Word to the Wise
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - Tuesday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Cor 1:18-22 and Matt 5:13-16,984]"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]
JUNE 13 ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA ofm, priest and doctor of the church
The Sermon on the Mount is a catechism of Jesus' teachings. Although it begins with the Beatitudes, those wonderful proclamations are followed by three chapters of challenging behavioral and attitudinal demands. When Jesus challenges us to be "salt of the earth" and "light of the world," he is speaking to the whole person, and, indeed, whole communities. The American bishops entitled a pastoral letter on the role of the parish in Catholic life: COMMUNITIES OF SALT AND LIGHT.
"Salt of the earth" and "light to the world" are terms that speak to character and integrity. They speak to a consistency in a person or community that reflects goodness and holiness inside and out and reliable Christian witness. It is not a matter of a "holier than thou" or prudish observance, but a kind of integration of the gospel in one's life that becomes a matter of "being." Such people and communities are not just liturgical/devotional witnesses but also they reach out to help those in need. In other words, they "put skin on" the Sermon on the Mount. Over the next few days, the Sermon on the Mount will call us to examine our individual and collective consciences to see how well we are responding to the call to discipleship. How good are we at being "salt of the earth" and "light to world?" It might be helpful to read the whole sermon in advance - Matt. 5-7. AMEN