February 5, 2023 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount in today’s Gospel, he tells all of us who follow him that we are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” Really? What does that mean? How and when are we “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”? Isaiah tells us in our first reading that “Your light shall break forth like the dawn” if you “share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless” and “clothe the naked.” That is, if we show mercy whenever we can to someone in need, we bring flavor to the dullness of their life (salt) and help to chase away the darkness of despair (light). This way of being salt and light for our world is referred to in our Catholic Tradition as the Corporal (bodily) Works of Mercy. We are light and salt when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned, tend the sick, and bury the dead. Then, when you cry for help, Isaiah reminds us, the Lord will answer and let you know that he is there for you (“Here I am!”) He will give you hope and help you to cope even when you feel that you can’t (“then light shall rise for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday”). In short, what we do for others, God will in turn do for us! Fr. John Mark Ettensohn, OMI (Homily given by Fr. Jack Lau, OMI)