FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
9 FEBRUARY 2020
The prophet Isaiah addresses his people who had just returned from fifty years of captivity in Babylon. They had rebuilt the temple. But it was a shadow of its former glory. They were resuming the pious practices that had supported them in captivity. The prophet affirms their pious practice of fasting on a regular basis. Then he reminds the people that fasting in itself is not enough. Those who fast must share their bread with the hungry; shelter the homeless; clothe the naked; and not turn their backs on those in need. If the people embrace these good deeds and avoid oppression, false accusation, and malicious speech, then they will reflect the light of God’s presence in their midst.
Saint Matthew knows these statements from the prophet, because he writes to fellow Jewish Christians. Through this Gospel centered on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that they will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. They can fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah and make a difference in the world.
In the ancient world, salt was a valuable commodity. Salt did more than improve the taste of meat. Without refrigeration, salt preserved the meat. Salt was offered to guests as a sign of friendship and hospitality. Salt was also used as part of a purifying rite in offering sacrifice. In a world without electricity, light was essential for guiding people in the darkness of night. With light being a dominant image of God’s presence in Scripture, light not only enlightens minds. It also offers comfort and warmth.
Saint Paul certainly embraces these images and the challenge of Jesus Christ. He came to the Corinthian community proclaiming the bright light that the crucified and risen Christ is the promised Messiah. In writing to the community now darkened with divisions and bland with arguments, Paul admits that he had come in weakness and fear and much trembling. The salt and light which he brought to the community were not the results of his actions. They were the result of the power of God. Paul begs the community to put the salt and light of the Gospel on full display for all to experience.
Before the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the priest placed salt on the newly baptized baby’s lips. Today, we are a bit gentler and give a lit candle to the godparents. The symbolism is clear. As baptized members of the Body of Christ, we are called to live our baptismal commitments to transform a world that is bland and blind apart from the salt and light that God provides. We are salt and light when we live the corporal works of mercy outlined in the words of the prophet Isaiah.
In just a couple of weeks, we will enter into the Season of Lent. Lent is always about baptism – not only preparing Catechumens for Baptism at the Easter Vigil, but renewing our baptismal promises at Easter. Like Paul, we will enter Lent to admit that we sometimes fail to live our faith because of weakness, fear, and trembling. As a sign that we are willing to live our baptismal promises more fully, we will embrace the practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is not too early to begin thinking about what those pious practices will look like this Lent. We must express our pious practices in sharing the bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless. We must clothe the naked and be attentive to those in need. When we put these practices into action and live our baptismal promises more completely, we will indeed be a much more robust salt of the earth and a much brighter light of the world.
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