Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time
Isaiah 58: 7-10 Corinthians 2: 1-5 Matthew 5: 13-16
Is it not the core problem in the world, and the mind and heart of humankind, the chasm between common good and liberty and justice for all? Will a country’s and our legacy reveal examples of salt and light?
As blandness and darkness are described so well in the Hebrew texts, the response of God was to call on a prophet to lead the tribes forth into light. When the people continued to choose darkness, God left the Trinity in a colossal attempt to lead the present and future generations on a path of salvation, rather than perdition.
In our world, where the oldest generation was formed to obey and learn by rote, history was presented as fact by authors who wrote textbooks for teachers. History changed, but these people with limited insights implanted knowledge into those who could learn from the past. Why and how events chosen for history lessons is time-consuming, so in days of yore, facts trumped reason in the lesson plans.
This new decade in the 21st Century has revealed much unrest and questioning of what is happening. Our choices of salt and light are mainstream media, available to give the world instantaneous information, but not necessarily the truth. Who is flavoring the events that capture attention? Who is keeping the public in the dark? Who is shedding light and presenting another perspective on issues that flash across the news tickers?
The command of Isaiah to share our bread, shelter the oppressed and homeless, clothe the naked, and do not turn your back on your own, does not capture headlines today. Our reality is that Christ is the messenger who has outlasted political leaders, and we who adhere to His teachings have the grace and the power of the Christian community to be light and salt for today’s world.
Sr. Dorothy Maxwell, OP