It is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time and World Day for Consecrated Life!
To all those in Vows as Priest, Brothers, Sisters Consecrated Widow’s and Virgins Thank You!
Our Readings for today are:
Reading 1IS 58:7-10
Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God!
GospelMT 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord! Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!
This weekend is the weekend for Consecrated Life! Those who lay down their life for Christ as Priest, Brothers, Sisters, Consecrated Widow and Virgin are in a big way the Light of the World. They have a little more freedom then married families to go where they are needed and serve those in need as well as devoting their life to prayer!
I know in my life as a Consecrated Woman that the strength to do the ministry the Lord has laid on my heart for Children in need comes from my prayer life, daily Mass and Holy Hour. It is beautiful to house children in need and to help them heal. It can also be very taxing emotionally, physically and spiritually if one does not keep themselves strong in prayer and close to the Trinity and Our Blessed Mother! The image for the Children is Jesus the Good Shepherd, as He is the one who carries us and leads us! The image for the Sisters is Mary holding baby Jesus and a Lamb.
Do you feel called by Our Lord to live a life of community prayer, wear the habit and help children who are broken and traumatized heal!? Please contact me!
We who are baptized carry the Light of Christ within us. The Light of Christ shines forth when we live our lives as Christians in our homes, places of work and the people we are with. The 1st Reading tells us how to let the Light of Christ shine through. I love the children’s song “O be careful little eyes…” to me it is also an adult song as we are often the ones who stray in what we see and what we do.
