5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew Chapter 5, Verses 13 to 16).
Hence, by testifying and witnessing to Christ on earth, we add taste to the world as the salt of the earth and we let the light of Christ shine through us as the light of Christ in the world. This is why the Church gives us the example of St. Paul in today’s second reading, to help us live out the gospel of Christ by becoming the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This is exactly how we answer our call to discipleship.
So in what ways do we testify to Christ in our world today? In what areas of our lives are we called to bear witness to our Savior who gave His life on the cross for us? Prophet Isaiah in our first reading tells us how to testify and bear witness to Christ in our world. According to him, it is by sharing our bread with the hungry, by sheltering the oppressed and homeless; and by clothing the naked when we see them and not turning our backs on our own. These are part of the seven corporal works of mercy which are works that provide for someone’s physical needs. They are as follows: to Feed the hungry, to Give drink to the thirsty, to Shelter the homeless, to Visit the sick, to Visit prisoners, to Bury the dead and to Clothe the naked.
How concerned are we to the physical needs of others? Do we even know that the corporal works of mercy will help us attain the kingdom of heaven?
My dear friends in Christ, it is time for us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world by truly bearing witness to Christ when we practice the corporal works of mercy.
