fifth Sunday, Year A, 5th February 2023
THEME: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
1. Is 58: 7-10: Your light will shines through good works.
2. Psalm;, 111: The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright
3.1Cor 2:1-5: Our faith should depend on the power of God not human philosophy.
4. Mt 5:13-16: You are the Salt of the Earth, you are the Light of the World.
Aim: We are called to shine in the world through Our good works
Introduction
Dear Friends, todays Liturgy invites us to be the Light of the World. The World needs light since much of the time it lies in darkness of injustice, indifference, egoism, greed and oppression. Christ came to liberate humans from this type of darkness by giving good examples of Love of Neighbour in need. We are also called to shine in the World through our Good works.
A. Called to be the salt and Light of the World
Dear Friends, the Gospel of today is very brief, but contains the kernel of what we Christians should be in the World. Christians are to be the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the world.
1. To be the Salt of the Earth
Salt has many uses, but the most salient are two. Salt preserves things and prevents them from rotting. Salt also gives our food the taste that makes it easy for us to eat it.
i. Salt conserves
Jesus uses the figure of salt to spell out what functions we Christians, should have in this world.
As salt that preserves and conserves, Jesus requires us to conserve his word. Christians should never let God’s word be watered down or falsified. It is the role of the teaching office of the Church to ensure that God’s Word remains unaltered. To be conservative is not negative. It is positive. It means to be the Salt of the Earth.
ii. Salt gives taste
As Salt gives Taste to the food and therefore increases the appetite of those who are in need of it, so are we Christians invited to make God’s word tasty to those who hear it. It is our role to present God’s word in such a way that people will listen to us and follow what this Word teaches us. This is our role of evangelization, catechesis and preaching. As we share God’s Word, it must reflect the goodness that it carries. This goodness comes from the one who carries it. The Gospel warns us against losing our taste as Christians. When salt loses taste, it cannot be replenished. We must therefore be extremely careful not to lose the taste of faith that we received through the grace of baptism.
2. To be the Light of the World
Jesus uses the figure of light which automatically evokes the reality of darkness. We all know how insecure it is when we stay in the dark. We know how insecure it is when we are not yet at home in the night. Darkness gives opportunity for all possible evils to take place.
Light dispels darkness and brings joy and security but also provides direction to those who are able to see. Christians are called to be light bearers. When we are baptised, we receive this light. It is the Light of Christ. Sin is dispelled from us and our life is a life of light. Christians wherever they are therefore should let this light shine.
To be a Christian is to receive a mission, an obligation. The Light of Faith we receive is meant to be shared out. It is meant to be emitted from us to those around us. To be the light is to be exemplary. Others look at us as leaders, as good leaders in the way others may not know.
B. How to be the Light of the World
The first reading and the Gospel today emphasize that we are the light of the World through the good works we do. These good works according to the Gospel of Matthew 25, in the scene of the last judgement, form the criteria of whether we shall enter heaven or not.
1. Feed the hungry
2. Shelter the homeless
3. Clothe the naked
4. Give relief to the oppressed
The first reading does not complete the List of Good Works of Mercy spelled out in the Gospel according to Matthew. But the spirit is clear. We are invited to do good works to our neighbours, especially those who are needy. In this way, our Light shall shine. People who do good to others are people of integrity. When they pray, God hears their prayers.
C. Good works are done aided by the Holy Spirit
St. Paul in the second reading emphasizes that his success in preaching the Gospel in Corinth was not the result of his natural wisdom of philosophy or of his personal intelligence. He allowed himself to be used by God to proclaim Christ, the Crucified. The faith in Jesus Christ does not depend on human philosophy. It is wrong to try to adapt our faith to the contemporary currents in society. Everyone must gaze at the Christ Crucified, the Saviour on the Cross. It was through Paul’s faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, that he preached Christ in Corinth. He said he went there with great fear and trembling. He knew the Greeks were well versed in Philosophy. To use human arguments to proclaim the Good News would have been fruitless in Corinth. For the way of the Cross is illogical to human reasoning. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, that many receive this faith.
D. Let our Light Shine
Dear Friends, today, the Liturgy is inviting us to let our light shine through the good works of our daily life. Our participation in community service, our punctuality and assiduousness in class, our love to come in the Chapel and pray, our presence in the sports fields, our brotherly consideration in the refectory, our ability to mix freely as brothers in the community, our readiness to volunteer, our readiness to help anyone in need when we can, are all expressions of this light that should shine among us and dispel the darkness to threatens to engulf us. Dear Brothers, our light will only shine through the good works we do to our neighbours in need.
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