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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
February 8, 2026
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download, in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel, a spiritual text and commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
5th Sunday of the TO
34th WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
Let your light shine before men:
So, seeing what good you are doing,
They will give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
Consult the Lectio Divina page, which invites you to read the Gospel in a prayerful atmosphere so that you may be touched in your heart. It is important not to rush to read commentaries or homilies before having this personal experience of encountering Christ in Scripture.
Next, if you wish, you can read the meditations below which will enrich your personal reading and meditation.
Meditation by Pope Francis
“Today’s liturgy offers a passage from the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:13-16) in which Jesus speaks once again to his followers in simple words, so that all may understand the message. He gives this definition of Christians: a Christian must be salt and light. Salt gives flavor and preserves, and light illuminates…”
But how can we prevent the lack of light and salt?", that is to say, how can we prevent the Christian from disappearing, from being weak, from weakening in his vocation, precisely?
Another answer can be found in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:2): five foolish and five wise. The conclusion, however, is the same: what is the oil of the Christian? What is the Christian's battery for creating light? Simply prayer.
In this regard, you can do so many things, so many works, also works of mercy, you can do so many great things for the Church — a Catholic university, a college, a hospital… — and they will even dedicate a monument to you as a benefactor of the Church…, but if you do not pray, all of this will not bring light.
How many works become dark, for lack of light, for lack of prayer! And by prayer, we mean the prayer of adoration to the Father, of praise to the Trinity, the prayer of thanksgiving, also the prayer to ask things of the Lord, but these prayers must always be a prayer that comes from the heart however.
This is precisely the oil, this is the battery, that gives life to the light.
Another attitude of the Christian: just as salt, which must be used to avoid becoming something to be thrown away, trampled underfoot, a museum piece, or forgotten in a cupboard, so too must the Christian "give of themselves" and enrich the lives of others; enrich many things through the message of the Gospel. The Christian must not "preserve themselves," but rather be salt "to give of themselves."
Jesus chose his examples well: light and salt are both for others, not for oneself! Indeed, light does not illuminate itself, and "salt does not give itself flavor." Some might object: if I give myself, I give myself, I give my salt, also my light, and one day they will end, and I too will end in darkness… But this is where the power of God intervenes, for the Christian is salt given by God in baptism: it is the salt of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that comes to your soul; it is the light of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that comes to your soul.
This gift continues to be given to you if you share it; and it never runs out.
Therefore, you should shine your light on others, but guard against the temptation to illuminate yourself. “Mirror spirituality” is a bad thing!
Indeed, if the Christian gives in to the temptation of the “spirituality of the mirror”, he does not fuel his light with the battery of prayer and only looks at himself without giving himself to others, he fails in his vocation and becomes like a lamp that does not illuminate and like salt that does not give flavor.
Be light to illuminate, be salt to give flavor and preserve, but it is necessary to always return to the One who gave you light and salt to ask for His help; so that the Lord may help us in this: always take care of the light, do not hide it, put it into action; give salt, the right amount, what is necessary, but give it. If it spreads, this salt increases and this light illuminates many people: such are the good works of the Christian.
Pope Francis,
Homily of June 7, 2016
Homily
Draw from the source
The biblical texts for this Sunday reveal a God who guides us toward the true Light. The prophet Isaiah (first reading) addresses a people returning from a long captivity. The painful aftereffects of this terrible period still linger. Despite everything, religious practice has been re-established. Full of good faith, these people want to please God. But there is a problem; and this is where Isaiah intervenes. Many believe that God expects the most sumptuous ceremonies and the finest fruits of the earth. It is understandable that they would want to prostrate themselves before the creator of heaven and earth.
But the true God is not like that; he demands nothing for himself or for his personal glory. His happiness lies in seeing that right and justice guide our relationships. His greatest joy is that we live together as brothers and sisters. Our attention must be directed toward the weakest and the poorest: “Share your bread with the hungry… Do not turn away from your neighbor.” We cannot love God without loving our neighbor. The God of the Bible is a liberating and merciful God. What he asks of us is to have the same behavior. This is important because we are made in the image of God.
The Apostle Paul (second reading) also sought to show us the One who is the true light. His message has nothing to do with human wisdom. He himself was not a persuasive orator. Unlike the people of Corinth, he was no eloquent tribune. He had no gift for swaying crowds. But he believed in the boundless love of a God who allowed himself to be crucified. For the Corinthians, this was unimaginable. And yet, this is what he wanted to bear witness to with all his might. He did not seek to convince the crowds with human arguments. But he believed in the Holy Spirit who worked in him and through him. He understood that faith does not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God.
What can we learn from this text? We are currently talking about the new evangelization. Pope Francis often recommended that we reach out to the “peripheries.” But today, as in the early days, there is one thing we must never forget: it is not we who act in people’s hearts; it is Christ who acts in us and through us. He sends us his Holy Spirit so that our witness may bear fruit. What is asked of us, as of Paul, is to efface ourselves before the one we present. If we seek admiration, esteem, and popularity, we are on the wrong path. It is faith that we must awaken by bearing witness to the Christ who died and rose again.
In the Gospel, we see disciples gathered around Jesus on the mountain. He tells them, “You are the light of the world.” This is also what he says to each of us gathered around him. It is up to us, disciples of Christ, to be authentic reflections of the life and teachings of Jesus. He entrusts us to be what he himself is: “the light of the world.” The entire Christian community is called to become “the light of the nations.” This means that we must actively engage in acts of salvation, liberation, and defense of the poor.
As we listen to this message, we naturally think of those who minister in the Church. They are called to explicitly proclaim the message of the Gospel. But there is another form of witness that can transcend the words of faith: the radiance of life. Before listening to Christians, we observe their lives. If they possess a sense of welcome, sharing, and solidarity, their lives will speak louder than their words. In his Gospel, Saint Matthew strongly emphasizes this point: that the lives of Christians, their actions, and their "good deeds" should have a power of attraction, radiance, and appeal. It is our way of living and "acting well" that should prompt reflection in everyone we encounter.
Today, all the dioceses of France celebrate Health Sunday. Its theme is "Let your light shine," echoing Christ's call in the Gospel: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). The Church invites Christian communities to pray for all those made vulnerable by illness, age, or disability, but also for all those who, through their commitment, care for them, accompany them, and support them. And we give thanks to the Lord for all their acts of devotion in service to the most vulnerable.
“Let your light shine before others.” It is our humbly duty to carry this light of Christ’s love, to let it radiate so that everyone may be warmed by it, draw strength and comfort, gentleness and tenderness, and find their way… However, it is not about being brilliant, but about letting others shine; that is something else entirely. It is about constantly returning to the Source, to draw from it the strength to put Christ’s love for everyone into practice.
In coming to the Eucharist, we are welcomed by the One who is the Light of the world. It is because we are gathered around him “on the mountain” that we, in turn, can become the Light of the world. He is the one who sends us to be his witnesses in this world that so desperately needs them. On this day we implore him: “You who are light, You who are love, place your spirit of love in our darkness.” Amen
Understanding the readings
with Marie-Noëlle THABUT
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