Readings:
Isaiah 58:7-10
Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Matthew 5:13-16

This Sunday’s readings invite us to focus on how our relationship with one another has far-reaching implications for our Christian life. In the Gospel Reading, Jesus exhorts us to embrace a selfless lifestyle of presence towards others. To embrace a way of living in the world that changes not only our outlook to life, but also our identity, and become “the salt of the earth” (5:13), and “the light of the world” (5:14). The metaphors of salt and light give of their essential qualities of a savoring experience to the sense of taste, and illumination, perception and insight to the sense of sight and the mind respectively. Jesus demands that we should do all things for the wellbeing of others, our good deeds should touch the life of others in a positive way (5:16). St. Paul knows too well that our disposition to do noble and good deeds will return to us in manifold on account of God’s grace so that never lacking anything we shall have all in abundance (2 Cor 9:8).

We should remember the exhortation of Pope Francis in Fratelli tutti that anyone in need is deserving of our time, attention, and care just as the Good Samaritan did for the victim of the robbers on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:33-37). The summons to do what is good and noble towards one another, just as the Good Samaritan is presented to us in the First Reading. The prophecy of Isaiah provides us with knowledge of one of the earliest sources for the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR): the rights to food, clothing, shelter, and care for life. Also, they are among the Corporal Works of Mercy that the Church enjoins us to do as part of our Christian life. The prophecy of Isaiah reveals how deeply the life of each of us is intricately woven together in transcendental identity and oneness. It is for this reason that we must share our food with the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the oppressed, and clothe the naked (58:7). No child of God should be left behind in the socio-economic race to the top of wealth and comfort. The Prophet calls our attention to the imbalances in the current social order as inequality keeps on rising, children lack the nutrition for growth and development, and violence displaces an entire population from decent living conditions. Also, a disproportionate number of low-income earners hesitate to access healthcare when they desperately need it because of the high cost of healthcare and drugs, which has the sad consequence of the high mortality rate from preventable diseases. In Dilexi Te, Pope Leo XIV exhorts us to avoid the sin of selfishness and indifference in the face of human suffering and deprivation. In addition to the exhortation of the Holy Pontiff, we should oppose policies that dehumanize, that cause fear and affliction for others.

Jesus words that whatever you do to the least of my sister or brother, you did it for me (Matt 25:45) invite us to see Jesus in the sufferings of the poor and the less privileged. Let us put our gifts and resources to the service of one another because God has imbued us with the strength to do so (1 Peter 4:9-10). We will encounter human suffering either closer to home or from a distance, becoming witnesses to the experience of pain and affliction. Each day, our faith in God summons us to serve one another with love and compassion (Gal 5:13). God promises to reward us bountifully (Matt 6:4) as God’s glory becomes our guard, God’s fidelity becomes the source of security for us, and God’s providential care strengthens us for good work towards others (Isaiah 58:8-9). Let us discern from this Sunday’s readings that the love we show towards one another, and the innate sense of fraternal presence we express towards others, correspondingly bring God’s love, care, and favors to us. This is because the power of God’s love manifested in Christ’s death on the cross never ceases to abound in grace for the children of God.

Rev. Ferdinand Okorie, CMF