The Community at Prayer
Reflection by Father Paul M. Baca
February 6, 2011, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
See the readings 
Our First Reading for today comes from the prophet Isaiah and it starts, "Thus says the Lord," and that made me realize how often we read in the scriptures how God spoke to the prophets time and again. That raises a question, Does God still speak to us? The answer of course is, he certainly does. On the run up to the Second Vatican Council, the liturgists made a valiant effort to motivate everyone to appreciate the scriptures. That of course led to the Document on the Liturgy which was an integral part of what came forth from the Second Vatican Council. I now see the scriptures as God speaking to us and of course, to me in particular. I also appreciate that they refer to the bible as 'the good news.'
I must confess that there are passages in the bible that I like more than others and today's readings are some of my favorites. I can really see God as a loving mother and father speaking to the people of all times how God's loving concern for all of us is expressed in the words of the prophet Isaiah and many other prophets. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, "Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own." Then God adds what can result from that way of life, "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then as if to make sure we understood his words, God adds, "Then you shall call and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help and he will say, 'Here I am.'" But that's not the end of it ... he continues, "If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusations and religious speech; if you bestow your 
bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then light shall shine for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday."
The gospel reminds us that God wants all of us to be his partners in fulfilling his will. We all have our part in it, so we must persevere, "You are the salt of the earth ... you are the light of the world. A city on the mountain cannot be hidden nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father."
When I see the needless suffering of the hungry and oppressed all over the world, I wonder why the powerbrokers of the world cannot prioritize and take the necessary steps to consistently do something to eradicate such suffering. Then I am made aware of how many individuals seem to hear clearly the voice of God and in their own way, respond by doing their best to alleviate the suffering resulting from greed and self indulgence.
Today's readings are truly heartwarming because they so beautifully remind us that our God is truly a loving mother/father to the human family.