5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Is 58:7-10
"Your light shall break forth like the dawn."
First reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
7 Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
10 If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
SECOND READING - 1 Cor 2:1-5
"I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
Second reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God,[a] I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness[b] and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive [words of] wisdom,[c] but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 5:13-16
"You are the light of the world."
✠From the Gospel according to Matthew
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.[a] 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today’s Word of God, God the Father calls all humanity to follow the example of the love of the Holy Trinity—a love of selfless sacrifice, a love of self-giving sacrifice, a love that gives itself freely.
This love must originate from the inner depths of man, who God the Father initially created as a bright and beautiful soul in His sight.
God the Father desires that humanity today return to the original state in which He created them: a soul united with a body that is pure and innocent, as in the beginning, when they walked with God the Father in the Garden of Eden.
A freely given love, a self-giving love, a gentle, simple, and holy love, is together with God the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.
God the Father desires that people in today's world become calm and still and return to the original state in which God the Father created perfect and beautiful human beings in His sight, namely Adam and Eve from the very beginning.
This love which is a close union with God the Father, between God the Father and the children He created, is to eliminate evil deeds, hatred, selfishness, wars, and the cruelty brought about by Satan.
God the Father desires that people in today’s world no longer live in the filthy mire of sin, but step out of that mire by living in love and in close union with God the almighty Father so as to live in His grace and light. This means eliminating wicked behaviors and replacing them with good deeds, charity, love, giving, humility, sacrifice, support, and sharing with one another.
As in the first reading, God the Father calls all His children to share food and clothing with one another, to do good and virtuous deeds, and to treat one another with charity and brotherly love within a family with one Almighty God as our Father.
Similarly, today’s Word of God, according to the call of Jesus Christ, teaches us to love, to live in harmony, to be humble, to forgive, to support, and to have compassion, mercy, and forgiveness towards all our brothers and sisters.
Do not condemn, do not blame, do not hate, do not kill one another, do not sow division, do not envy, do not seek to gain advantage for yourselves; instead, learn to give according to the example of Jesus Christ.
That is the salt that seasons human life: human life must have affection, compassion, and love within a person, and these must shine forth through one’s actions and deeds. This is charity and selflessness, like the image of a lamp that is lit and set on high.
The image of good and virtuous deeds must shine brightly to glorify God the Father through one's own life, by directing oneself towards God the Father and not towards oneself through the good and virtuous deeds that God the Father provides opportunities to do in this world.
God the Father desires all His children to follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ, a life of holiness, selflessness, full of mutual love and sacrifice.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God the Father calls all His children to become salt, leaven, and light, so that good and virtuous deeds may be kindled and shine forth in our souls and bodies. Only then can the presence of God the Father dispel the captivity and control of Satan, and cleanse the sinful passions and impurities within our souls and bodies, so that we may ultimately inherit the light of happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
God the Father calls upon all those who walk in the Army of Light in this new era, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to be shining examples for all to follow, to be the salt and leaven that enrich life with happiness and peace next to God the Father, and to gather all His children back to Him so that we may all share in the light and salvation of God for all humanity.
We must enthusiastically sacrifice ourselves and work for God the Father, lighting the lamp of Jesus Christ to shine throughout the world through acts of charity, sacrifice, love, forgiveness, and by eliminating evil deeds and sins to resist the temptations of Satan, so that our souls may be freed from the captivity and eternal death and brought to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter.
God the Father desires that all in the Army of Light become even more sacrificial, more altruistic, more loving, and to be more of salt and leaven for life in this world, so that the light and love of God the Father may dwell in our souls and bodies. And wherever we go, the light of God will drive away Satan and help our brothers and sisters escape from Satan's captivity.
God the Father calls upon all His children to run to the light of God the Father through the Real and Present Word of God and the Eternal Word of God to resist the temptations of Satan and to follow the teachings of God the Father in our daily lives.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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