THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Tuesday of Tenth Week in Ordinary time, 2022

1Kgs17:7-16

Ps 4

Matt 5:13-16

Salt and Light

Dear friends in Christ, except in a situation of some illness, everyone adds salt to their meals. Salt is also used as a preservative. Light is very important as well, only a well-trained person, particularly the blind, can navigate through the darkness without any form of light. Salt and light are therefore very useful and important to most people, but both in the right proportion. Too much of any brings negative results.

In the gospel passage of today (Matthew 5:13-16) Jesus in very few lines calls us to what we must be. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt had lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?” The quantity of salt that is added to a meal, can change everything, it can make or mar the meal. But imagine that you pour salt into your meal and it does not change the taste, that the salt has lost its saltiness, what else can it be used for? It’s thrown away and trampled. Here is a warning from the Lord, that his followers must be ready to lay down good examples for others to emulate. The Christian must add taste and value to the lives of those around her/him. In the same vein, the Lord said,  “You are the light of the world, a city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden.” Light makes us see reality clearly and gives a sense of security, just the way darkness begets fear and uncertainty. We light up our homes, environments, and cities in order not to give room to those who hide under the cover of darkness to do evil. A Christian is called upon to light up his world and give no room for evil or expose evil by not harboring it.

Our first reading (1Kings 17:7-16) continues the story of the prophet Elijah who in the name of God confronted Ahab and Jezebel, at the expense of his own life. After he ran away to the cave by the brook, the lack of rain meant that the brook began to dry up and the prophet had to make his way to Zarephath where he met a widow, who was gathering sticks by the gate of the town. The prophet engaged the woman by asking for water and then asked for a morsel of bread. At this request, the woman told him, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a pitcher…” Elijah assured her of God’s providence, “The jar of meal shall not be spent and the pitcher of oil shall not fail, until the day the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” The woman believed the prophet and the prophecy were fulfilled. The widow’s faith yielded results. All through the period of farming, she had enough to live on. The same applies to those who put their trust in God. It is in giving that we receive. We have a beautiful song with the lyrics, “God loves a cheerful giver, give all you've got. He loves to hear you laughing when you're in an awkward spot. When the odds add up against you, it's time to stop and sing, praise God, to praise him is a joyous thing.”

Let us pray: Lord, help us to light up the world by our good deeds, to add taste to the earth by following your example, and to give without stint just as you gave your life for our sake. Amen.

+Remain blessed