Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]
FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A] It could be understood as a mandate : Your circumstances have improved; now the time has come for your conduct to improve. That’s what we hear the Lord saying in Isaiah chapter 58: I’ve blessed you with favorable circumstances; you are liberated; you’re being allowed to resettle within the boundaries of your homeland. As your circumstances have taken a turn for the better, let’s see if your conduct can take a turn for the better (Is. 58:6-10). We’ll call this “mandate number one.” Mandate number two appears within a wider message, something referred to as The Sermon On The Mount. You’ll note that the symbol of light figures prominently in both the Isaiah passage and in this selection from the Gospel of Matthew. The world will benefit, you will benefit, and as a result, God will be glorified in the process (Matt. 5:15-16). In other words, you will begin to literally “shine” as you fulfill this prescribed mandate. Then again, ...