light of the World. Through our reaction to the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives we become a beacon of light and hope for others to witness. We cannot hide our faith. We cannot keep our faith secret. It is impossible. When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and God we become new creations and are no longer a part of this world. We are separated from society and are raised above the general expectations and what is perceived as normal in today’s world. We are special and should act accordingly.

God is pure love. He loves us so much that He gave us His only son so that we may experience Him in our life and receive eternal live through forgiveness and redemption. Through this act, Christ has been revealed to us completely. Acknowledging Jesus Christ enables us to enter into a relationship not only with Him but with God’s entire creation. We become an integral part of God’s Divine Plan of Salvation. With that, our intentions and focus on what is important in this life should be fundamentally changed forever. We have a responsibility to reveal Jesus Christ to everyone around us. All of our actions and thoughts should be orientated towards Jesus Christ. Our very being should be a reaction to the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives.

In many ways, our life is no longer our own. Whatever intentions we develop throughout the day must we formulated on the foundation of Jesus Christ. This should not come in the form obligation but because we have searched for Him and found Him. We read in the Sacred Scriptures today about light. Christ is this light which always defeats the darkness. There is never a point where darkness overcomes light, thus light becomes comforting just by its mere presence. We are invited to become part of this light and celebrate the joy that is found within it. Through this joining we then can understand what we have to do in our lives. Acts of charity and love become a reaction to the presence of the light. The more we do to help all of our brothers and sisters, the more powerful this light becomes.

There is certain arrogance here and it is not bad. We must be bold in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Truth and the Light. We should not have to shy away from this point but must embrace it. Our existence should be one where we invited all others to experience Jesus Christ. This can be accomplished not only through words but actions that define who we are. What we say and do become all important, for we are now living for Jesus Christ.

When we fail in this task, which we will all do many times, we must immediately recognize this and ask for forgiveness. As long as we do this, we will become healed and the presence of Jesus Christ will grow stronger. Our failures will then become as important as our successes. We can then be a demonstration of the healing power of Jesus Christ. In our weaknesses, our strength can be revealed. There is nothing that Jesus Christ cannot do. There is nothing that we cannot do with Jesus Christ.

Deacon Tom