On letting the gloom become like midday

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.
                            Isaiah 58:9-10

Happy Fifth Week in Ordinary Time!

The Gospel readings, from The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, continue to be accompanied with First Readings from Jesus’ spiritual ancestors, the Jewish prophets. We have not progressed far from this reading, about 2500 years old.

As Tyre Nichols’ murder attests, we are still struggling with oppression within our own society, let alone globally, and the Internet has allowed false accusations and malicious speech to spread like a plague. Almost all of us enjoy the fruits of materialism – our bread – and would rather eat it than share it.

The Prophet calls us to look at our consumption and look for ways to share our blessings with others. A Little Way for doing this is to answer the call to deliver food for St. Mary’s Food Bank. If you have a car and some time on Thursday mornings, please contact Rose Hesselbrock at rose.hesselbrock@gmail.com or 206-817-0083.