Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings

“Your Light Must Shine Before Others”

Our readings for this Sunday not only call us to be “the light of the world”, they show us exactly what that means and how it should be done.

In our first reading (Isaiah 58:7-10), Isaiah prophesied to the people of Judah as they began reconstructing their lives after their return from exile in Babylon. While many were focusing on rituals of fasting and sackcloth, Isaiah warned that these gestures were empty without true caring for one another. Isaiah taught them what is expected of God’s people and how God would respond—”Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.” It would be through their actions of love that they would receive vindication by God.

In our Epistle reading (1 Corinthians 2:1-5), St. Paul cautioned the believers in the cosmopolitan community of Corinth not to rely on the human wisdom and understanding of their culture, but to rely on the power of God which came to them in humility and weakness. Paul presented himself as coming quite differently than the wise and eloquent speakers they were used to hearing. Paul came in “weakness and fear”, speaking not in persuasive words of wisdom, but with the powerful message of “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” It is this message of “God’s wisdom”, the simple yet powerful message of love, that leads to the actions called for in our other readings today.

In our Gospel reading (Matthew 5:13-16), we hear Jesus’ teaching in a passage continuing from His Sermon on the Mount begun last Sunday. Here, Jesus taught that we are known by our good deeds. Our deeds cannot be hidden any more than a “city set on a mountain.” It is by our good deeds that we shall light the path to Jesus for others to follow. We are the salt that flavors our world with goodness. Our “light must shine before others.”

Our Sunday Mass readings have a wonderful continuity from one week to the next. When seen together, there is often a common thread that runs through the readings over a number of weeks that tells a larger story. These three weeks before Lent begins is an example, as we hear from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020826.cfm