Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A
Shining Like the Light and Tasting Like the Salt (B)
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v Isa 58:7-10
v Ps 112:4-9
v 1 Cor 2:1-5
v Matt 5:13-16
The metaphors of light and salt in today’s Bible lessons remind us of our calling to imitate Christ by being fair, charitable, and just in dealing with one another. In our faith tradition, light always represents God, goodness, prosperity, and good fortune (Zeph 3:14-20). It is a symbol of Jesus, which he teaches us in the 27 books of the New Testament, which fulfills the old covenant, as taught by the church (cf. Vat II Lumen Gentium). In John 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Darkness is the opposite of this life of light in Christ.[1] It symbolizes disorder and all kinds of misfortune. Salt not only makes our food tasty, it prevents corruption—it resists evil bacteria (Gen 1:1-5)—and is a symbol of the power of God. We are called today to reevaluate our lives in light of Christ by imitating his good example, treating one another well, and living the faith.
The readings remind us of our corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Remember especially those corporal works of mercy and social responsibility, such as feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, harboring the harbor-less, visiting with the sick and imprisoned, and burying and praying for those gone before us who are marked with the sign of faith. This is particularly reflected in today’s first reading, when Isaiah says, “Is not this the fast that I choose … to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn” (Isa 58:6-8).
Here the Prophet Isaiah is addressing those who had returned from exile and were beginning a new life, hoping and watching to experience the full fulfillment of what God had promised them. But we must remember that it was injustice, dishonoring God, idolatry, sin, and disobedience to God that had brought Israel into exile in the first place. Exile was a nightmare for them.
But the remnant—the survivors, who would wake up on the other side of this nightmare and have the opportunity to see themselves as “babies/children” of the Lord with a spirit of renewal and the light of healing—are reminded that God is always committed to his covenant of love, blessings, and justice. God expects them—and us—to participate in the maintenance of love and justice, in being the light that breaks through the cloud of evil and darkness.
The people of Isaiah’s time understood that being righteous and keeping justice was not unconnected with keeping the Sabbath—with worshiping God (Isa 56), showing solidarity, and comforting those who mourn due to sickness, death, and misfortune (Isa 57). This comes with God’s continued blessings, symbolized by light. They were also encouraged to fast from sin and evil, which represents darkness. They are encouraged to repent, pray, and show a sense of gratitude for belonging to the same community that survived the humiliation of the exile (Isa 58).
However, we are talking about human beings. Many of them drifted away from the goal of true fasting, and instead abused religion and self-righteousness (Isa 58:1-6). Isaiah’s message is that fasting and love of God must be coated with the true spirit of change and renewal, especially turning away from exploitation, from the disorder of darkness, and the quarreling that Saint Paul would confront generations later in the church in Corinth (1 Cor 1-2). It is not enough to go about fasting or living the external rituals. We must adapt a lifestyle where the darkness of selfishness and greed is exchanged for the lifestyle of light, charity, and temperance in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah’s message is similar to that of Christ in today’s Gospel, a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 13–16), which we started reading last week. After describing the righteousness and the distinctive marks of the disciples, Christ tells them that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
Somebody once said to me, “Michael, I hope Jesus was not teaching chemistry.” Not at all! Rather, he is addressing how we, as disciples of Christ, maintain the taste of Christ—his values and the distinct flavor of his love and charity. We want to prevent corruption of the faith and truth and live the spiritual works of mercy—instructing the ignorant, counseling those who doubt the word of God, forgiving those who hurt us, and bearing wrongs with patience rather than violence.
By this, we do not want to parade our good deeds but instead channel attention to God and give glory to Jesus. In the midst of the challenges of our time, we want to keep showing good examples in our homes, families, schools, and workplaces. The life of a Christian man, woman, and child is that by which our neighbors recognize Christ in us. And we want to ask ourselves in the private prayer of our hearts whether our brother, sister, husband or wife, friend, schoolmate, workmate, or companion is likely to give glory to God when they observe our spoken and unspoken conduct. Can they discern in us the shining light of Christ? Can they taste in us the valuable flavor of our Lord Jesus?
Reflection Questions:
1. How do you relate to today’s readings?
2. How often do you see yourself as a light to the world?
3. Can you say that you are being the salt of the earth? How?
Alternate Homily
Homily: Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A
Then Light Shall Rise for You in Darkness (A)
v Isa 58:7-10
v Ps 112:4-9;
v 1 Cor 2:1-5
v Matt 5:13-16
I
cannot overemphasize the importance of light and over darkness in our daily lives.
We use light for cooking, reading, studying, driving, worshiping, and brightening
up our otherwise dark cities, towns, rooms, streets, plazas, and environments. Plants
and crops need light as they photosynthesize. The list goes on! In worship, spirituality,
Scripture, and the sacraments, Christ, God’s incarnate, is the Light of the World
(John 8:12). We are invited to worship him and imitate him in our
charity and works of mercy. On the other hand, darkness represents the antichrist’s
values—the evil and misfortune we see, read about, hear of, or experience in today’s
world. But the light of Christ triumphs over the evil of darkness!
Today’s Gospel of light is vital for our spiritual growth.
This truth spans from one generation to another. In the first reading, the The Prophet Isaiah reminds the generation of Third
Isaiah, those who returned from exile, of the need to reject every form of darkness:
false accusations and malicious speeches against fellow community members. The prophet
stresses that what brightens the community spiritually, socially, economically,
and religiously is the sharing of bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless,
and clothing the naked. These corporal works of mercy also make the just person
of today’s Psalm 112 an agent of light in any form of darkness. How many of us today
are prepared to continue to be that just man, that just woman, that upright person,
that source of light in the darkness of our present world?
Be it
at worship, study, work, administration, in leadership, and in the care of our families,
we are called to participate actively as members of the audience Jesus addresses
in today’s Gospel, saying, “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light
of the world . . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see
your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:13-16).
For Paul,
this shining light comes mysteriously to the quarreling and boasting Corinthian
community in the form of worship and charity, humility and mercy, spirit and power.
To them, Saint Paul writes, “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did
not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I
decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I
came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (1 Cor 2:1-3).
Like
the generation who heeded Paul’s letter, sometimes fear of the Lord, trembling,
and humility could help us to appreciate the importance of charitable acts within
and outside our worship contexts. Prayer, fear of the Lord, and humility could help
us to appreciate Pope Francis’s Gospel of Joy in promoting economic equality
in our villages, towns, and communities by challenging every form of darkness—especially
the darkness of the exclusion of the poor in the sociopolitical and economic fabric
of society.
This
is how we become the light of the world and the salt of the earth: by not only fasting
and worshiping God on his terms, but by loosening the bonds of injustice, by undoing
the thongs of the yoke, by letting the oppressed go free, by promoting peace over
war. We become the light of the world by rejecting terrorism and racism, by sharing
our bread with the hungry, by bringing the homeless into our homes, by forgiving
those who may have offended us. We become the light of the world by seeking the
common good over ourselves, by holding the elevator door for the elderly, by visiting
the sick and home-bound. We become the light of the world by clothing the naked and
welcoming everyone, no matter their language, looks, color, culture, gender, or
age. As the Prophet Isaiah rightly put it, if we keep doing all these good works,
then the light of Christ will rise for us, for our communities, for our families,
for our homes, for our friends, and for our nations in any given threat of darkness!
Reflection Questions:
1. What are your priorities during worship?
2. In light of today’s Scriptures, what would you identify
as darkness in your faith community?
3. In what ways are you the source of light and the salt
of the earth to your faith community?
