HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Feb 9, 2014

2815

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of Prophet Isaiah (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 rearguard. 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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (112:4-9)

(R) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

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)

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)

His heart steadfast; he shall not fear. Lavishly he gives to the poor; his justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (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."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the temple, and we heard the narration of the event from the gospel of Luke. If we had followed the fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time the reading would have been the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew. The Sermon on the Mount is the very heart of the teachings of Jesus and the beginning of Jesus' ministry in which he speaks of the basic rules for living for his followers. Three full chapters in the gospel of Matthew (5-7) are dedicated to the sermon. Jesus begins the sermon with several divine favors or blessings called the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God" and so on.

Today we hear the section of the sermon that follows the Beatitudes. We will continue to hear from the Sermon on the Sundays leading up to Lent. We will study in detail of how the events unfolded and what exactly Jesus said to his followers. As we read the whole sermon in the coming weeks we shall see how relevant the teaching is to our life.

In today's text Jesus uses two metaphors "salt and light" to remind his followers of the difference they can make in the world. He says, "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." We all know the natural qualities and usefulness of salt. During Jesus' time, as now, salt has been used for multiple purposes, including cleansing, healing, preserving various kinds of food, enhancing the flavor of food and so on. It is also commonly believed that Roman soldiers were at certain times paid with salt. Until very recent times salt was valuable enough to be used as currency in some parts of the world. I remember in my village traders used the salt as money. However, the fact that Jesus mentions the taste of salt in his sermon suggests that salt here is used as a preservative and seasoning. Jesus wants his followers to preserve the society which has been tainted by the corruption of sin, and to enhance life in the world, as pure salt does. He wants his followers not to become useless in the eyes of God like salt which loses its saltiness and leaves the food tasteless. Instead he expects them to remain righteous and continue to lead a virtuous and upright life so that others could learn from them.

Then Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." But in the gospel of John (8:12) we read Jesus says of himself, "I am the light of the world." You might ask, "Who then is the light of the world, Jesus or his followers?" This apparent contradiction becomes clearer later in the same gospel (9:5) when Jesus says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." This shows that as long as Jesus is physically present in the world he is the light of the world, but when he is no longer physically present his followers assume the role of being the light of the world.

What is the function of light? We all know very well that light has the same function now as it had at the time of Jesus. Light guides us in the dark, exposes and reveals threats or warns us of dangers. In Jesus' time darkness was a much more dramatic reality than it is today and to us who are used to electric lighting everywhere and are rarely conscious of our need of it. I remember using kerosene lamps in my home until I was fifteen years old. We spent all our nights in pitch darkness. We could hardly see one another at night. Many a days we used to sit outside our homes and eat our meals under the light of the moon or under the little bit of light that we could get from the street lamps which were about 100 meters away. So, people who feel helpless without a lamp perhaps can understand better the words of Jesus - you are the light of the world. His listeners must have understood what Jesus meant much more than us.

Jesus also explains the saying, "you are the light of the world" with two parables. First, he says, "A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden." In Jesus' time, cities were built on a hill to protect them against enemies. They were largely constructed with white limestones to reflect the bright sun's rays so that people miles away can see them. At night the white walls would mirror both the moonlight and the burning lamps and act as a beacon of light for travelers to the city. Similarly, Jesus wants his followers to be a light for people to warn people of the sinful world and help them find their way to God.

In his second parable Jesus says, "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." In Jesus' time, homes were lit by small clay lamps and kept on a lampstand to give light to everyone in the house. No one would light a lamp to hide it under a basket, would they? Lamps are lighted to shed light for everyone. In the same way, Jesus wants his followers not to hide their faith and knowledge of the scriptures but to share it with everyone so that others also can come to experience God.

Finally, Jesus concludes the sermon with a command, "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father." Jesus wants his followers to use all their good works not to bring glory to themselves but to God the Father in heaven. Jesus makes it clear that the purpose of their shining light is meant to bring others to God.

Friends, Jesus' message today is the same as it was to those who followed him while he was on Earth. He wants us to make a difference in the world for we have been called and baptized in his name. He wants us to be different not just in name which we have assumed on the day of our baptism but also in our daily life. He wants us to be pure salt and a guiding light in a world that is often in darkness. People in need of pure salt and light might be living in our families. Let us give them a taste and glimpse of who Jesus Christ is. Where there is strife let us work for reconciliation and peace. Where there is sorrow let us bring comfort and joy. Where there is hatred let us offer forgiveness and love. Where there is poverty let us share our food and things. At the same time let us always remember that the entire purpose of being salt and light in this world is to bring glory to God our Father in heaven who in His own time grants us all favors and blessings.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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