February 05, 2023
5th Sunday Ordinary Time A
I received a gift at Christmas – a book entitled “A Little Book of Light, sparks of hope, moments of prayer†by Alice Camille. Alice was with us for a Lenten Retreat. Alice writes honestly that she has known periods of darkness intimately as many of us have and she has come to trust the great “the unseen†light in her heart and soul. Her book is a series of meditations all beginning with a verse from Scripture about receiving light, learning to trust the light and, lastly, preparing to share it with others.
We are fascinated with light. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is sending us data from waves of light emanating from the beginning of our universe. While light is key to understanding when and where we come from scientifically, light in Sacred Scripture is the image that reminds us who we are, and from where and when we all come into being. It is beautifully and poetically phrased in the first three verses of the first book in the Bible, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth … God said let there be light!†(Genesis 1:1-3)
In Alice Camille’s Introduction, she quotes the great Jewish prophet Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.†In our First Reading, Isaiah, on behalf of God, speaks to the Jewish people who have returned from Exile in Babylon and have been given the arduous and exhausting task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem and the destroyed Temple of Solomon. Isaiah kindles hope by using the image of Godly light that will shine in and through them when the returnees share their bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, and remove malicious speech. True faith, true religion, is more than ritual and sacrifice in the Temple. It entails covenant living of justice and of care for one’s family, for one’s neighbor and even for strangers.
In our Second Reading, the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Paul sheds light on his own weakness. He confesses when he came preaching the Gospel, he did not use fancy rhetoric nor Greek philosophy nor worldly wisdom but with fear and trembling he preached Jesus Christ crucified. The mystery of the Cross. Alice Camille reflects, “Shine a light on the cross and it raises as many questions as it answers. The cross looks like the end of hope, the worst thing that could happen. Yet God made it a doorway to the best thing that could happen. It is confounding in first-century Corinth as it sounds today. And it is still the only Gospel we need.â€
In the Gospel according to John chapter 8 verse 11, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.†In our Gospel today according to St. Matthew, Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, by encouraging his listeners and potential disciples to become the salt of the earth and light of the world. Salt preserves and flavors food. Salt has healing properties. Light dispels darkness, provides warmth, exposes falsehoods, and guides our paths. Light is fundamental for living. Light is to be shared. Our sparks, flashes, and flickers of light (kindness, mercy and welcome) illumine the way for countless others – some we know and some we’ll never know. According to Alice Camille, being light is our vocation. We pray, Source of all light, guide us in the way of being light for a world content with darkness.
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Third Sunday Ordinary A
