Fifth Sunday Ordinary

Fifth Sunday Ordinary
February 6, 2005

"If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then light shall rise for you in the darkness... (Isaiah 58: 7-10) You are the salt of the earth... the light of the world... your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:13-16)

These Sundays before Lent have traditionally anticipated reform of life. Some of us remember when they had names like "Septuagesima", "Quadragesima", etc., and were considered somewhat penitential in character. The readings today certainly focus on allowing the "light" of our good deeds to be known by all. Contrast this with another saying of Jesus which we will hear in the early days of Lent that we should do our good deeds in secret in order to avoid becoming too proud of them. So, which is it? When and where do we let our light shine?

The purpose of good deeds, according to Jesus, is to glorify our heavenly Father rather than draw attention to ourselves. We know from many places in the Gospels and St. Paul that good deeds do not earn us anything, most especially entrance into the kingdom of God. We already possess that by divine mercy and love. So, what "good" are good deeds? Perhaps that they demonstrate to all that the Spirit of God is alive and well, moving within and among us. This is a difficult concept for most of us, especially those who our serious about our religious life and commitment. Our pride wants to make it our own doing, often in competition about who is highest and best. Competition may work well to produce wealth and power, but it does not take us in the direction of closeness to God or the kingdom of heaven. We can however be justifiably proud of the good works which result from the gift of generosity and compassion.

I often lie in the "gloom" of night, awake with my thoughts going in many directions. I have learned to use these times for meditation, contemplation and prayer. At first the darkness and inactivity were daunting, until I learned to actually focus on the darkness as a place where I could meet God. The "gloom" has been transformed into divine light. I relate this hoping that it is a way of making sure this light is not hidden. Especially because it is not "mine".

At the Easter vigil we will come into church led by the Easter candle, singing "light of Christ", a potent symbol of divine light overcoming darkness. That candle is easily extinguished, but not so the divine light which it represents. Our contribution individually and collectively to keeping it lit is our willingness to follow the promptings of the Spirit, allowing spiritual generosity to flow through us. That is a light that cannot be extinguished or diminished by any power on earth.