The Power of Reaching Out

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, February 5th, 2023:
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Isaiah
58:6-10
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Thus says the Lord:
Is this not the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.

We have all, unfortunately, had instances with family members or friends who were ungenerous with time or resentful when asked for something. These situations can heighten your perception of what it means to take care of those in need. Harshness can be a chilling experience to be subject to. When someone close to you does not allow for generosity of thinking about a situation, it can leave you feeling hurt or betrayed. 

Upon reading this passage I kept thinking how Jesus must feel the same, as He has such love, affection, and desire for closeness with each one of us. 

This passage, along with experiences with friends and family, has given me perspective on how I can be a better friend. We all have those people in our lives who we may not have reached out to recently, or who are in a difficult season of life and need more support than usual. I have challenged myself to think about how I could reach out to them to make them feel loved and supported. 

In this season, where I am going to be a new mom, I feel especially vulnerable in relying on the support of other people. It’s a space I have not been in a lot in my life, where I feel more dependant than ever before. It can be a temptation in my mind to say that I need less help than I do out of fear of being a burden on friends and family, but recently, I have been on the receiving end of great generosity and selflessness. Many close family members and friends have been so good about checking in on us, and it makes me emotional even typing about it!! 

This passage is great encouragement to send that text, make that meal, or pick up the phone and call that person. It is a tremendous way to love one another. 

Praying for you all. 




​Theresa Langley

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