5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 6, 2011: Salt and Light of the World

Click Here to Read the Mass Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 6, 2011 (Year A):

"You are the salt of the earth... 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."  (Mt 5: 13-16)

Before I begin this week's reflection, I'd like to apologize for missing last Sunday's post.  Yesterday I returned to Rome after spending the last 3 weeks in the United States.  It was difficult to find time to write the Sunday reflections during the month of January, due to travel and meetings, but last week it was just impossible.  So a hearty "mea culpa" to one and all.  On to this Sunday's reflection...

This week we hear Jesus tell His disciples that they are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world".  His words in this Sunday's Gospel are a poignant reminder that Christianity and discipleship extend well beyond the all-too-narrow confines of "Jesus and I".  The call to follow Christ is definitely personal, but it is anything but private or individualistic.

Through the sacrament of baptism we are united to Jesus and His body, the Church.  The two are inseparable (see 1 Cor 12: 12-31).  This means that we cannot adopt or accept any kind of attitude which smacks of "Jesus and me, to hell with thee" - as one of my college professors so eloquently summarized it.  This is one of the reasons why it's not sufficient to be a Christian and worship God on Sundays in isolation, apart from the rest of the Church, the body of Christ.  Or to state the same thing more bluntly and more generally, we cannot live in isolation from the Church as if it were a dispensable component of Christianity.  We need the Church - as painful as that may be for some - but it's the truth, and it's beautiful.

In addition to our communion with Christ and one another, the call to be a disciple of Christ involves yet another dimension.  The light and life that we receive from God must be shared and witnessed to beyond the borders of the Church.  As disciples we have a responsibility and a mission to the unbelieving world around us.  It is this last dimension of discipleship which this Sunday's Gospel highlights. 

Being a disciple of Christ means we must make a positive impact on the world and draw others to Christ by our words and actions.  As "salt" we help preserve and bring out the goodness that God has created in the world and in others so it may be directed to God's glory and the salvation of all.  As "light" we reflect Jesus Christ, the true light of the world (Jn 8:12), in our words, actions, and attitudes - a light that reveals the ultimate meaning of man's existence.  These analogies of salt and light are powerful indeed, but so is Jesus' challenge to us in today's Gospel when He speculates about salt losing it's taste and light being hidden.  If salt and light no longer serve their intended purpose then they are "no longer good for anything."  Those are tough words, but they are true.  If we keep Christ locked up in ourselves, or in the Church, or we share Him only with those who think and act like us, how can we serve the world, or preserve, flavor, enlighten, and call forth goodness from the world?  The world needs Christ, it needs His Church, and it needs each one of us.

I sat in on a meeting this past week with several ex-Catholics who had returned to the Church and are now on fire to serve and share with others what they discovered after leaving, and why they returned.  I know that many people in their position can ask themselves "but what good can I do, I'm only 1 person?"  Many times we can feel so helpless, especially if we view the world through the lens of the mass media.  But one person can do so much good and have a lasting impact on the world for good - the life of each saint testifies to this, even down to our day.  Anyways, I shared with those present in the meeting how much encouragement, support and strength a priest can receive from a single parishioner who strives to love God, put His will into action, and serve others faithfully.  One person can have a massive effect on another, who can in turn have a great effect on tens of thousands more people.  So let us never accept the lie that our efforts in this world are useless, rather, let us ask the Lord to bless our efforts as we seek to love and serve Him and all those He places on our path to Him.  God bless you and have a blessed Sunday!

(Photo of St. Paul, "the Lord's Chosen Instrument" in bringing God's Word to the world, courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P. )