Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 73
Reading 1
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
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
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
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
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,
Being the light of the world means that we have accepted Jesus Christ in our hearts and now have Him as our guiding force within our lives. Living each day in the moment and experiencing each moment as a gift, we become bearers of the light, which is Jesus Christ. As He told his disciples, “The kingdom of God is within you,” so it is with us: The spirit of the Lord is upon us and the Light of Christ has the capability of shining brilliantly through our thoughts, actions, and presence, if we become the bearers of that light. Being bearers of that light means that we react to its presence, tending to it and making it grow. Even though the light is Jesus, we have to allow it to shine forth. We can easily hide it, cover it up, or simply ignore it if we want to. When instead we choose to acknowledge it, it will then shine uninhibited through the barriers that we might have created.
We should all take the Gospel Reading today personally, as if Jesus was talking individually to each of us (he indeed was), explaining to us that, as Christians, we have assumed a particular role in the Salvation Story of God’s creation. It is through us and our relationship with Jesus Christ that He can be realized and recognized by others. Through our baptism we became members of His body and through our confirmation (for those who have been confirmed), we then became Soldiers of Christ. With the Holy Spirit to guide us, and with Jesus to walk with us, the work of building up His kingdom on this earth can begin. Each day, when we wake up, becomes a commissioning of sorts. We have a choice: to approach the day as another monotonous one full of dreary tasks that must be complete or with an opportunity to make a difference through acting out the thoughts and suggestions placed in our mind by God. In other words, we can be slaves to society or servants of Jesus Christ for the greater glory of God. If we are to call ourselves Christians, then we should be willing to choose the latter.
With the embracing of the light, there comes a level of responsibility. There must be an adherence to the words of Jesus Christ and the expectations set forth by God. As His servants, we are asked to serve and not be served. This provides an example for others to follow. Not only does it fulfill what God requires us to do, but it also has the capability of healing ourselves from our own afflictions and sufferings. Through the act of helping others, we are automatically helped by the healing effect these acts of charity can have on us. Doing good always brings about good in those whom we help and in us. This is why these things are required as Christians: it is through us that Jesus is seen and we can feel His presence in our hearts. Our negative thoughts and feelings tend to diminish when we come to the aid of another human being.
God told us about these things through the prophet Isaiah:
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,”
Helping another always brings comfort and solace to one’s heart. It is also the way to discover Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah told us that, as long as we do these things, God will be with us. our own oppression will be lifted, and we will be protected and saved. There is an action and reaction here. If we do what God says, then we will be benefactors of many great things. This is a promise that He has made and one, just like all others, He will never break.
In what ways do we help others? The answer comes easily by placing our faith into action. The Apostle James wrote in his letter,
“If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
We must continuously put our faith into action and become demonstrators of that faith and of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Sacred Scriptures, God delivers the same message. We are told today to,
“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.”
Jesus emphasizes the same message when He gives us what is known today as some of the Corporal Works of Mercy:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
If something is repeated more than once, its importance can usually be measured. There is something to be considered in what is being said. Now, something like this coming from our God cannot be easily dismissed or ignored. We have been told something and, if we truly believe we are hearing it from God, then we must act accordingly. At the same time, we must ensure that our motivations behind the actions are sincere. When these acts of charity are carried out, our hearts should be focused on God, thus the action becomes an expression of what we are feeling inside. Doing something out of obligation or begrudgingly takes away from the impact of the central act. If we don not feel the presence of God in our hearts when doing good works as a reaction to our faith, then this should be causation for us to reflect on the status of our relationship with God. We just might be sicker than we think.
Light brings comfort. Light brings warmth and hope. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and He shines through us when we let Him into our hearts. When we let Him be the guiding force within our lives, then all those whom we interact with benefit as a result. Ironically, it is also us who benefit through these actions, arguably more than the ones we are helping. That is the way that it works: God influences everything that He comes into contact with. Do not be afraid of the contact. Do not be afraid of the light.
Deacon Tom
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