5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 8, 2026

Your contribution to the kingdom is important.

Matthew 5:13-16 (Jerusalem Bible)

You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people’s feet. You are light for the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in people’s sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.

REFLECTIONS
February 8, 2026

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

Isaiah 58: 7-10; Psalm 112; I Corinthians 2: 1-5; Matthew 5: 13-16

If we were to ask the prophet Isaiah to describe what religion in the modern world should look like, he would tell us what he told the post-exilic Jewish community in Jerusalem: share bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, do not turn your back on your own, and remove oppression, accusation, and malicious speech. When we do these things, the prophet tells us, our “light shall break forth like the dawn.” These days there is much darkness and many shadows that cannot be overcome simply by switching on a wall light. We religious folk do not always confront the darkness around us: economic inequality, racism, mass incarceration (for example, our downtown Dallas jail has almost 7,000 inmates), migration crises, and environmental degradation. Our neighbors can be suspicious of religion when we talk about justice, but do not practice it. Do we “talk the talk and walk the walk”? Authentic faith must be embodied – at our dinner tables, in shelters, clinics, classrooms, neighborhoods, and even in the halls of government. The prophet is not just addressing personal sin. He anticipates modern discussions of what we now call “structural sin.” He calls us to examine systems that benefit some while burdening others. He personalizes our response to the needs of others. The poor are not problems to be solved, but flesh-and-blood neighbors to be embraced. Isaiah is not only addressing individual responsibility; he is issuing a call to nations and to the religious community. When we unite to act justly and kindly toward all, communities become places where light returns and wounds are healed – emotionally, spiritually, and socially. Our world remains in shadows and darkness. Isaiah promises that “the gloom shall become for you like midday.” This comes about not merely by speaking words. As I write this, we are celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. His words remain powerful and illuminating because they were backed by prophetic witness. The world was brightened by his words because his life made God visible. Isaiah reminds us that God rejects a religion confined to ritual alone. He calls his hearers to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, free the oppressed, and heal broken lives. Jesus echoes Isaiah’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, from which today’s Gospel is taken. We are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” These are not automatic badges of membership for his followers, nor are they abstract beliefs or private holiness. They are a call to action. Our light must “shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” These “good deeds” are the visible signs Isaiah describes. Salt has developed a negative reputation. How many of us have been told by our doctors, “Cut down on your salt intake”? But Jesus focuses on salt’s ability to preserve and to give flavor. Isaiah warns that when a society neglects the poor and vulnerable, it rots from within. When disciples feed, shelter, and defend the weak, they act as salt – agents of resistance to moral and social decay. Where would we be without light to guide and reveal our way? Jesus promises that darkness will be dispelled, that it will be like noonday. In our world of shadows, people weighed down by fear, inequality, and indifference can shine when our works of mercy illuminate God’s presence. Our world is hungry for hope. When believers feed the hungry, welcome the homeless, lift burdens, and speak without malice, we become salt that preserves what is human and light that makes God believable. In our Church, we treasure our sacramental life, doctrine, and tradition. Yet Isaiah and Jesus insist that belonging to a religious community is not enough. Jesus is not complimenting us when he says, “You are the light of the world”; he is challenging us. Our responsibility as his followers is to be light in the dark places of our world. Our parishes, schools, and ministries must not be known first for what we oppose, but for whom we feed, welcome, defend, and heal through our service. We do not lack teaching, but we must ask ourselves: do we embody what we teach? We risk becoming cultural Catholics if we are not in solidarity with the poor, migrants, the imprisoned, the sick, and the forgotten. Catholic Charities, parish food pantries, prison and hospital ministries, immigration services, and shelters are not “extra works.” They are who we are – “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” We Catholics need to be brighter, not just louder. This has become for our Church an era of scandal, polarization, and mistrust. It is not a matter of “image repair,” but of turning again toward the poor and vulnerable. This is what the prophets Isaiah and Jesus guide us to do. We cannot keep our faith behind church walls; our lives must illuminate the lives of those most in need. When we live mercy, our Church becomes salt and light that cannot be ignored.

Quotable

“We must not withhold [the light of faith] as if we were our property. Instead, we are called to make it shine throughout the world, to offer to others through good works….” —Pope Francis (on Matthew 5:13-16)

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

Share your bread with the hungry. --Isaiah 58: 7

The advocacy group, Bread for the World, writes: “It is commonly known that the cause of hunger in the world is not a shortage of food but rather access to food. Some people are hungry because food is in short supply in their area and for a specific reason. It may be because they can’t afford to buy enough food. It may be both. Some countries have a ‘hunger season’ every year. It’s when the previous harvest is gone and the next harvest is not yet ready. It can last as long as three or four months. “The U.S. doesn’t have that kind of a hunger season, but for many families, some weeks are hungrier than others. These usually come toward the end of the month, as families run short of food before they have money to buy more. People can’t simply decide to spend less on rent, but if necessary, they can spend less on food. For many low-wage workers, retirees, people with disabilities, and their families, even careful planning cannot stretch the grocery budget throughout the month. Less expensive — and less nutritious — filler foods can keep children’s stomachs from growling, but they can’t provide what children need to grow and learn. Adults who are missing meals because they can’t afford to buy food can’t concentrate as well at work.” Catholic social teaching tells us that after charity comes solidarity, relationship. Relationship leads to advocacy for just changes because bonds with those on the margins help us become the “light of the world.” You can begin today to effect change by participating in any of the following food ministries here at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral: Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry, Helen Wright Shelter for Women dinners, Oak City Cares weekend meals for homeless and hungry, and/or Women’s Center lunches for homeless women. More detailed information can be found on the HNOJ Cathedral website (Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral | Corporal Works of Mercy). To join, contact: socialconcern@hnojnc.org To begin helping with advocacy, take action at the Bread for the World website, http://www.bread.org/about-hunger, as they write: “We can virtually end hunger in our time. Each person who takes action with Bread for the World helps us get closer to that goal.” The one who becomes a light to the world brings forth a new day of grace and justice and it begins by sharing your bread.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: 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.”

Reflection: Jesus reminds us that faith is not meant to be hidden or kept private. Like salt, our discipleship is meant to bring flavor, preserve what is good, and make a difference where we live and work. Like light, our lives are meant to reflect God’s goodness so others can find their way. When we live the Gospel with integrity, kindness, and courage, our ordinary actions become signs of God’s presence in the world.

So, we ask ourselves:

• Where in my daily life is God calling me to be more visible in faith and love?

• How do my words and actions help preserve what is good in my family, parish, or community?

• What might be causing my faith to lose its “saltiness,” and how can I renew it today?

A LOOK BACK AT THIS SUNDAY FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
February 6, 2011

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

Isaiah 58: 7-10 Psalm 112 I Corinthians 2: 1-5 Matthew 5: 13-16

Salt has gotten a bad rap in recent years. It’s linked to high blood pressure, a life-threatening condition. Doctors suggest those with high blood pressure reduce their intake of salt. With the increased consumption of prepared foods and snacks, nutritionists warn all of us that we consume too much salt and that we should cut down on our intake--especially as we age. So, for us moderns, it doesn’t sound like a compliment, or an encouraging word, when Jesus calls his disciples “the salt of the earth.” No one eats salt plain, by itself. Still, even these days, with all the cautions we hear, most people prefer a little salt in their food. I was speaking with a friend who is a nurse and has high blood pressure. She said, with a mischievous wink of our eye, “I’m not supposed to eat salt, but I still put a tiny bit on my food. It enhances the flavor.” But those disciples didn’t have to worry about over consuming potato chips and frozen dinners. Their experience with salt was entirely different from ours. Salt was a luxury item and was used as a preservative for foods. It was also a sign of friendship and community, and so people shared salt at banquets to express their bonds of family and friendship. In the Hebrew Scriptures it was a symbol of permanence and purification. Salt symbolized the people’s relationship with God, which Numbers (18:19) described as an “inviolable covenant to last forever before the Lord, for you and for your descendants.” That “inviolable covenant” was described as a “covenant made in salt”(2 Chronicles 13:5). Thus, when Jesus called his disciples “the salt of the earth”that title would resonate deeply in their daily experience and religious heritage. He was suggesting first of all, that they were friends of his and were in a permanent and stable relationship with God. Early Christians took up the image of salt and connected it to baptism and their covenant with God. Because of this covenant they were protected and preserved from evil. The world could corrupt Christians, but baptism and the gospel would preserve and keep them in their relationship to Jesus and one another. They, like their Jewish ancestors, were in a “covenant of salt.” Until most recently, salt was still used in baptismal liturgies. It was placed on the tongue of the one being baptized. (Salt is often sprinkled in water to be blessed.) We bless ourselves with that water as a reminder of our baptism and its healing and preserving qualities for our faith. Those baptismal waters continue to preserve us from evil, for God has not broken the new “covenant of salt” we have in Jesus. Through the ongoing life of the Holy Spirit in each of the baptized, we are able to fulfill our calling to be “salt of the earth.” We Christians are in a “salt covenant” with each other. We may not be the best of friends. We may not invite each other over for a special occasion or dinner in our homes on the holidays. Nevertheless, we are covenanted to one another through our baptism. In Christ we are also in a lasting communion with God, empowered and nursed by the Holy Spirit. We are in a “covenant of salt.” Today’s gospel reminds us that we are called into the service of Jesus Christ. He is not only calling us the “salt of the earth,” he is telling us to be that salt of the earth. It’s an awesome responsibility Jesus entrusts to us. We are to be witnesses who point the way to Jesus. We may feel as small and insignificant as salt, such a tiny ingredient, but like salt we are to mix in, not avoid, life in the world. Like salt, we may not call attention to ourselves, nevertheless people will recognize the flavor we bring into the world — it is the quiet, but effective presence of Christ — the one with whom we have a lasting covenant of salt. But sometimes Jesus’ disciples are not supposed to be just a quiet presence in everyday life. Some circumstances require that we make more of an impact on our surroundings. Or, as the second part of today’s gospel reminds us, we are to be “the light of the world.” In a large, dark gymnasium or arena, one match ignited on the court can be seen by even someone up in the last, upper row of the stands. In the dark, no one can miss the light. We are to be Christ’s light in a dark world. Jesus wasn’t saying anything new for religious Jews. The prophet Isaiah gives some examples how believers can be light in the world. “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked when you see them... etc.” Jesus takes up that message later in a parable in which he identifies himself with the neediest, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, etc.” Today Paul advises us that human wisdom, on its own, will not provide light for our world. There are lots of flash and bright lights that lure us from all sides, but do not truly illumine our lives the way the light of Christ, displayed throughout his life and on the cross, can. Of course a city built on a hill cannot be hidden. We didn’t need Jesus to tell us the obvious. But for a Jewish audience that image of the city on a hill would remind them of Jerusalem--not just the physical city, but all it meant to the Jews--a sign of God’s righteousness and presence in their midst. The ideal Jerusalem was to be a place where things were done right, according to God’s light. It was to be a city of the people of God. The prophets had anticipated that this ideal and perfect Jerusalem would attract all the nations and God would teach and protect them. The prophet Micah proclaimed: “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Let us climb the mountain of the Lord,...That God may instruct us in God’s ways, that we may walk in God’s paths. For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’” (Micah 4:2) We, the church, are supposed to be that kind of city set on a mountain. We are called to be the community that draws people of all nations to Christ. The good we do in the world should identify us — a city on a mountain — for all to see. Well, we are set on a mountain and the scandals of these recent years, at all levels of our church, have not drawn, but turned some people away. Our identity as light has been darkened; and as salt, we have lost our flavor for many. Therefore, as a response to Jesus' teaching and call today we pray, not only for ourselves, but for our church. We pray for a cleansing, renewing influx of the light only the Spirit can give. “Help us, O Spirit of light, to be faithful servants in the world, lights in the darkness and salt to flavor the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby M.P.S. Coordinator of Social Justice Ministries, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, N. C.

You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world... —Matthew 5: 13-14

I am an “okay” cook but I do understand how salt can flavor a dish and I find it interesting how little salt it takes to do so. I can readily identify with the phrase, “You are the salt of the earth,” because it is such a basic seasoning. Works of justice are “salt” in its most ancient use to preserve and prevent decay thereby insuring good health. “You are the light of the world,” however, invokes quite a different “Who ME?” feeling. Yet, look how the US Catholic Bishops, in both Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium and Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, envision “a laity who are living witnesses to Christ: well-formed in faith, enthusiastic, capable of leadership in the Church and society, filled with compassion, and working for justice.” These are the ingredients for being a light to the world and it begins with continuing adult faith formation. Author Thomas R. Hawkins calls it, “the learning congregation,” in a book by the same name. Learning challenges our mental models of how we perceive things to be and opens us up to the possibility of seeing from God’s perspective how things could really be. Learning ignites our interior lamp. You and I are on a mission to be salt and light to the temporal world. As the U.S. Bishops affirm, “The church and its adult faithful have a mission in and to the world to share the message of Christ to renew and to transform the social and temporal order. This dual calling to evangelization and justice is integral to the identity of the lay faithful; all are called to it in baptism.” “We need to build local communities of faith where our social teaching is central, not fringe; where social ministry is integral, not optional; where it is the work of every believer, not just the mission of a few committed people and committees.” Choose to accept the mission and we can get cooking and learning together. Contact socialconcern@sacredheartcathedral.org to express your interests in works of justice and in becoming part of a study group.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. "Faith Book" is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: 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.”

Reflection: Jesus Christ is not only calling us the “salt of the earth,” he is telling us to be that salt. It’s an awesome responsibility for we are to be witnesses who point the way to Jesus. We may feel as small and insignificant as salt, such a tiny ingredient, but like salt we are to mix in, not avoid, life in the world. People will recognize the flavor we bring into the world--it is the quiet, but effective presence of Christ--the one with whom we have a lasting covenant of salt.

So we ask ourselves:

• How and where am I a “salty” witness to the living Christ?

• What daily practices do I follow to sustain myself as “salt of the earth?”

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, it is through engagement with others that our light will shine. I need to see how important I am to the mission, even though my contribution may be small. Help me to persevere in personal time of blandness and darkness so that I can reflect and amplify the beauty of your Kingdom.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Adapted from “Living Space”, a Service of the Irish Jesuits

Today’s gospel is part of the famous “Sermon on the Mount” in which Jesus outlines his entire teaching. It begins with the beatitudes; with which we are also very familiar. We may be totally filled with the spirit of the Beatitudes but it will not do very much good unless their effects are clearly seen in our lives. To be a Christian, it is not enough to be good; we must be seen to be so. It is not enough to ‘have a spirituality’ that fills us with a feeling of peace and tranquility. The spirituality of the Gospel is essentially outreaching. We have not only to be disciples of Christ but also need to proclaim him. So Jesus, immediately following the Beatitudes, presents us with a number of images expressing this. “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt is an essential ingredient in almost all cooked food (even sweet food) to provide taste. We all know what it is like to have soup that contains no salt; we know how much part salt plays in flavoring mass-produced fast foods. We are to be like salt; we are to give taste, zest to our environment. We do that through the specific outlook on life which we have and which we invite others to share. At their best, Christians have been very effective in doing this and have had a great impact on the values of many societies and in bringing about great changes. To be tasteless salt is to be next to useless. Salt that has lost its taste is only fit to be thrown out. At the same time, in the West we sometimes, too, put some salt on the side of our plate. That salt, however, tasty it may be, is still not doing any good unless it is put into the food. And this is an interesting feature of salt, namely, that it blends completely with food and disappears. It cannot be seen, but it can be tasted. That reminds us that we as Christians, if we are to have the effect of giving taste, must be totally inserted in our societies. We have to resist any temptation, as Christians, to withdraw and separate ourselves from the world. It is a temptation we can easily fall into and there are many places in our cities where the Church is absent nowadays. There is no salt there. In our commercial districts, in our industrial areas, in our entertainment and media centers, where is the visible Christian presence? Other images used by Jesus today include being the “light of the world” or being a city built on top of a hill. There is no way it can be hidden; it sticks out like a sore thumb. And what is the point of lighting a candle and then covering it over with a tub? You light a candle to give light so that people can see their way and will not fall. To be baptized and to go into virtual hiding is like lighting and then covering up a candle. Finally, Jesus gives us the reason for making ourselves so visible. It is so that people may see our good works? In order that we can bask in their admiration and wonder? No, but so that they will be led through us to the God who made them, who loves them and wants to lead them to himself. It is for us today to reflect on how visible our Christian faith is to others both as individuals, as families, as members of a Christian group, as parishioners, as a diocese.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection questions:

What is an “everyday saint”?
Do you feel you are one?
What does it mean to be light for the world?
What does it NOT mean?

The enemy of this gospel is the feeling that we are too insignificant to matter. In my own life, how can I counteract this self-defeating tendency to be passive rather than active?

For a lot of our religious history, we have been taught that our main mission is to avoid sin, to stay out of trouble, to perfect our interior spiritual development. Period. This gospel passage runs counter to that. How much of my life has been spent on my own personal growth and spiritual development, and how much has been spent witnessing to others?

Walter Burghardt, S.J., has described our mission in life as “Grace on Crutches”. How does work as a metaphor for our own personal brokenness and imperfection and our role in this world?

Is the career I find myself in utterly divorced from the directives contained in this gospel?
How?
Is there anything I can do to change this?

Are there people or places in our area where a Christian witness is for all intents and purposes absent?
Can we do anything about that?
What are some “non-heroic” actions people can take to make God’s kingdom more present?

When is it appropriate to be transparent with others about your faith?
When is it not appropriate?
Should we be proactive, or let others take the initiative?

Why are people in the workplace expected to leave their faith at the door, rather than integrate beliefs into everyday decisions and relationships?

Who are some of the discarded in this world for whom Christians can be salt and light?

Often criticism and judgmentalism leach all the flavor and joy out of life. Has this been my experience?
How do I counteract it?

Joy is something that can actually change the world. In what everyday ways do I radiate the joy of the gospel?

Without salt, food is tasteless and uninviting, or spoils and is discarded. Without care and concern, our world can become flat and unwelcoming, causing people’s hope and energy to wither and disappear. Despite all that we do already, many of us can do a little more.
What is one thing you can do to spice up your little corner of the world?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Adapted from Sacred Space: Lord, help us to see that we are children of the light, that our lives are illumined by you, the light of the world (John 8:12). Help us to see in your light the hidden hope of glory that is in us, so we can rejoice even in the darkness of the world. Help us to be light for others, for that is our commission.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: (Taken from the gospel for today’s session) You are the salt of the earth; your light must shine before others.

Meditations:
A Meditation in the Dominican Style — Asking Questions: Very often, when we are confronted with the teaching of Jesus that we are to be the light for the world, we claim that we would love to do more, but we are just too busy. Life is crazy right now, etc., “I don’t have time”. Here are some problems with that statement:

• When will you ever have more time than you do now?

• Who, actually, has more time than you do?

• Have you evaluated the time commitment you might have to make, or are you dismissing any time commitment at all?

• Excuse #492: I am so messed up myself I cannot possible be a good resource for anyone else

Query: Were the first apostles always models of unselfishness, maturity and piety?
Query: What daily practices can I follow to sustain myself as someone for others?
Excuse #493: I have so much I am personally dealing with right now; I do not have the bandwidth to take on anyone else’s needs.
Query: Did the first apostles not have families, economic difficulties and relationship commitments as well?
Query: Can I find at least one small way I can be a light of hope and kindness to someone else?

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style — Action: Read Isaiah 58:6-10 “Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me: to break unjust fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break all yokes? Is it not sharing your food with the hungry, and sheltering the homeless poor; if you see someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin? Then your light will blaze out like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Saving justice will go ahead of you and Yahweh’s glory come behind you. Then you will cry for help and Yahweh will answer; you will call and he will say, “I am here.” If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist and malicious words, if you deprive yourself for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkest hour will be like noon.” Both Sunday’s gospel and the first reading fly in the face of the commonly acknowledged “truth” that it takes money and power to change the world. Instead, says Walter Burghardt, S.J. the world needs Christian disciples, not just popes or martyrs, not great orators or donors to great causes. The world needs everyday, ordinary disciples who go about their lives witnessing to the message of Jesus to forgive, to care for the lonely, the sick, the hungry , to heal those has He did. Can I say I am disciple? Why or why not? Pick one thing you can do this week to be Christ for others. And do it.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style — Relationship: Psalm 112: 4-9 “For the honest he shines as a lamp in the dark, generous, tender-hearted, and upright. All goes well for one who lends generously, who is honest in all his dealing; for all time to come he will not stumble, for all time to come the upright will be remembered. Bad news holds no fears for him, firm is his heart, trusting in Yahweh. His heart held steady, he has no fears, till he can gloat over his enemies. To the needy he gives without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever; his reputation is founded on strength.” Read this psalm as example of what it means to be salt and light, then write your own mini-psalm transliterating the words of the psalm into to first person ( “all goes well for me who lends generously”, etc). Pray it every day this week.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Thomas Centolella, a former Stegner Fellow from Stanford, has written a poem about “raising ourselves to the power of ten” in order to accommodate all the needs that are out there in our world. See if it says anything to you.

At Big Rec
A few hours spent in the dry rooms of the dying.
Then the walk home, and the sudden rain
comes hard, and you want it coming hard,
you want it hitting you in the forehead
like anointment, blessing all the days
that otherwise would be dismissed
as business as usual. Now you’re ready
to lean on the rail above the empty diamonds
where, in summer, the ballplayers wait patiently
for one true moment more alive than all the rest.
Now you’re ready for the ancient religion of dogs,
that unleashed romp through the wildness, responding
To no one’s liturgy but the field’s and the rain’s.
You’ve come this far, but you need to live further in.
You need to slip into the blind man for a while,
tap along with his cane past the market stalls
and take in, as if they were abandoned,
the little blue crabs which within an hour will be eaten.
You have to become large enough to accommodate
all the small lives that otherwise would be forgotten.
You have to raise yourself to the power of ten.
Love more, require less, love without regard
For form. You have to live further in.

The next poem serves as a reminder that in order to be the light of the world, we must be grounded in the light of Christ.

Gather the People

What return can we make
for all the Lord has done in our lives?
We bring bread, wine, our clay dishes
and our clay feet
to this altar
and we pray that we may here
make a beginning--
that somehow in our days
we can begin to see the promises
the Lord has made us.
The promises do not always
glow with obvious light, or
overwhelm us by their obvious truth.
No matter what anyone says,
it is difficult to understand an invisible God
and belief is not always
the easy way out.
So we gather the people
and we tell the story again
and we break the bread
and in the memory of the one
who saves us,
we eat and drink
and we pray and we believe.
We gather, we pray, we eat.
These things are for human beings.
God has no need of them.
Yet he himself gathered the people,
prayed, broke bread
and gave it to his friends.
And so the invisible God became
visible
and lives with us.

— by Ed Ingebretzen, Psalms of the Still Country