Sunday, February 9, 2020

​THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“Cook the Truth in Charity until it tastes Sweet.” - St. Francis De Sales

When life situations seem to be overwhelming and the flow of plans and expectations seem to be delaying, frustrations and anxieties set in. This unwelcome phenomenon, most of the time, shifts our focus from the needs and the plights of others: especially the poor and the needy amongst us; making us unwilling to sacrificially share our blessings with them.

Unfortunately, this approach incurs the wrath of God, making our situation even worse. Have you ever thought about this in your life before?

In our first reading the Israelites, upon returning from their Babylonian exile, were expecting the restoration of Jerusalem to be very quick. But against their expectations, things seem to be rather frustratingly slow. They wondered why their suffering was so prolonged.

In a response to this, the prophet Isaiah gave them this counseling, “share your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked... Then light shall rise for you in the darkness...” (Isaiah 58:7,10). 

He insisted on justice and the compassionate care for the weak, the needy, and the vulnerable, because it is through them that the very goodness of God is revealed. 

As Christians, regardless of our life situation, we should still pay attention to such people in our homes, families, faith communities, societies, etc. By doing this you become a light that brightens the darkened moments of their lives, which opens bountiful favor and blessings from God to you. Look out for someone to whom you may show love and care! (Have you thought of reaching out to support a project in Ghana?)

So, in our second reading we are encouraged to learn from Paul, who did not depend and rely upon his human eloquence for his missionary work.

In life we often want to depend upon our human competence and skills to succeed or achieve our aims. In most cases, these fail us or make our efforts futile. 

Instead, we rather need to heavily rely on the power of God. This can be found in our charitable and compassionate care for the less privileged; who depend on God for survival. Try this and you will see the miraculous wonders of God in your life. Remember what the Psalmist echoes, "The just man is a light in the darkness to the upright.” (Psalm 112)

Finally, the gospel reading encourages every follower of Christ to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. A two-fold mission in our vocation.

As salt, Christians have a certain antiseptic influences on life and society by defeating corruption, fighting against injustice, and making it easier for others to avoid sin. As salt, we have the preservative qualities to preserve our religious faith, cultural values, and moral principles which Jesus has worked for us. 

As light, we are called to courageously confront the evils in our society by living a virtuous lifestyle worthy of emulation. We give hope and strength to the hopeless and the marginalized in our society today. Our lives must be the light that dispels the darkness of evils prevailing in our world today. 
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Be a delicious salt and an undimmed light!

A word of appreciation to our teachers, students, parents and volunteers for making our Assumption Catholic School week very successful. It was truly fun! May God continue to bless our Tri-Parish Family. Love you all.

Let’s meet in Church once again!

Fr. Emmanuel

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