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Reflections on the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Ed Brett

The readings for
this Sunday:

Isaiah 58:7-10

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Matthew 5:13-16

In this Sunday's reading from Matthew's Gospel, Jesus calls his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But he adds that when salt loses its taste it becomes worthless and when a lamp is put under a tub, its light is wasted. From this reading the following question arises: How do those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ make sure that our salt keeps its value and our light is productive? The answer is found in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah. Here Yahweh commands his people to break the yoke of the oppressed, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and do not turn away from those in need. He adds that if we do these things, our light will rise in the darkness and shadows will become like midday.

These two readings bring to mind a recent visit that my wife and I made to Washington, D.C. My wife bought an issue of "Street Sense" from a vendor. This is a newspaper that contains interviews, poetry, book reviews, personal stories, and even food recipes, all written by homeless people. It is an amazing publication that is beginning to receive attention from the national media. Its purpose is two-fold. It provides a forum for the homeless to tell the general public about themselves, about how they feel and what they think. Secondly, since the homeless vendors who sell the paper on the street are allowed to keep 70 cents of the dollar that each paper costs, it provides them with a job and small income and, more important, with a sense of dignity. Indeed, the man who sold the paper to my wife pointed with pride to the last page, where there was a story about him along with his photo.

As we sat on a park bench to take a rest and read the paper, we saw on page two a list of all the people who had made donations so that the cost of publication could be met. These generous individuals have certainly brought their light to the world. They are truly the salt of the earth and an inspiration to the rest of us.

The story of Dana Frank Woolfolk appeared on page three in a column called "Street Success." While in high school, Woolfolk began using drugs and alcohol. He eventually got a job as a plumber and made "good money", but by this time he had become a full-blown crack addict. He soon hit rock bottom, lost his job and family, and was living on the streets. What most struck me in the article was Woolfolk's description of life on the streets-- how miserable it is to be soaked on a cold, rainy day with nowhere to go to get dry, or how lonely and dejected one feels when laying in the street with the flu and no medicine on a winter day. Indeed, Woolfolk had no hope for a better future. He was convinced that he was destined to die in the streets. But then a friend from the past took pity on him and convinced him that he had worth. He was able to get him into a detox center where he received excellent help from a caring staff. Not only is Woolfolk drug and alcohol free today, he works as a counselor for the city of Alexandria, Virginia, helping others who suffer from drug addiction.

His friend from the past and the staff at the detox center, along with the generous donors to "Street Sense", whether they realize it or not, are Gospel people. Their light shines forth showing the rest of us the way. Mr. Woolfolk is also a Gospel person. His light has been rekindled and he is now lighting the way for those who walk the streets where he used to live.

For more info: the National Coalition for the Homeless Street Newspaper project.