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Message from the desk of the Pastor:

THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Gospel Reading 

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus teaches that his disciples are to be the salt of the earth

and the light of the world.

Background on the Gospel Reading

Following upon the teaching of the Beatitudes, Jesus uses the now familiar metaphors of salt and light to describe the life of discipleship. We take salt and    light for granted in our society, but these commodities were more precious in    ancient cultures. Just as now, salt was used in Jesus’ time for flavoring, as a preservative, and as a healing agent. Similarly, the widespread use of electricity          in the modern world makes us less aware of the value and importance of light in    our lives.

Still, our familiarity with this passage from Matthew’s Gospel speaks well to the abiding power of the imagery that Jesus presented. Jesus’ call to be salt for the  earth and light for the world powerfully states our mission as Church and as Christians. Our commitment to social justice flows from the exhortation that      Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel. Some of the activities that this commitment      leads us to are given more concrete expression as the Corporal and Spiritual      Works of Mercy. When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, console those who mourn, and so on, we show ourselves to be the salt of the earth and the light of        the world. When we do these things with the community of faith, the Church, we      are indeed acting as “a city set on a mountain” that cannot be hidden!

Family Connection

The widespread use of electricity in our society may make us less aware of the    value and importance of light. To re-engage with the power of the metaphor that Jesus offers, gather your family in a darkened room. Bring only one flashlight.

Sit together for a minute and consider what you are able to do and see in so little light. You might try opening the Bible to see whether you can read today’s Gospel. Turn on the flashlight and experiment to see how one might use it to achieve the greatest amount of light. Then read today’s Gospel by the light of the flashlight.      Ask everyone to consider what it means to say that Christians are to be the light        of the world. How might your family act in a way that is a light for others, a light      that is worthy to put on a lamp stand? Choose one thing that your family will do      this week to show that you are the light of the world. You might choose to    participate in an activity that your parish sponsors, such as help with a food      pantry. Pray together by singing “This Little Light of Mine.”