{"id":2150,"date":"2017-02-05T10:47:38","date_gmt":"2017-02-05T08:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/?p=2150"},"modified":"2020-02-08T21:17:19","modified_gmt":"2020-02-09T02:17:19","slug":"5th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-cycle-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/2017\/02\/05\/5th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-cycle-a\/","title":{"rendered":"5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s First Reading Isaiah describes the importance of helping the poor and being just in the way we treat each other.\u00a0As Christians we\u2019re expected to practice the corporal works of mercy described by Isaiah today. We are called to materially help those in need and not turn a blind eye to them or their needs.\u00a0Justice is giving each person their due, and they\u2019re not only due our support when they are in need. They are also due our respect, even when well fed, clothed, sheltered, and free from persecution.<\/p>\n

This dignity is not only owed to the needy, but toward everyone. Everyone should be taken into consideration and respected, whether rich or poor, lovable or detestable.\u00a0This concern for justice has an incredible healing power in our own lives as well. Isaiah connects this light with \u201cvindication\u201d: vindication means being cleared from blame. He also connects it with our own healing.\u00a0Acting justly brings us out of the darkness of indifference and sin that often afflicts this world and doesn\u2019t just bring us into the light, but transforms us into a source of light.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s Second Reading Paul reminds us that what we accomplish is not due to how slick we are, but to how powerful God is. This light comes from God.\u00a0Paul doesn\u2019t take credit for the fruits of his work of evangelization among the Corinthians. He knows his mission, just like ours, is to make the power of God shine through. If the Lord wasn\u2019t at work, nothing would happen. Proclaiming a mystery is challenging, which is why we need the Lord himself through his Spirit to show that power at work.\u00a0When we share the Gospel we shouldn\u2019t be concerned about our qualifications, but being the Lord\u2019s instrument for bringing light to the lives of others.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s Gospel Our Lord teaches us that it\u2019s not enough to have this light, or to use it for ourselves. We have to make that light shine and illuminate others as well. Christians are not just meant to glow; they\u2019re meant to shine, to provide so much illumination that they light up the world. Yet, just as not every lighting is the same, the light of Christians lights the way back to that source of light: to Christ. When a Christian shines people don\u2019t just praise them; they praise God who made them shine.<\/p>\n

Don’t just glow today in your faith. Shine!<\/p>\n

Readings:\u00a0Isaiah 58:7\u201310; Psalm 12:4\u20139; 1 Corinthians 2:1\u20135; Matthew 5:13\u201316.<\/em> See also\u00a03rd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, Year I<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a010th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s First Reading Isaiah describes the importance of helping the poor and being just in the way we treat each other.\u00a0As Christians we\u2019re expected to practice the corporal works of mercy described by Isaiah today. We are called to materially help those in need and not turn a blind eye to them or their … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[38,45,15,46],"class_list":["post-2150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fifth-week","tag-ordinary-time","tag-sunday","tag-year-i"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p65qtw-yG","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2150"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2153,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2150\/revisions\/2153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fathernikola.org\/liturgy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}