Enlightening by being: A call to action on the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Not because we have a lull between Chistmas and Lent, that does not mean I am stopping my sharing of what I understand (and hopefully what you comprehend) about the truths made manifest to us by Christ at Mass.

Here's this week's reflections:

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READINGS AND PROPERS

Extraordinary Form (Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany)

INTROIT ¤ Ps. 96. 7, 8

Adorate Deum, omnes Angeli ejus: audivit et laetata est Sion: et exsultaverunt filiae Judae. -- Dominus regnavit, exsultet terra: laetentur insulae multae. V.: Gloria Patri . . . -- Adorate Deum, omnes Angeli ejus . . .

Adore God, all you His Angels: Sion heard, and was glad: and the daughters of Juda rejoiced. -- (Ps.96. 1). The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- Adore God, all you His Angels . . .

COLLECT.--Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy household in Thine unceasing goodness that, as it leans only upon the hope of Thy heavenly grace, so it may be always defended by Thy protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end. 

EPISTLE ¤ Col. 3. 12-17

Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

["All whatsoever you do in word or work, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ our Lord," -- says St. Paul to the Colossians and to the Church.]

   Brethren, Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or work, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ our Lord.

GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 101. 16-17

Timebunt gentes nomen tuum, Domine, et omnes reges terrae gloriam tuum V.: Quoniam aedificavit Dominus Sion: et videbitur in majestate sua.    Alleluia, alleluia. V.: Dominus regnavit, exsultet terra: laetentur insulae multae. Alleluia.

The Gentiles shall fear Thy Name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. V.: For the Lord hath built up Sion: and He shall be seen in His glory.    Alleluia, alleluia. V.: The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice, let many islands be glad. Alleluia.

GOSPEL ¤ Matth. 13. 24-30

† Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

[The evil sower is the devil and he sows the dark cockle, which is a violent poison. The servants of the goodman of the house represent the Angels; they wished to separate the good from the bad. But it is impossible to separate them until the time of harvest, i.e. the time of the last judgement; then will Divine Justice make the necessary separation.]

   At that time Jesus spoke this parable to the multitudes: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the goodman of the house coming, said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? and he said: No, lest perhaps, gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.

OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 117. 16, 17

Dextera Domini fecit virtutem: dextera Domini exaltavit me: non moriar, sed vivam, et narrabo opera Domini.

The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength: the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me: I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord.

SECRET.--We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the sacrifice of propitiation: that Thou mayest mercifully absolve us from our sins, and Thyself direct our inconstant hearts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.

PREFACE

Preface of the Most Holy Trinity

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Qui cum unigenito Filio tuo, et Spiritu Sancto, unus es Deus, unus es Dominus: non in unius singularitate personae, sed in unius Trinitate substantiae. Quod enim de tua gloria, revelante te, credimus, hoc de Filio tuo, hoc de Spiritu Sancto, sine differentia discretionis sentimus. Ut in confessione verae, sempiternaeque Deitatis, et in personis proprietas, et in essentia unitas, et in majestate adoretur aequalitas. Quam laudant Angeli atque Archangeli, Cherubim quoque ac Seraphim: qui non cessant clamare quotidie, una voce dicentes:

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out, with one voice saying:

COMMUNION ¤ Luke 5. 22

Mirabantur omnes de his quae procedebant de ore Dei.

All wondered at these things which proceeded from the mouth of God.

POSTCOMMUNION.--We beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we may obtain the effect of that salvation, whereof we have received the pledge in these mysteries. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.

Ordinary Form (Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time -- Year A)

Prophecy: Is. 58:7-10

Thus saith the Lord: Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not. When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday.

Responsorial: Ps. 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R:

The just man is a light in darkness to the upright

To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness:

he is merciful, and compassionate and just.

Acceptable is the man that sheweth mercy and lendeth:

he shall order his words with judgment.

Because he shall not be moved for ever.

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance:

he shall not fear the evil hearing.

His heart is ready to hope in the Lord:

His heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved

until he look over his enemies.

He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor:

his justice remaineth for ever and ever:

his horn shall be exalted in glory.

Epistle: I Cor. 2:1-5

I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ. For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ: and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom. but in shewing of the Spirit and power: That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Gospel: Mt. 5: 13-16

At that time: Jesus said to His disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. "

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REFLECTIONS AND INSIGHTS

A call to bravery, a call to action.

The Gospel of both Forms have three similarities which Jesus has preached: the salt, the light, and the wheat.

We are called to be the salt of the earth. We give flavour to what seems to be a society that has become too stale or too sour because of sin and its fruits. We are called to be the light of the world. We live in a world full of darkness, full of obscurity, full of confusion. We are called to be the wheat among the weeds. This world is full of tempations, turmoil, and persecution.

In addition to these facts of life, we also have a main problem today as the garrison of the Church Militant in Asia: Most of our laity are uncatechized, like soldiers not armed with the necessary weapons as they go to war. Yet we who are learned in the Church and have the capacity to lead them to the glory which is God, those involved in the social media in particular, are to be blamed for the reason that some of us have established themselves as the "elite" of the Church since they understand clearly her teachings. With this mindset, we do not realize that we become the Pharisees ourselves, and in fact, have neglected our spiritual work of mercy to "teach the ignorant". But even if we do this, it seems that we are not doing enough.

To simply put: This is a wake-up call for all of us.

In fact, it is a call to bravery: A call to be the salt, light, and wheat in a world of staleness, darkness, and infestation.

We are called and sent by God to be what He wants us to be: as saints and heroes. Since we are in the Year of the Laity, where we are called and sent to be such, the Gospel and the readings compel us to stand out among the rest, not by worldly standards, but by how God has ordained it: by living in the influence of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, and patience. And while we are at it, we must always strive to go more than the distance, but by saving the souls of men through what we do.

We can do our little share in this mission of the salvation of souls. Some practical tips are as follows:

First: Develop a sense of the sacred. We can do this by giving the highest respect we can give to our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist. Let us not just go to Mass because we are obliged to, but we have to understand how the Lord longs for us. This is the first step towards holiness. Once we understand that the Mass is celebrated for our own good and for the good of all God's holy Church, we would soon realize that we are not worthy enough to have Him enter under our roofs through Holy Communion. And so, the Church offers us a gift which she has received from Christ, her Bridegroom: the Sacrament of Reconciliation. With a good confession and a resolve to be holier than before, we can get to the next step.

Second: Proclaim the truths Christ proclaimed and defend the teachings His Church have taught.  Start with the closest persons you have (i.e. family, friends, lovers, etc.). Enlighten them that our God, in His utter humility, chose to be with us to redeem us from the slavery of sin and death. We have not only given ourselves a favor of filling the pews of our parishes with our loved ones, we have also gained allies for ourselves in our battle to save what was left of our Judeo-Christian upbringings in a world slowly changing into a lifestyle of pride, lust, and greed.

Finally: Be brave by being what Christ wants us to be: The salt of the earth. The light of the world. The wheat among the weeds. Gain victory for our Lord under the banner of His Cross.

Of course, this is no easy task. Even I have a hard time to do this. But be sure of this: we will do this together. We will enlighten the world by being the mirrors of Christ, the Light of the world.

And now we ask: Will I choose to be brave by being the salt of the earth? by being the light of the world? by being the wheat among the weeds?

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PRAYING THE COLLECT

Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy household in Thine unceasing goodness that, as it leans only upon the hope of Thy heavenly grace, so it may be always defended by Thy protection.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.