5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
One day a missionary began his class on Jesus by telling the children a story about someone whom they must meet. He said this person loves you, cares for you even more than your own self, family, and friends. He is a person who is kinder than the kindest person you know and forgives you no matter how often you do wrong. The missionary noticed a little boy getting more and more excited as he talked. Suddenly the little boy couldn’t contain himself any longer and blurred out, ‘I know the man you are taking about, he lives on our street.’
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus in the gospel of Matthew 5:13-16 reminds his disciples and us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, called to shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Heavenly Father. What does it mean to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? It is estimated that there are more then 14,000 different uses for salt, but the main uses of Salt has been for flavoring and for preserving food. So as the Salt of the earth, we as disciples of Christ are called to be the flavoring needed in our world today to accomplish the work of God and spread His gospel on earth. We as Christians are called to bring new life into our world by helping and teaching people to know more about God. How are we letting people know more about God in our world today? How are we helping, teaching and showing people who God is in our lives as Christians? How closely does our life resemble that of Jesus that we can be worthy to bear the name Christian? What is our most Jesus-like virtue that helps add flavor into a tasteless world?
What does it mean to be the light of the world? Light helps with vision and visibility, so it helps us to see things. Light helps the plants in the process of photosynthesis to produce food. As the Light of the world, we are called to bring vision and the visibility of God into the world by showing others through our examples and actions who God is. We are called to produce good spiritual food that will last forever in the world. Are we bringing God’s visibility to our world in darkness today? Are we truly illuminating the path of others in the world through the vision of God?
Since Jesus calls His disciples and us to be salt and light in the world, the person who lives and spreads the grace of Christ is salt of the earth and the person who lets the Gospel shine with good deeds in the daily living is the light of the world states Pope Francis. Hence my brothers and sisters, we are the salt of the earth, so let us give taste and flavor to the world by making the Word of God alive and active in it. Let us also preserve God’s word and teachings by living out His gospel daily and by being true and faithful disciples of Christ. We are the light of the world, let us illuminate the world by bringing God into our lives and our world through our actions and examples. Let us guide the steps of all to God and bring growth to God’s word in the world. Amen!
