BLESSED TO BECOME LIGHT
Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Isaiah 58:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16 Last Sunday, in the Beatitudes, Jesus described the kind of people who are truly blessed in God’s kingdom: the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure of heart, the persecuted. Today’s Gospel is a natural continuation of that teaching. Having told us who the blessed are, Jesus now tells us what they are meant to become: salt of the earth and light of the world. In other words, the Beatitudes are not private virtues; they are meant to shape a visible, transforming Christian life. To call disciples “salt” and “light” is to speak of influence, not dominance. Salt does not draw attention to itself; it disappears into food so that everything else may have flavor. Light does not exist for itself; it exists to illuminate what would otherwise remain hidden. Jesus is clear: the disciple does not live for self-display but for quiet, faithful impact. Yet He...
