5th Sunday Ordinary (A)

"You are the light of the world." That's a simple statement. Automatic. You are, not you must be or try to be but just you are. Because you are a Christian you are a light of the world. And Jesus also called himself the Light of the World. (Jn 8:12)

those who would follow him would never walk in darkness but would possess the light of life. He uses the same phrase for us as for himself. We are to be a light to dispel the darkness just as he is.

Around Christmas time on the street in Central I met a Filipino woman whom I had frequently seen at Mass but about whom I knew nothing. I think I had never seen her without a smile, which is probably why I noticed her that day. Because she had no smile. After greeting her a "Merry Christmas", I inquired about how she was doing and why she looked so sad.

She hesitated to tell me because she had heard me preach several times about borrowing and lending money: "Be generous, but never borrow from or lend to a friend. It's the best way I know to lose a friend." But she, having heard a touching story and received a promise that she would be paid back in a few days, had loaned several thousand dollars to her friend. When I saw her, the 'friend' was already a week overdue and nowhere to be found, but my smiling friend was certain she would be paid "tomorrow". Tomorrow has not yet come!

Days and weeks later, whenever I saw her I would ask about the loan, and she was still unpaid. As a consequence Christmas had been considerably less than merry.

I've met and talked to her two or three times since. I now know her name and will

call her Maria here (it's not her real name), where she is from, something about her family of grown children. I've also met her nieces who like herself work as maids in Hong Kong and meet together with her on their day off. She has never been paid back; her friend has disappeared. It's still easy to recognize her by her smile which lights up the world, and that's why I think about her today.

Maria has been working for the same family for many years, for me a good indication that they also like her smile and all the other things about her that make for a valuable, trustworthy maid. Though she had several thousand dollars saved up, Maria is poor like all other maids anywhere.

There are many among the poor and uneducated who put the rest of us to shame. "Blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it." (Lk 11:28) Often the more intelligent and better educated analyze and question everything thoroughly in an effort to be sure they understand. Theologians and scholars probe deeply the mysteries of our faith, and we must be grateful that they share their knowledge with the rest of us. The poor, on the other hand, because of a faith, uncluttered by long explanations of the mysteries, simply accept the word of God and, I daresay, often understand it in a more profound way than many of the educated. They understand with their hearts far more than with their heads. In so doing their joyful lives become a light shining in the darkness around them. Today's gospel says: Seeing their good works [their generosity, their forgiveness, their unfeigned love for those one would think do not deserve it] others may give praise to our Father in heaven. Maria has done that for me.

Thus says the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah: Share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor; clothe the man you see to be naked and turn not from your own kin. Then will your light shine like the dawn... Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry and the Lord will answer; call and he will say, 'I am here.'

If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word, if you give your bread to the hungry and relief to the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon. THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. Maria has heard that word.

About the money, while still hoping to get it back Maria is philosophical and amazingly kind, bearing no malice towards the one who cheated her. She does not know the bible well, but she is a woman of deep and unshakeable faith who knows the heart of Christ very well. Love your enemies, do good to those who cheat you, forgive those who betray you. That leaves Maria vulnerable to those who know her, but though she be cheated seventy times seven times she will find a way to give and forgive. For sure she shall not stop smiling -or loving. How fortunate we are. She is what we are called to be by the Lord, a light in the world, a light to the world. If we can be like her we too will not stop smiling and how good that would be.