The Call to Witness

The Call upon the Church to Witness to the Father’s Love

The teaching of this Sunday’s readings may be summed up in the word, “witness.” A witness is someone who attests to the truth of a given event. In the first reading, Isaiah (58:7-10) receives the charge to tell God’s people that they must care for those who are in need: “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.” The result is blessing for those who give and those who receive: “Then your light will break forth like the dawn… then light shall rise for you in the darkness.”

In the Gospel, Our Lord Jesus continues the injunction by telling us that we have been blessed: “You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world… Your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

An example of this relation between good deeds and having our light shine before men in a way that glorifies the Father can be found in the witness, especially of the younger people, during the recent March for Life. If we witness to the wonder of the One we love and the beauty of his teaching, our light will shine, and people will be drawn to the Lord by his light and radiance.