5th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR A

5TH SUNDAY, 05 FEBRUARY 2023, ISAIAH 58. 7-10, 1 COR 2. 1-5, MATTEW 5. 13-16 Pivot: Identity crisis! Pointer: There is always a pull and pressure between identity and activity, between what one is and what one does. Life becomes a trouble where there is no balance and integration between these two 1. The life of many is qualityless and directionless. The way of being, living, and doing is increasingly defective. All this points to a deeper problem of identity. There is certainly an identity crisis. Many do not understand what is their identity. Many are not even aware of their identity. Many are not convinced of their true identity. There is a lot of confusion and deviation concerning identity. 2. Consequently, the right identities are neglected and rejected. They are often regarded as “out of date” and “ineffective and useless”. In their place, false identities take over, are followed, and are glorified even. That is why many wrongly identify themselves with secondary factors and affinities like caste, region, religion, language, culture, rite, et cetera. 3. It is in this context, the word of God today clarifies what is our true identity. While Jesus in the gospel directly identifies what is our true identity, the other two readings elaborate on it. Jesus gives two simple and practical metaphors that denote our identity. They are namely, salt and light. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth”, and “You are the light of the world”. 4. What is notable is that Jesus is not giving us not merely some do’s and don’t do’s. Note, he does not say, you are “like” the salt, or you are “like” the light. Rather, he says, you ARE the salt, and you ARE the light. Therefore, this is our identity. Our identity is “To be” the salt, and “To be” the light. 5. “Saltiness” is the essence of the salt, and “lightness or radiance” is the essence of light. In our context, it is the identity. Their qualities or functions are not just accessories or secondary factors. They are integral and “essential”, pertinent to their very identity. Devoid of these, salt and light lose their identity. 6. Accordingly, in the light of the gospel, our ‘being’ the salt implies that we must be persons who preserve our identity from deterioration and decay, who cleanse what is unclean and evil, and who add taste to that life that is tasteless and insipid. And our ‘being’ light implies that we dispel the shades of darkness, radiate light, help to see things clearly, show the way and help to walk the way. 7. In the light of the first reading from Isaiah, our identity is to be people of God, with benevolence and justice. This is to “remove oppression, false accusation and malicious speech”. This is to “share your bread with the hungry and satisfy the afflicted”. It is to “shelter the oppressed and the homeless, and clothe the naked”. 8. In the light of the second reading from 1 Corinthians, it is to be the followers of Christ with humility and surrender. It is to be people of faith that rests not on sublimity and persuasiveness of human wisdom but on the demonstration of the Spirit and power of God. Orientation: Our greatest identity is to be Witnesses to the Lord so that seeing the light of our goodness, God may be glorified (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 08 JUNE) Focus: Our life is fulfilling when it is lived with a sense of purpose. And this purpose is lived and achieved when we realize and live our true identity Our life fulfills its purposiveness when we are constantly conscious of our true identity. This consists in being benevolent children of God. Jesus explains this, in terms of two simple metaphors of salt and light. They are not only useful examples and comparisons to imitate. They are in fact marks of our very identity. That is why, Jesus does not say, “You are like salt or light”. But he says, “You are salt and light”. They show us not only what we must do, but also what we are and how we must be. The two simple metaphors of salt and light are embodiments and testifiers of this benevolence and altruism. Both are never self-centred but other-oriented. They are self-giving for the benefit of others: one gives taste and the other gives light. But today there is so much bitterness and darkness in human life. This is because of so much selfishness and wickedness. Now, to the extent this benevolent identity is lived and exercised, to that extent God Himself is glorified because He is the source of super-benevolence. The identity through benevolence is an abundance of God's grace. Direction: The more we strive faithfully to live our identity, the more God is glorified and the more He will glorify us, in the abundance of taste and brightness (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2022, 07 JUNE) Indicative: The more we realise and live our true identity, the more our life will be authentic and our mission will be effective. The crisis in vocation and mission is basically a crisis in identity 1. Today we hear about “identity crisis” in many circles of life. Things go wrong, relationships go wrong because people are either not conscious of who they are, or not faithful to who they are. This is what is a failure or crisis in identity. Often in our materialistic, activist, and pragmatic world, identity is equated with status or function. Accordingly, people identify themselves with their post and position or action and function. 2. But I am not merely what I do. My activity does not completely determine my identity. This is like answering the question, “Who/What are you?” with “I am a teacher or doctor et cetera”. It is not that our doing is not important. In fact, being and doing are not contradictory but complementary. The main point is, that our “being” must be more important than our mere “doing”. All our doing must authenticate a genuine being. All our activities and functions must flow from an authentic identity. 3. Otherwise, there is always the danger that people wrongly seek their identity in their roles, functions, offices, positions, talents, or affinity-groups. It is in this context that Jesus reminds us of our identity through two simple metaphors, salt, and light. He says, “You ‘are’ the salt of the earth”; “You ‘are’ the light of the world”. 4. In both salt and light, we can identify two aspects: their identity and their effectivity. There is saltiness in salt and it is useful in giving taste. There is radiance in the light and it is useful in lighting and brightening. Salt and light are no good when they lose their identity and are not available for use. 5. In other words, the more we are faithful to our identity, the more we will be effective. In the first reading, Elijah was faithful to his identity as a man, a prophet of God, obeying God’s voice and doing His will. That is why he becomes a blessing of abundance for the widow of Zarephath. “The jar of flour was not spent and the jug of oil did not become empty”. Imperative: In the light of the first reading, our identity is to be “jars of God’s blessings” in abundance, which will not run dry or empty. Do we try to be so? Good works from good identity are the best glory to God (REFLECTION 4 FROM MY BOOK, “DISCIPLESHIP”) Being “Salt of the earth and Light of the world” (Mt 5. 13-16) Numerous reflections and interpretations have been offered on these words of Jesus. Accordingly, time and again, the aspects of characteristics of salt and light, the mandate to be salt and light, were highlighted. Our vocation and mission to bear witness too were emphasised. Now perhaps we shall take a little different turn and angle. We shall outline some of the implications and indicators that this declaration of Jesus carries. 1) Indicates Jesus’ trust in us “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world” indicates the immensity of Jesus’ trust in us, and the intensity of his entrustment to us. a. He had trusted us so much, and that is why he entrusted us so much. He trusts in our capacity as well as our cooperation. That is why he entrusts us the vast domains of the whole earth and world, as the territories and scope of our life and mission. He entrusts us the great task and the noble duty of taking care of the earth and world, to sustain, nurture and foster their taste and radiance, and thus ensuring the beauty, worth, and joy of living on this earth and in this world. What a lofty mission and destiny! What a royal and sacred means to accomplish it by being salt and light! b. The height of responsibility indicates the height of dignity – the value and the importance. But it also traces back to the depth of God’s trust in us. This is a more solid reason to rejoice over. The God who is infinite trusts us who are finite and limited, despite our limitations. The God who is trustworthy and never-failing trusts us, who are often not-trustworthy and failing in fidelity. The God who is mighty trusts us, who are so weak and fragile. The God who is holy trusts us, who are defiled and unholy.The God who is perfect trusts us, who are so imperfect and defective. The God who is so humble trusts us, who tend to be proud and arrogant. The God who is patient and persevering trusts us, who are so impatient and easily quit. The God who is infinitely generous and self-giving trusts us, who are so greedy and accumulative. The God who is ever-honest trusts us, who can be so dishonest, manipulative, and corrupt. c. He trusts us and entrusts us, not because he does not know our inauthenticity and infidelity. It is because of his mercy and magnanimity. His grace and love are so unbounded that they embrace us beyond all human bounds and calculations, labels or prejudices, and even despite and amid all our repeated failures. d. Oh how constantly we take for granted God’s countless mercies and blessings! How frequently through our deviated actions and ways of living, we fail God’s trust in us! How sad it is that so often we wound his tender trusting heart, with our habituated deception, infidelity, and betrayal! Should not this abundant and all-time trust of God in us, remind us, challenge us, and guard us against all this distrust and unreliability? 2) A call to a new identity “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” is a call to a new identity, a reminder of a raised dignity, a sharing in Jesus’ own identity and mission. We have a divine identity. We are a people with dignity. We have an identified and dignified destiny. a. “Being” salt and light to the earth and world, is our identity and essence, our dignity and greatness, our mission and destiny. In fact, this is Jesus’ own nature and identity, a raised dignity that he bestowed on us, and his own mission, entrusted to us, to be sharers and perpetuators. b. This statement is not so much a matter of duty, of “doing” something, performing some actions, that are characteristic of salt and light. Rather it is a summon for re-cognising, re-discovering our identity, our “being”. The focus is not merely on “doing” or “having”, but on “being” and “living”. This clarity of focus and this shift of emphasis is very crucial. Because oftentimes there is a contradiction between doing and being. c. There are many who may be “doing” clustres of so-called religious, spiritual activities and works, but without necessarily “being” authentic religious. That is why, today we can have Church authorities, priests, and religious who are actors, performers, service-providers, achievers, administrators, and executives, but are not necessarily good and integral spiritual persons, holy and loyal men and women of God. “Being’ consecrated can flow into “doing” works of consecration, and thus being authentic can guarantee doing effective. But there is no guarantee that doing effective guarantees being authentic. d. Today there is an exaggerated tilt toward performance and excellence, success and achievement, which leads to subsequent neglect of the quality of living, and integrity of the person. That is why, we have those excellent in skill and talent, technique and strategies, intelligence and competence, experience and expertise, but at the same time, we also have ample instances of aberrations, deviations, distortions, and scandals. 3) Indicator of interconnectivity “You are the salt of the earth and light of the world” can also be an indicator of the interconnectivity and effect of salt and light. What does this mean? a. No salt or light is valued independently and separately in its own right, for its own sake. They become important, only when they are properly used, only when they give their due effect and benefit. What is the use of having salt and light, when there is no one to use them, when they are not used in the right proportions, and when they are not beneficial, as they are meant for? b. Salt can give taste only when it is mixed with other food ingredients, and not by itself alone. Light can spread its radiance and brightness, only when it is lit, and only when it is used .in the right context and need. Salt loses its credit, when not put in the right measure in the food. Salt loses its intensity of saltiness when dissolved in a large quantity of liquid. Light fails in its function, when not lighted. It also loses its due usefulness, when not placed in the appropriate context. For example, what is the use of light, when there is so much broad day sunlight? c. There are many who have a tremendous capacity to give taste (saltiness) and brightness (lighting). But they feel so complacent and self-sufficient, that they fail to be “tangible” toward others, and fail to be beneficial to others d. Therefore it is not enough to have so much capacity of “saltiness” and “lighting”. It is also important to have docility and nobility, to put oneself at the ready disposal of others; to be humble to be within the reach and touch of others, so as to allow oneself to be “used” positively, and to be beneficial productively. Let us pray earnestly that we constantly preserve our nature and vocation of bearing witness by being salt and light, and thus continue to give taste and radiance.