First reading: Is. 58:7–10
Thus says the LORD: 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. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and 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 from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
Second reading: 1 Cor. 2:1–5
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Gospel: Mt. 5:13–16
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.”
In other words
Fr. Sisoy Cellan, SVD (Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Parish, Subanipa, Zamboanga Sibugay)
A story is told about Jesus asking Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, I love you like salt to food.” The other disciples found the answer distasteful and out of line. Judas, in particular, sneered at Peter’s musings. And so it said that one day while sharing a meal at the house of Peter’s mother-in-law, the disciples complained that the food was bland and tasteless. It turned out that Peter told his mother-in-law to leave the food without a pinch of salt. Thus, Jesus, reflecting on the little incident, started preaching: “You are the salt of the earth…”
Historians claim that salt was considered an essential trade commodity in the distant past, important enough to be used as a currency. In Roman times, it is said that soldiers received their allowance (called ‘solarium,’ from which the term salary was derived) in the form of salt (‘sal’ in Latin). Salt’s value to health and normal functioning of the human body was already known then. Historians also point out that there were periods in antiquity when salt was considered precious like gold, owing to its preservative quality.
But salt’s precious character and golden attributes can be best appreciated in the light of other entities that will take over without it, like illnesses and the rotting of food. Similarly, when Christ called us to be the salt of the earth, he implied that we should be tested beyond our limits. Kindness will be mocked, truthfulness will be questioned, and integrity will be under-mined. But, just as salt’s flavor is its identity, an intrinsic part of its nature, we cannot be otherwise. We are more than the sum of all our fears and failings. Even when devalued by worldly standards and no matter how seemingly inconsequential, a single act of goodness will always be priceless in its purest form, like salt.
Thus, we cannot take a backseat and be indifferent to the ones in need of us. The adage goes: “It only takes a single candle to light the dark, and it only takes good people to do nothing for evil to triumph.”
A study revealed that the more formal education a person has, the less likely they are to become an inventor. This is because academic programs condition students to fulfill school requirements to succeed, and failing exams can be shameful and demoralizing. However, an inventor often fails before creating something, and success usually only comes towards the end, if at all. Hence, how our efforts are rated and measured at school can adversely affect our ability to do something creative and transformative.
We cannot allow the fear of failure to seize us and stop us from doing something good and noble. How we will succeed in our Christian mission and ministry of service would be up to God. But living a life that is “worth our salt” would be up to us.