Feb 9 2020 Reflection

Sunday 9 February 2020

First Reading: IS 58:7-10
Responsorial Psalm:
Lord, rise up and save me.
PS 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading: 1 COR 2:1-5
Gospel Reading: MT 5:13-16

Today’s Note: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading:

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.”

Reflection:

. . . that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16)

Be salt that’s really salty; be a lamp set on a high stand. Those are tough standards to live by! This passage might make you feel like you have to get out on a soapbox and start preaching on a street corner—right now. Of course, you should talk to people about your faith, but it’s not the only way to be a salty, light-filled, positive influence. 

One of the most effective ways you have an impact on the world around you is in how you behave. Your actions speak volumes to family, friends, neighbors, even strangers. Jesus himself says that our “good deeds” help people see and glorify God (Matthew 5:16). Isaiah goes so far as to say that actions like sharing what we have and not turning our back on people have the power to turn the gloom around us into “midday” (58:10). 

If you look around, you’re certain to see areas that seem dark. Gossip might be out of control in your neighborhood. At home, your spouse might be deflated by a setback at work. A child you know might be the victim of bullying. There may even be a poor or homeless family huddled just outside your church door. 

So how do you shine? Change the subject if a conversation starts veering into gossip. Make your spouse’s favorite dinner, and listen while they unburden their heart. Offer an encouraging word to a sullen teenager. Bring a bagged lunch to give away the next time you go to church. Or share your copy of The Word Among Us with someone in your neighborhood or workplace. The opportunities really are endless. 

You can be a light in your everyday world. And as you’re trying your best to shine, God will be shining through you. That means the people who see you will also see their heavenly Father. 

“Father, I want to be a light that shows people your love and mercy.”