9th Feb 2014
Dear friend,
All of us have been inspired by the lives and the actions of some people we admire, be they personalities like Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa or people close to us like a true friend, class mate or colleagues who lead exemplary lives. These people urge us on to push ourselves to excellence and doing our very best. To be people of faith does not mean that we merely are believers, close not only to God, but also deeply concerned about our fellow men. Have an enthusiastic weekend re-enkindling the fire of Life and sharing it!! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Fifth Sunday - Be salt of the earth! Be the light of the world! Let your light shine before men! 9-Feb-2014
Isaiah 58: 7-10; Corinthians 2 :1-5; Matthew 5 :13-16;
In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks plainly about what is expected of the true believer. In earlier Jewish history, fasting and fast days were part of the liturgy, in which rich and poor 'humbled' themselves before God. The rich fasted and expected a divine reply in the form of greater prosperity. They asked why God did not answer their prayer. In today's reading the prophet tells them that for fasting to be acceptable to God it must be meaningful. Genuine fast before God requires the social awareness and concern spelled out by the prophet. "Share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, clothe the man you see naked...then your light will shine like the dawn." It is by such actions that genuine worship gives glory to God.
Be not simply good…Alexander Solzhenitsyn recalls, as he says, 'with shame', an incident he witnessed when he was captain in the Russian army. "One day I saw a sergeant of the secret police, on horseback, using a whip on a Russian soldier who had been captured serving in a German unit. The man, naked from the waist up, was staggering under the blows, his body covered in blood. Suddenly he looked at me and cried out: "Mister Captain, save me!" "Any officer in any army in the world should have put a stop to this torture, but I was a coward. I said nothing, I did nothing. This picture has remained in my mind ever since." He could have brought light into a dark situation but he didn't. "Be not simply good", says Thoreau, "be good for something."
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
Today's gospel speaks of the practical implications of being followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus uses simple images, which would be easily understood by his Palestinian followers. "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." His listeners knew how essential salt was in those days. In fact people traded in salt as they traded in silver and gold. Salt was essential to flavour and preserve food. Its absence in food was immediately noticeable. Light too played an essential function of enlightening, guiding, and making ordinary tasks possible. What Jesus is saying through these images is that his disciples have an essential function to play in the world. Belief has to be seen in action. When Jesus spoke of letting our light shine among men he was not speaking of parading our good works, or of attracting attention to ourselves. The purpose of putting on the light is not that we might look at the light but be able to see things and do whatever needs to be done. Our good deeds should inspire others to do what needs to be done in their own lives. "Your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your father in heaven." Our deeds do not have to be spectacular because even little deeds done regularly can make a difference in people’s lives. As Christians we have a very positive role to play in the world. We have something to offer, something the world desperately needs, even though it may not always welcome it. Shedding light and witnessing to the light not only makes people see things clearly but it also puts our own life under the spot light; we can be vulnerable and exposed. Yet the light should not be hidden, it has to burn brightly. Just as salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness and light is useless if it is kept under covers, so the Christian life is meaningless unless faith is witnessed in love and concern for others. Religion is no private affair between me and my God. Our lives have to impact others and lead them to God.
Keeping the lights on
"A mother and her small child once drove past the restored home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield. It was night and the national shrine of the United States was brightly lit. "Look, mama," the child said excitedly, "Mr. Lincoln has left his lights on." The mother smiled. "Yes" she replied; "he left them on for the whole world to see." Although Lincoln has been dead since 1865, he is still a tremendous inspiration to all people. But in a much more true sense Christ, 'God from God, Light from Light' remains and will remain to the end the shining beacon for all peoples of all times. Christ has shared his light with us his disciples and asks us to be what we are: the light of the world."
Vima Dasan
I have seen love in action.
A man visited Mother Teresa's home for the poor and dying in Calcutta. He arrived just as the sisters were bringing in some of the dying off the streets. They had picked up a man from the gutter, and he was covered with dirt and sores. Without knowing that she was being watched, one of the sisters began to care for the dying man. The visitor kept watching the sister as she worked. He saw how tenderly she cared for the patient. He noticed how as she washed the man she smiled at him. She did not miss a detail in her attentive care for that dying man. After carefully watching the sister the visitor turned to Mother Teresa and said, "When I came here today I didn't believe in God, and my heart was full of hate. But now I am leaving here believing in God. I have seen the love of God in action. Through the hands of that Sister, through her tenderness, through her gestures, which were so full of love for that wretched man, I have seen God's love descend upon him. Now I believe."
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
Are you God?
We always had a helpful neighbour and so the lady next door asked him if he could drive her little son to the hospital. Actually, Joe had other plans but did not know how to say no. So he sat the little boy into the car seat, fastened his seat belt, and started off on the fifty-mile trip to the hospital. As they were driving along, the little boy slowing turned to Joe and asked, "Are you God?" Startled, Joe said, "No," The boy continued, "I heard my mommy asking God for some way to get me to the doctor. If you are not God, do you work for him?" Joe replied, "I guess so -sometimes. And now that you ask, I will be doing so a lot more." - Jesus commanded that people should see our good deeds. Jesus did not say we must become salt of the earth, but that we are the salt of the earth. He was telling us the way He wanted to find us daily."
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
May our deeds not our words, show how truly Christian we are!
Dear friend,
All of us have been inspired by the lives and the actions of some people we admire, be they personalities like Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teresa or people close to us like a true friend, class mate or colleagues who lead exemplary lives. These people urge us on to push ourselves to excellence and doing our very best. To be people of faith does not mean that we merely are believers, close not only to God, but also deeply concerned about our fellow men. Have an enthusiastic weekend re-enkindling the fire of Life and sharing it!! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Fifth Sunday - Be salt of the earth! Be the light of the world! Let your light shine before men! 9-Feb-2014
Isaiah 58: 7-10; Corinthians 2 :1-5; Matthew 5 :13-16;
In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks plainly about what is expected of the true believer. In earlier Jewish history, fasting and fast days were part of the liturgy, in which rich and poor 'humbled' themselves before God. The rich fasted and expected a divine reply in the form of greater prosperity. They asked why God did not answer their prayer. In today's reading the prophet tells them that for fasting to be acceptable to God it must be meaningful. Genuine fast before God requires the social awareness and concern spelled out by the prophet. "Share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, clothe the man you see naked...then your light will shine like the dawn." It is by such actions that genuine worship gives glory to God.
Be not simply good…Alexander Solzhenitsyn recalls, as he says, 'with shame', an incident he witnessed when he was captain in the Russian army. "One day I saw a sergeant of the secret police, on horseback, using a whip on a Russian soldier who had been captured serving in a German unit. The man, naked from the waist up, was staggering under the blows, his body covered in blood. Suddenly he looked at me and cried out: "Mister Captain, save me!" "Any officer in any army in the world should have put a stop to this torture, but I was a coward. I said nothing, I did nothing. This picture has remained in my mind ever since." He could have brought light into a dark situation but he didn't. "Be not simply good", says Thoreau, "be good for something."
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
Today's gospel speaks of the practical implications of being followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus uses simple images, which would be easily understood by his Palestinian followers. "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." His listeners knew how essential salt was in those days. In fact people traded in salt as they traded in silver and gold. Salt was essential to flavour and preserve food. Its absence in food was immediately noticeable. Light too played an essential function of enlightening, guiding, and making ordinary tasks possible. What Jesus is saying through these images is that his disciples have an essential function to play in the world. Belief has to be seen in action. When Jesus spoke of letting our light shine among men he was not speaking of parading our good works, or of attracting attention to ourselves. The purpose of putting on the light is not that we might look at the light but be able to see things and do whatever needs to be done. Our good deeds should inspire others to do what needs to be done in their own lives. "Your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your father in heaven." Our deeds do not have to be spectacular because even little deeds done regularly can make a difference in people’s lives. As Christians we have a very positive role to play in the world. We have something to offer, something the world desperately needs, even though it may not always welcome it. Shedding light and witnessing to the light not only makes people see things clearly but it also puts our own life under the spot light; we can be vulnerable and exposed. Yet the light should not be hidden, it has to burn brightly. Just as salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness and light is useless if it is kept under covers, so the Christian life is meaningless unless faith is witnessed in love and concern for others. Religion is no private affair between me and my God. Our lives have to impact others and lead them to God.
Keeping the lights on
"A mother and her small child once drove past the restored home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield. It was night and the national shrine of the United States was brightly lit. "Look, mama," the child said excitedly, "Mr. Lincoln has left his lights on." The mother smiled. "Yes" she replied; "he left them on for the whole world to see." Although Lincoln has been dead since 1865, he is still a tremendous inspiration to all people. But in a much more true sense Christ, 'God from God, Light from Light' remains and will remain to the end the shining beacon for all peoples of all times. Christ has shared his light with us his disciples and asks us to be what we are: the light of the world."
Vima Dasan
I have seen love in action.
A man visited Mother Teresa's home for the poor and dying in Calcutta. He arrived just as the sisters were bringing in some of the dying off the streets. They had picked up a man from the gutter, and he was covered with dirt and sores. Without knowing that she was being watched, one of the sisters began to care for the dying man. The visitor kept watching the sister as she worked. He saw how tenderly she cared for the patient. He noticed how as she washed the man she smiled at him. She did not miss a detail in her attentive care for that dying man. After carefully watching the sister the visitor turned to Mother Teresa and said, "When I came here today I didn't believe in God, and my heart was full of hate. But now I am leaving here believing in God. I have seen the love of God in action. Through the hands of that Sister, through her tenderness, through her gestures, which were so full of love for that wretched man, I have seen God's love descend upon him. Now I believe."
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
Are you God?
We always had a helpful neighbour and so the lady next door asked him if he could drive her little son to the hospital. Actually, Joe had other plans but did not know how to say no. So he sat the little boy into the car seat, fastened his seat belt, and started off on the fifty-mile trip to the hospital. As they were driving along, the little boy slowing turned to Joe and asked, "Are you God?" Startled, Joe said, "No," The boy continued, "I heard my mommy asking God for some way to get me to the doctor. If you are not God, do you work for him?" Joe replied, "I guess so -sometimes. And now that you ask, I will be doing so a lot more." - Jesus commanded that people should see our good deeds. Jesus did not say we must become salt of the earth, but that we are the salt of the earth. He was telling us the way He wanted to find us daily."
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
May our deeds not our words, show how truly Christian we are!
Fr. Jude Botelho
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections.
These reflections are also available on my Web sitewww.NetForLife.net Thank you.
These reflections are also available on my Web sitewww.NetForLife.net Thank you.
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