5th Sunday in Ordinary time year A | Homily for 5 February 2023.

On the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A we have readings that ask us to analyze our relationship with God and challenge us to be a transformative element in society.

In the first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah, we witness the response of Yahweh to the very important question of following ascetical practices like fasting. In captivity, the Jews had instituted four fasts to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem. When the exile had come to an end, and the construction of the temple had begun, the question in the minds of the Jews was - should they still keep the fasts that had been instituted in Babylon as memorials of destruction?

Isaiah points out the hypocrisy of the people of Israel. Though they appeared to be just, faithful and righteous, they were only putting up a mask. They had forsaken obedience to God’s laws. They were willing to entrust their rituals and prayers to God, but not make any changes to the social and economic spheres of their lives. The Israelites imagined that by fulfilling the obligation to fast and keep the Sabbath, they had pleased God and now God MUST return the favour by conferring blessings on them. The fast of the Israelites was not an act of self-denial, rather, it was a self-centred act done only for reward.

In God’s vision, sharing bread with the hungry is more important than denying one’s self of bread as an act of religious discipline. We are to house the homeless and provide clothing to cover those who are naked. While it is difficult to go without food for a few days, God asks of us something more difficult - to remedy injustice—to give freedom to those whom we have oppressed. God specifies what the people can expect if they do, indeed, remedy injustice and free the oppressed and feed the hungry, if they stop blaming others and stop speaking evil of others. They can expect that “their light shall rise in the darkness” indicating blessings and salvation. They will experience healing and God will answer their prayers for help.

In the second reading taken from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, St. Paul gives us the secret of how we are to declare God’s message. Though there is a divided opinion among the biblical commentators, in the Acts of the Apostles we see a difference in the approach of St. Paul in preaching the gospel. In Chpt 17 we have Paul preaching in Athens at the Areopagus where he makes his famous speech about the Unknown God. This speech, however, is generally regarded as a failure as it didn’t help him to make any progress and he managed to win very few disciples for Christ. The reason? He relied on his wisdom and knowledge of philosophy. However, in Chpt 18, when he reaches Corinth, St. Paul decides to keep aside his own knowledge and skill and decides to let God lead him in preaching about Jesus Christ crucified. And the results were quite astounding, he was able to win over disciples to Christ and stayed there for a year and a half. So the success of the church at Corinth was not the result of Paul’s skill. It was entirely the result of the powerful work of God’s Holy Spirit. Paul was just God’s instrument whom God sent to Corinth to declare his message.

In the gospel taken from Matthew, we have the continuation of the Sermon on the Mount with the famous narratives of being called to be the salt and light of the world. Though today salt is very easily available and is primarily used to enhance the flavour of our food, during the times of Jesus it was a very precious commodity and was used additionally as a preservative and also used to purify sacrifices. 

The point for us to consider is that as long as salt remains in the container on the table it serves no purpose. However, it is of great value once it is mixed, in the right proportions, in our food. So also, Christians sitting alone in the comfort of their homes are unlikely to make much of a difference to the people outside their door—the people who need Christ. So, likewise, the followers of Jesus are called to get involved in the lives of others, to get involved in society. There is also a warning involved. Salt may lose its taste and value. If it becomes diluted or adulterated, it becomes useless. And the same is true for us Christians when we become too attached to the things of this world and compromise on our Christian values.

The second metaphor Jesus uses is that of light. Light represents the good deeds of a Christian. The presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness. The light allows others to witness the acts of justice that Jesus’ followers perform and recognize the cause of these actions- God. Just as a few grains of salt can make a big difference in food, so also a few faithful Christians can make a big difference in the world.

Being a Christian, therefore, is being counter-cultural. And while it is very easy for me to make these statements from the safety of this studio, we all know that life is not a bed of roses for a true Christian. Fr. Stan Swamy who spent his life among the tribals in India fighting for their rights had to pay the ultimate price. He passed away in 2021 after spending close to 10 months in prison after being arrested on the accusation of being a terrorist and conspiring against the state. From one perspective, he was indeed a terrorist. He was a terror to the authorities who were exploiting the uneducated tribals and cheating them of their land. He was a terror to the rich who were abusing the poor. He was a terror to the darkness of hate that was spread in the country. During the time of his arrest, there was a protest organized wherein we were to stand at prominent places across the city holding up banners about his arrest. Along with another brother, I was standing full of fear near Andheri Station with a banner not knowing when we would be chased away by the police or worse arrested. I realized then that it is not that easy to be salt and light. And this precisely is the challenge before us.

We live today at a time when our country truly needs salt and light. It is very easy to lose our saltiness due to the fear of repercussions or attacks on our institutions. It is easy to hide our light under the basket due to the fear of being a minority. And on an individual level, it is easy to turn a blind eye to the poor who sleep on the pavements. It is easy to keep anger and unforgiveness within us. It is easy to be a silent spectator. It is quite difficult to be salt and light. It is quite difficult to be a Christian.

We pray for the grace to develop a true devotion to God which will help us to preach the gospel not depending on human wisdom but depending on the power of God. May we grow towards becoming the salt and light that Jesus asks us to be. May God bless us all and give us the courage we need.