By Fr. Andrew Kelly
FIFTH SUNDAY ORDINAL TIME – FEB. 9
Selections from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) will be the Gospel proclamations for the remaining Sundays up to Ash Wednesday. The sermon is Matthew’s version of the moral and ethical behavior Jesus Christ expects and demands of all baptized followers of Jesus Christ.
The community will need to ask itself: “Is this our moral and ethical behavior? If not, what moral and ethical reforms do we need to implement and integrate into our personal and communal lives to reflect our lives as baptized disciples of Jesus Christ?”
In light of Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16) these are important personal and communal questions. Jesus explicitly and directly declares to this Sunday’s gathered community: “You are the salt of the earth.” “You are the light of the world.”
Living Jesus’ moral and ethical demands to the fullest is how the community becomes salt of the earth and the light of the world. If the community refuses or neglects to live Jesus’ demands, Jesus offers this image for the community to think about:
“…but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
Scripture Readings for Feb. 9-16
Sunday
Is 58:7-10
1 Cor 2:1-5
Mt 5:13-16
Monday
1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13
Mk 6:53-56
Tuesday
1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30
Mk 7:1-13
Wednesday
1 Kgs 10:1-10
Mk 7:14-23
Thursday
1 Kgs 11:4-13
Mk 7:24-30
Friday
1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19
Mk 7:31-37
Saturday
1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34
Mk 8:1-10
Sunday
Sir 15:15-20
1 Cor 2:6-10
Mt 5:17-37 or Mt 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37
