Word to the Wise
Sunday, February 6, 2011 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Isaiah 58:7-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and Matthew 5:13-16]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......[Isaiah]<br /> You are the salt of the earth........You are the light of the world. [Matthew]
Some years ago, the American bishops published a document entitled, "Communities of Salt and Light..." In this document they hoped to present an outline of what a truly Christian Catholic parish should be. They took their inspiration from Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, which form the gospel scripture for this Sunday. The images of salt and light are very rich because both salt and light are necessary for life! However, we usually take them for granted unless they are missing or present in too great an amount. Their greatest effectiveness comes when they do what they are intended to do without attracting a lot of attention!
When the image is applied to Christian life, we may recall our use of the expression: "He/she is 'salt of the earth.'" We usually mean that this person is someone who can be relied on to show interior faith and integrity as well as dedicated service. They do what they do because they are people of faith and not because they need to be noticed or praised. They show a practical Christian wisdom. They have a deep Christian "character." They are the "backbone of the community!" In short, we can "count on them." The real challenge comes when we look in the mirror. Do we see a person like that?
The human body requires a certain amount of salt to function properly. Human eyesight requires a certain amount of light to function properly. Salt, in Jesus time, was pounded into animal dung, a source of fuel for cooking fires and light, in order to make that fuel burn more efficiently. Jesus points out that salt has to retain its flavor and the light must not be concealed under a bushel basket. The baptismal commitment that begins our life of salt and light demands effort to keep its effectiveness! The sacramental life of the Church is one source of encouragement for this salt and light, but active sensitivity to the needs of our neighbors and community are also necessary, as Isaiah and Jesus (especially in the Sermon on the Mount) teach us.
Today I begin a parish mission at La Purisima Catholic Parish in Orange City, CA, in which I will be challenging the parishioners to "reclaim" their baptismal commitment and to become "salt and light" in their parish community as well as in whatever they do outside that community. But I must be the "first audience" of all that I preach. So I will be challenging myself (as I challenge the Beloved Congregation today) to renew the baptismal commitment so that a brief glance at God's mirror will be a moment of gratitude. AMEN
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