You Are The Salt Of The Earth

Deacon Tom Writes,

“You Are The Salt Of The Earth”

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

The Sacred Author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote this insightful passage concerning the enduring truth about the Word of God when he penned these words, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart”.

Heb 4:12

As crowds pour into the streets around the world carrying signs and placards supporting one cause or another, advocating one course of action over a different path forward, labeling one ideology good and those who stand in opposition to that way of thinking bad, anyone who leaves the crowds and placards behind and enters any of our Catholic Churches around the world this weekend will heard these words from the Prophet Isaiah

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;

Isaiah goes on to say:

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.

We don’t surrender our politics, our agendas, our experiences, or hopes for the future when we enter Church to worship God. These are essential dimensions of our lives that are to be conformed and shaped by the Word and Sacrament that we receive when we participate in “the sacred mysteries” which bring us together as “the people of God” whenever we gather in God’s name.

We are faced with many challenges today of major significance to put it mildly. In good conscience – a whole other conversation - we must not overlook the cautionary and prophetic advice of those who have not only experienced similar extraordinary times but who also persevered while remaining faithful to high moral standards.

Jesus calls his disciples “the salt of the earth”. All who heard Jesus say this understood how valuable salt was as a preservative, an antiseptic, a precious commodity to enhance the flavor of food, a “spice of life”. Salt was a medium of exchange from which the word “salary” is derived. If we are to be the “salt of the earth” as Jesus envisioned his disciples to be, we must bring to the current debates the Christian values we find in Sacred Scripture that sees us all as God’s children, and to do so not just with our words but with our actions as well by bringing light and zest to the world around us.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Image – You Are The Salt Of The Earth You Are The Light Of The World: www.cliipartkid.com