Come,
let us worship the Lord. Let us bow down in the presence of our maker, for he is
the Lord our God. (Ps 94:6-7)
PENITENTIAL RITE
As
Christ’s disciples we are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of
the world. This is a responsible task but a difficult one. The disciples of
Jesus have a vital role to play in the world through their good deeds. When the
disciples stop witnessing to Christ through their lives, they become as useless
as salt that has lost its taste or a lamp that doesn’t give light. Let us humbly
acknowledge before God that we have failed in our mission of being the salt and
the light of the world, and ask His mercy and forgiveness. (Pause)
I confess...
Glory to God...
OPENING PRAYER
Father, watch over your family and keep us safe in your care, for all our hope
is in you. Grant this…
FIRST
READING
(Prophet Isaiah tells his fellow-Jews that God commands them to practise charity
towards their needy neighbours. It is only by doing so, they can prove their
love and loyalty to God.)
A
reading from the Book of Isaiah
(58:7-10)
Thus
says the Lord, “Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor
into your house; when you see the naked, cover him, and do not hide yourself
from your own flesh. Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your
healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the
glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord
will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. “If you take away from
the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM
(111)
Response: The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
He is
a light in the darkness for the upright: he is generous, merciful and just. The
good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. R./
The just man will never waver: He will be remembered forever. He has no fear of
evil news; with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord. R./
With a steadfast heart he will not fear. Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his
justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory. R./
SECOND READING
(St
Paul tells his Corinthian converts, that his success was not due to any of his
merits but to the Spirit and the power of God, which was made manifest among
them.)
A
reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (2:1-5)
When
I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God
in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and
trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in
the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia! (Acts 16:14)
GOSPEL
(Christ calls his followers the ‘Salt of the earth’, and the ‘Light of the
world’. Thus Christ puts his followers on the same level as himself.)
A
reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (5:13-16)
Jesus
said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its
taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything
except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. “You are the light of the
world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it
under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in heaven.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
I
believe in God,/ the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe
in Jesus Christ,/ his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./ He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/
was crucified, died, and was buried./ He descended to the dead./On the third day
he rose again./ He ascended into heaven,/ and is seated at the right hand of the
Father./ He will come again to judge the living and the dead./ I believe in the
Holy Spirit,/ the holy catholic Church,/ the communion of saints,/ the
forgiveness of sins,/ the resurrection of the body,/ and the life everlasting./
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel:
Dear brothers and sisters, called by Christ to be the salt of the earth and the
light of the world, let us place our trust in his love and power. With
confidence in the Father’s care for us, let us pray:
Response: Lord of mercy, hear our prayer.
1.
For our Pope, bishops, clergy and religious: that Christ may heal their wounds
caused by sin and division. Grant them the grace to overcome their sinfulness.
R./
2. For our political and civil leaders: that they may help to maintain good and
healthy relations in society by promoting truth and justice. R./
3. For all Christians: that by their good deeds and virtuous lives, they may
become the salt of the earth and light of the world. R./
4. For all the sick, lonely and those in grief: that the light of Christ’s love
may shine on them and comfort them. R./
5. For all present in this assembly: that we may strive to walk in the light of
truth and goodness and so promote Christ’s values. R./
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel:
Loving and merciful Father, we thank you for the light of grace and love your
Son Jesus brought into our world. Help us to keep his light burning brightly in
our lives so that we may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips. We
make this prayer...
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord
our God, may the bread and wine you give us for our nourishment on earth become
the sacrament of our eternal life. We ask this…
PREFACE (P 32)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
By his birth we are reborn. In his suffering we are freed from sin. By his
rising from the dead we rise to everlasting life. In his return to you in glory
we enter into your heavenly kingdom.
And so, we join the angels and the saints as they sing their unending hymn of
praise:
All: Holy, holy, holy…
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Give
praise to the Lord for his kindness, for his wonderful deeds toward men. He has
filled the hungry with good things, he has satisfied the thirsty. (Ps 106:8-9)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God
our Father, you give us a share in the one bread and the one cup and make us one
in Christ. Help us to bring your salvation and joy to all the world. We ask
this…
LITURGY AND LIFE
Both
salt and light are necessities of life, they are vitally important for humanity.
Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; you are the light
of the world”. What was Jesus saying when he used these two images? He was
telling his disciples that they have a vital role to play in society through
their good deeds.
When religious practice is divorced from life a vital element is missing. It is
like salt that has lost its taste, or a lamp that no longer gives light. But
when religious practice leads to good deeds, a very effective witness is given.
Christ asks us, his disciples, to be ‘the salt of the earth and the light of the
world’. What does this imply? It doesn’t mean that we have to leave our jobs,
rush out, and get involved in all kinds of social work. It means that we are
called to practise Christianity, not just in church, but out in the world in
whatever situation we happen to find ourselves. All the more so if, by reason of
our position, we happen to be situated on some ‘hilltop’ where all can see us,
and where people look to us for light. Here are some examples:
(1). If I’m a teacher, what do people expect from me? That I teach well, and
that I refrain from showing favouritism. If a Christian teacher should show any
kind of favouritism, it should be towards the children who find learning
difficult.
(2). If I’m a doctor, what do people expect from me? That I would treat all the
sick alike with attention and care.
(3). If I’m in business: what do people expect from me? That I am honest and
that I give value for money and not take bribes.
(4). If I’m an employer, what do people expect from me? That I pay a fair wage
and create decent working conditions for my employees.
(5). If I’m a worker, what do people expect from me? That I know my job and do
it to the best of my ability.
(6). If I’m a parent, what do my children expect from me? That I be there for
them. That I put them before everything else, including my career.
We could multiply the examples and still not cover everything. Each of us must
look at our own situation and ask ourselves how we can practise
Christianity––how we can be Christ-like in that particular situation. How we can
be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ among the people we meet every day, and in the humdrum
situations that occur. We may not be able to be a beacon. But we can at least be
a humble candle which sheds light in its own immediate vicinity.
There is a tendency in most of us to take big matters seriously and neglect
small ones. Here is where corruption begins. Here is where the light goes out,
and the salt loses its saltiness. There is only one remedy. To set aside, for
the time being, the big things, and to take seriously the small things, to turn
one’s attention to the task of the moment, right now.
As Christians we have a very positive role to play in the world. A Christian
ought to be a life-preserver and guide for his neighbour. The authenticity of
our lives is the best witness to Christ.
–Fr Flor McCarthy, sdb
