Reading I: Isaiah 58:7-10
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:13-16
God is Here!
Through baptism, we join the mystical body of Christ and we are called by that baptism to be the hands and feet of the body of Christ here on earth. We are called to reach out to those in need; to comfort the hurting; to feed the hungry; to clothe the poor. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world… but we are not called to do it alone.
We have each other – the community of believers – to rely upon, but we also have a divine rear guard. When the going gets tough and things seem to be getting out of our control, all we need to do is cry out for help and He will say: Here I am!
Needing Help Isn’t a Sign of Weakness
In this day and age, asking for help isn’t exactly considered a positive thing. In fact, the need for help is often interpreted as being a sign of weakness – and who wants people to think that they’re weak?
Our society puts so much emphasis on personal freedom and personal choice that we tend to take it a step further and assume the best people are those who are independent. We mistakenly conclude that the better you are, the less help you need from others. The implication is that needing help is a sign of weakness, and weakness is a bad thing! But the readings today seem to contradict that.
In the first reading, we see that God is our rear guard and that he is always right there, ready to step in and help, whether we realize it or not. In the second reading, Paul reflects on when he first came to the Corinthians and how he wasn’t confident or persuasive, yet the Spirit worked through him. And in the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and they need to let their good deeds shine for all to see.
Heavenly Back-Up
Jesus tells us that we don’t have to be strong in order to be the light of the world. We can be meek and weak and humble, and our good deeds will still shine forth for all to see.
And if we ever need help, we can always count on our heavenly rear guard for back-up!
Life Applications:
How do you feel about asking for help?
How has the Lord said “Here I am” to you?
What do you do to be the hands and feet of the Body of Christ?
Check out the REAL Word Podcast for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A):
Original article by Brandon Jubar, 2005 – 2023.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.