Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Intro: Christ calls us to let His light shine forth in our lives, coming to the aid of those around us by what we say and do. Now we gather to share His love in our Eucharist, which enables us to bring that light and love to those we meet.
Readings: Isaiah urges his people to share with the hungry and shelter the homeless; if we act with mercy and live lives of solidarity and mercy, our light will shine amidst the surrounding darkness.
Paul tells the Corinthians that he didn't come to explain the Gospel by his oratory or philosophy. It's the Spirit who moves him to share the news of a crucified Christ.
Isaiah 58: 7-10;
1 Corinthians 2: 1-5;
Matthew 5: 13-16;
In today's first reading, the importance of sharing the light is stressed. The background is the exiles who had returned, but complained to God - what was the point of fasting if He didn't see, or of doing penance if He didn't notice. Isaiah reminds them that fasting isn't just related to God, but to their neighbour, so that fasting should include sharing their food with the hungry, sheltering the homeless,
clothing the naked. Practice of religion must include both God and neighbour!
This theme of sharing the light continues in the Gospel. Discipleship isn't only about our relationship with God; it must include a right relationship with other people. Jesus compliments his followers by calling them the light of the world. But what's the point of lighting a lamp in a house without windows, or hiding it under a tub, He asks? When you're shuffling about in darkness, it's little consolation to know that the inside of the tub is well lit! So the purpose of all this sharing isn't to light up the disciples themselves, but to lead others to praise God.
Jesus calls His disciples "the salt of the earth." Salt was a very important commodity in His time; so much so that it was part of a Roman soldier's wage. But if salt loses its saltiness, it's no longer good for anything - once it's spread on an icy road or pavement, it only lasts for so long.
So if anyone's helping run a soup kitchen or a food bank, it should be us; if anyone's visiting hospitals or prisons, it should be us; if anyone's going into the schools and volunteering to help the children there, or through the children's liturgy in the church, it should be us. Because as St. Paul tells us "not with any show of or philosophy" - we don't have to be experts to do any of these things. We're called to tell others what it means to us that Jesus was crucified and rose again; that He made His mother ours, that He sent His Spirit at Pentecost to help us believe and pray. We're called to share what it means to go to Mass and to share the comfort and strength of the Eucharist.
So Jesus is asking us not to hide our faith away, but to allow God's light so to shine in our lives that we can become a beacon for others. And that must be worth
trying to aspire to! You know how important good example is in your own family, or at work, wherever you are. This is our chance to spread the word by that good
example.
Intercessions
The Church is the light of all nations. We ask the Father to allow the light of love shine on us, and through us, bringing hope to those who still walk in darkness:-
1. For the Church. May She continue to spread through our own acts of kindness, and our witness to what we believe - Lord, hear us.
2. Deliver our broken world from poverty, cruelty, violence and war - Lord, hear us.
3. Let us remember those who are ill at home or in hospital, as well as those who look after them. May they receive, or give, the gift of Your healing, and the comfort of Your love - Lord, hear us.
4. For ourselves. May we learn to accept ourselves just as we are, with all our faults, our weaknesses and our failures. May today's Eucharist bring us to a stronger faith - Lord, hear us.
5. For our beloved dead: Moira Holmes, Rebecca Coughlan, Aileen Boyle, Len Allen; for all those who have no one else to pray for them; and for the anniversaries of Laura Conlon, Kathleen Cordon, Anne McLean, Pat Donnelly, Mary Gray, John Gerard Bermingham, John & Helen Bermingham, Marguerita and Robert Gibson. May they come quickly home to their Father's house - Lord, hear us.
Loving Father, make us the salt of the earth, and lights in our world.