5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

1st Reading          Isaiah 58:7-10

Psalm                    112: 4-5, 6-7, 8a and 9 (R. 4a)

R:// "A light rises in the darkness for the upright"

2nd Reading        1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Gospel                   Matthew 5:13-16

BE FELT AND SEEN

Peace and Goodness, friends! Today is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) and the Second Sunday of February, 2026. Let us dive straight into the readings. The first reading is from Isaiah 58:7-10 and the Gospel is from Matthew 5: 13-16. Let us start with the first reading. I want to suggest that we see our readings in the light of preparations for Lent as we shall touch on a very critical practice in Lent — fasting. 

The first reading, Isaiah 58:7-10, forms part of what is agreed on by scholars as Trito-Isaiah (or third Isaiah) which is from Isaiah 56-66. This part of Isaiah deals with the return of exiles from Babylon. I want to suggest that those returning from exile are not the same people who went into exile. These are the children and grandchildren of those who went into exile. In fact, the exile lasted for almost 70 years (Jer. 29:11-12, 29:10). You would naturally expect that many of the initial exiles would have died. The return from exile meant restoration to their identity. Life begins to be restored in the community. What was lost was gradually being replaced and restored. Typical among them is their relationship with and worship of God. Fasting was restored. However, the community was soon returning to what sent them to exile. Some of such was fraternal infractions and injuries to human relations. 

The community fasts, but injustice thrives; they pray, but the poor remain crushed. The people complain that their prayers are not being heard. They complained that God does not "see" their fasting (Isa. 58:3). God replied that He sees very well but he is not impressed with their fasting. He tells them what is needed for them to be heard and their fasting to be responded to. 

The first thing I would like us to pay attention to is the beginning of the text when read from the Bible. It appears to be a continuation of a previous statement. The reading starts with a beautiful rhetorical question, thus, "Is it not this?" The Hebrew phrase is "הֲלוֹא־זֶה (haloʾ-zeh)". This phrase is not an inquiry. It is a divine corrective formula. God is not asking the new community of Israel for information. He is rather reframing reality. God is telling them that though things are being restored, including their worship which comes with fasting, they have misunderstood the very nature of fasting. Fasting is not primarily about what you stop eating, but whom you start seeing. These people are the hungry, the afflicted and the hungry, and the naked. At the height of these people is the designated "your own flesh" (mibbəsārəkā). These are their own kins, their fellow human beings, their neighbours. Fasting and piety, in reality, are about whom you start seeing or paying attention to. Surprisingly, these are people who are near to us, not very far. 

The second detail the author weaves in is the element of light. Thus, "then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed" (Isa. 58: 8). Light is the first element at creation (Gen. 1: 3). That is an element of clarity and the start of newness. What it suggests is that if real restoration will take place to the extent that everything will be made new just as in the beginning then we need to start paying attention to those nearest to us, especially those living on the margins. In fact, with the return from exile, they are pictured as people returning with wounds and bruises. Paying attention to the needs of your kin and kind will help heal your wounds quickly. All negative effects of the exile are the wounds. Sometimes, our restoration becomes slow because we do not pay attention to those around us. The Hebrew for "your healing", אֲרוּכָתְךָ (ʾărûḵāteḵā), suggests restoration of wounds, not merely physical healing but communal repair. Injustice wounds society; mercy heals it. The text implies that prayer delays when injustice remains, but healing accelerates when mercy flows. 

The point is that some remain at the level of fasting as they deny themselves. Such was the activity of the community. It is good to deny yourself something as a way of fasting. However, the goal should not be yourself. It should lead to the second level. The second level is that real fasting should lead you to start noticing another person. However, you can deny yourself and start noticing, but you can notice wrongly. You have to pay particular attention to "your own flesh", thus, your kin and kind, your fellow human, your neighbour. 

The Gospel, from Matthew 5:13-16, is a continuation of last Sunday's Gospel which opens with the Beatitudes. This is a kind of "lectio continua". If they Beatitutes describe who a disciple is, today's passage looks at what the disciple stands for. I want us to focus on the two major elements of SALT and LIGHT. 

Let us look at Salt. We need to understand that the Salt of Jesus' day is not the refined one of our day. In the ancient time, in Jesus' day, Salt can lose its taste. Among its varied usages, food and preservation stand out. Salt never dominates a meal. You do not eat salt by itself. Yet, without it, food becomes bland, lifeless, and forgettable. Jesus is saying something deeply counterintuitive. It is that disciples transform the world not by size or noise, but by presence. Our acts to those around us, our kins and kinds, might not be visible, but should impact. The greatest impact is our presence. .

Notice also that salt acts as a preservative. In the ancient world, salt was primarily a preservative. It slowed corruption. This matters. Jesus assumes the world is already tending toward decay. Salt does not reverse decay, but it resists it. Disciples are therefore not utopians. We are resistance fighters against moral rot. Where truth is eroding, salt preserves. Where dignity is threatened, salt holds the line. Where people do not attend to the poor and those on the margins, the disciple is to do so as to teach the world right relationship. 

In the time of Jesus, light was precious. There was no electricity, no streetlamps, no night bulbs. When the sun went down, darkness was real and dangerous. That is why the Greek word used here, φῶς (phōs), matters. It does not mean decorative light or soft glow. It means life-giving light, the kind that makes movement possible and keeps people safe. When Jesus says, “You are the φῶς of the world” (Matt 5:14), His listeners would immediately think of guidance, safety, and survival. Light was a necessity. Jesus is saying that without His disciples, the world stumbles.

Jesus says, “a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” This is a strong language. Light is not meant for privacy. In village life, a lamp was placed on a lampstand so everyone in the house could see. Hiding a lamp would be foolish and wasteful. So when Jesus tells His followers to let their light shine, He is not asking them to show off. He is saying, live in such a truthful, compassionate, merciful way, and paying attention to your neighbour such that others can see clearly who God is. In that culture, light did not draw attention to itself. It rather helped everyone else find their way. 

What then should we do? First, we must stay close to the source of the light. In the cultural world of Jesus, a lamp had no light of its own. It only burned as long as it was connected to oil and flame. In the same way, disciples shine only when they remain connected to Christ through prayer, the Word, and obedience. The Greek word φῶς (phōs) clearly tells us that light is about life, not display. So, our first task is not to impress the world, but to live truthfully before God, allowing His life to flow through us.

Second, we must place the light where it can be useful. The first useful place to place our lights is at the service of our own kins, our neighbours, especially those living on the margins. Jesus speaks of a lamp being set on a lampstand (λυχνία, lychnia), not hidden under a bowl. Culturally, this meant choosing visibility for the sake of others. Practically, this calls us to simple, visible acts of goodness such as justice, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, that people can actually see. They see when they feel our presence. When these “good works” are done without pride, they naturally lead others not to praise us, but to glorify the Father in heaven. In short, we live openly, love concretely, and let God handle the glory.

Pax et Bonum