Contributed by Fr. James M. Donohue, C.R.

Father Jim is the Vicar-Provincial of the Ontario-Kentucky Province and a professor and chair of the Theology Department at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD., where he has taught since 1996. His research and publications deal primarily with the rites of sickness, dying, and death. He teaches courses in systematics, such as Christology and Sacraments, and in pastoral education, such as theology of Lay Ministry, Skills for Ministry, and Youth Ministry.

FIFTH SUNDAY

IN ORDINARY TIME—YEAR A

February 5, 2017

GATHERING TIME (10-15 minutes)

Introduction to the Word:

Today, there are 147 L’Arche communities in 35 countries throughout the world. Founded by Jean Vanier, they are places where people with mental and physical disabilities live in community with others who have been called to assist them. In the summer of 1979, I lived in a L’Arche Home in Stratford, Ontario. I had just completed my novitiate in the Congregation of the Resurrection and in the four months before I would start theology studies, I was to live and minister as an assistant at L’Arche. I did not know very much about L’Arche or about what I had gotten myself into. I remember being greeted at the door by a core member. His name was Alan. He was a very large man and he wore glasses. More prominently, he wore a huge smile and, with open arms, he embraced me and said, “I love you.” This warm greeting took me by surprise at the moment, but over time it has always been one of my greatest memories of L’Arche. Quickly, I was welcomed as a member of the community, and part of my contribution was to invite a priest to come and celebrate Eucharist with us. By the way, that priest, Fr. Murray McDermott—our current Provincial Superior—ended up sharing his life with the L’Arche community in Stratford for over 30 years. At the Eucharist, we sang a song for both the opening and closing of the liturgy that still rings in my ears: This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. I bet you already have the tune in your head, right? It is an infectious song and people sang it with gusto, accompanying the singing with rather un-synchronized liturgical dance moves. As I look back at that memory, I am struck by how that message of letting our light shine came to me through the many L’Arche core members—ones who the world would consider broken, if not insignificant by its standards. Here, I saw a connection with Paul’s letter in our second reading. He clearly indicates that he is not intending to convince the Corinthians through lofty words or wisdom, but through the Spirit of God, whose power appears as foolishness because it is best demonstrated in weakness. As Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, has said many times, “The weak teach the strong to accept and integrate the weakness and brokenness of their own lives.” There seems to be a double message here: to allow our lights to shine, and to be willing to do this through our brokenness.

Warm-up Activity(about 8–10 minutes):

Some people seem to have a natural gift of “being a light for others.”

a)Have you ever known a person whose presence always seemed to light up the room? Or perhaps a person whose simple presence in conversation often becomes an uplifting experience?

b)Comment on your experience of darkness or claustrophobia (i.e. fear of enclosed places). Are you inclined to welcome the dark or are you fearful of darkness? What is it about darkness that is so uncomfortable for most? Share your experiences.

c)Is it possible to let your light shine through your weakness or brokenness? Again, share your experience.

The Table of the Word

Christians: Called to Be Light

There are many images from the New Testament that are associated with the Baptism of a Christian. The image of being “born again” comes from the conversation that Jesus and Nicodemus have in the dead of the night (Jn 3:3-7). The image of being “raised to new life” comes from Paul when he describes baptism as conforming to the death of Christ so that we can be raised up with Him to live in the newness of life (Rom 6:3-4). There are many other images associated with Baptism, but a strong one worth mentioning in the context of our readings today is the one of light or enlightenment. Jesus declares Himself to be the Light of the World and tells His followers that whoever follows Him “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). Paul notes that the God who brought light out of darkness in Genesis “has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, one of the three “scrutinies” that the Church celebrates to prepare for Baptism concerns the man born blind who becomes enlightened about Jesus’ true nature, while the religious authorities, while enjoying physical sight, remain blind. Indeed, the Baptismal liturgy itself is filled with images of light, none more important than the lighting of the baptismal candle from the paschal candle. In the situation of the Baptism of a child, we hear: “This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He (she) is to walk always as a child of the light. May he (she) keep the flame of faith alive in his(her) heart. When the Lord comes, may he (she) go out to meet Him
with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom” (Rite of Baptism of Infants, #100). It is our Baptism that makes us capable of bringing the light of Jesus’ Gospel into the lives of others. But first we must continue to be transformed by God’s Word and the Sacraments. Only then can we be salt of the earthand light for others.

Leader: Let us pray together that His Word becomes our Word, vibrant and life-giving.

Blessed are those who see Your light in others:

In their houses, they are sources of light, Lord have mercy.

Blessed are those whom You call disciples:

In their turn they radiate peace,Christ have mercy.

Blessed are those who open their hands and give:

The joy of God shines upon them, Lord have mercy.

Let us pray (together):

Lord of light,

You call all people and all nations to be beacons of light for all the world.

Help us to respond with a generosity of spirit.

Gathered today in Your name and gifted with Your Spirit,

inspire us today to be Your light and Your salt

for all the dark places of our world.

We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION TIME(45 minutes)

(As Christians we believe that the WORD of God we hear proclaimed each Sunday is an empowering Word, and that God is present in the Word proclaimed. This is the Word that God wants us to hear today. The dynamic of the Small Christian Community, namely, reflecting on our life story within the context of this Word, and sharing the insights of these reflections, is such that God’s Spirit becomes present, and the gifts of the Spirit are experienced as empowering and life-giving.)

FIRST READING (Isaiah 58:6–10)

Thus says the Lord: “Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not 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, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, 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 the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING (1 Corinthians 2:1–5)

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. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL (Matthew 5:13–16)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

(You are invited to pause for a few moments of silence, then,

for 5–7 minutes, identify a word or phrase or thought that comes to you from this reflection.)

COMMENTARY:

First Reading: It is not uncommon for the prophets to criticize the “religious” practices that people were using to please or honour God, especially if these practices were done in place of what was required in the name of charity and justice. For instance, Hosea, on God’s behalf, cried out: “It is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). Perhaps no prophet was as indignant as Micah was against the ways that the rich took advantage of the poor: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:6-8). Similarly, in our first reading, the prophet Isaiah explains what a “true” fast should look like: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps that subjugate, to let the oppressed go free. Rather than leave this type of “fasting” in the abstract, Isaiah specifies what loosing the bonds of injustice looks like in the concrete: sharing bread with the hungry, bringing the homeless poor into your house, covering the naked, and not hiding yourself from your own people when they are in need. In an uncanny way, these concrete actions sound very much like the behaviours that Jesus commends in the parable of the last judgment in Matthew 25. Here, both those who carried out these works, and those who do not, enunciate what should be done to the least, when they ask: “When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” Over time, these works have been called the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the prisoner, and burying the dead. They remain, today, as they were for Isaiah a “true” fasting. Surely, these actions will allow our light to shine forth, or, as Isaiah says more poetically, “to break forth like the dawn!”

Second Reading: In Corinth, Paul found himself in an environment of well-educated and learned people. No wonder he indicates that he approaches the Corinthians “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” However, Paul knows that the message of the gospel will not depend upon his lofty words or human wisdom because it is the gospel of “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” It is through the power of God that human faith must rest; not upon words of wisdom. As Paul had indicated earlier in his letter, it was according to the wisdom of God that the world did not come to know God through wisdom, but through the cross. In Paul’s eyes this becomes a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness for Gentiles (1:22). However, for those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1:24). Indeed, for Paul the gospel based upon Christ crucified demonstrates that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1:25). With Paul, we see that even today, God seems intent on using as His messengers of this Good News the weak rather than the strong, the simple rather than the wise.

Gospel Reading: Jesus, through Matthew, makes some very demanding statements interpreting for us what the true fulfillment of the law means. Salt, to be of any use at all, must retain the intensity of its saltiness. Light, to be of any use at all, must shine so that it can really be seen by others. It is easy to see that for faith and love to shine, they must be expressed in genuine good deeds—redemptive deeds, compassionate deeds, deeds of practical justice and peace. We realize that we attempt to carry out these deeds as flawed human beings and are convinced that God can work in and through our weaknesses. This is truly how we can become the shining light of Jesus in our world, for, like Paul, we learn that we must depend, not upon our strength, but upon the power of Christ crucified working within us.

(Allow about 5 – 10 minutes for discussion on the Commentary.)

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

1. (Isaiah). “If you remove the yoke from among you…” Few of us are able to escape the weight of personal yokes. They are like bumps and bruises that come our way on almost any day and make up the common experience of our faith journey. Share with your group one or two such bumps—obstacles, temptations, failures—which may have impacted your faith journey in recent years. Then talk about an insight or learning that may have come out of that experience.

2. (Paul) “I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom…" Oftentimes the most simple people and most simple message become the most profound and the most memorable. You are invited to talk about one such person, perhaps a most unlikely source, whose person and/or influence may have touched you and your faith life in a significant way.

3. (Matthew) “You are the light of the world…” Is the Church, in your judgment, functioning as a light to the world? Where is it succeeding? Where is it failing? Respecting the circumstances of our times—the diminishing clergy, the partnering of parishes, the absence of so many from regular Sunday worship—the parish community as we know it has to change. In your small group, talk about what you consider to be sources of “light” in the universal Church and in your particular Church parish community.

CARING-PRAYING TIME: (15-20 minutes)

(This time is reserved for quiet prayer as well as for an action-response to the communal reflections. The intent is to “outreach” to the larger community. The facilitator should allow for a moderate pause between each of the numbered suggestions for reflection and action.

  1. Word for the Week: “Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.” ~Michael Strassfeld
  2. Suggestion for the week: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not the darkness that frightens us. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it’s everywhere, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give to other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” (Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love, 1992)
  1. Intercessions: (Response: Lord, hear our prayer)

Leader: God calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so that our actions may give praise and lead others to follow God’s way. Let us pray to be good witnesses.