Homily, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Isaiah 58:7-10; 1Corinthians 2:1-5, Matthew 5:13-16

Last Sunday, we heard Jesus teach the Beatitudes, declaring whom God has blessed. Uniting that passage with today’s gospel, adds another dimension to what we are called to do. We are to enlighten others with the lessons of the Beatitudes like a light that illuminates and reveals, and like salt that flavors and makes things taste better.

You are the salt of the earth, Jesus said. During the time of Jesus, salt was as good as gold. Roman soldiers were paid in salt. In Latin, salt is called sal, from which we derive the word salary, drawing from this ancient Roman form of payment for services rendered. The soldiers did not complain when they were paid in this way. Salt was unbelievably valuable as a seasoning and spice, as medicine and as a preservative. It was used in temple worship and in sacrifice to God. Like salt, disciples preserve and purify, drawing out the savor of God’s love in the world. 

Salt is useful and good not primarily on its own, but on or with other things. So, part of our calling in this world is not just to be on our own, but to bring a kind of flavor enhancement and even preservation to the world and the culture around us. True saltiness has a prophetic aspect, which we see in today’s reading from Isaiah. “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”. These are vivid examples of a true life of witness, injecting the strong flavor of truth into the world. The world needs this flavor, just as the world needs its true light. 

However, the temptation toward an “invisible” Christianity is always present. This has often been an issue for us, Catholics. We want to blend in, to act as though we’re not different from anybody else. 

• How often have we casually tossed aside some Catholic discipline the moment we realize someone else might notice? 

• How often have feared to share our Catholic beliefs and defend our faith?

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer would tell us bluntly, “To flee into invisibility is to deny the call. Any community of Jesus which wants to be invisible is no longer a community that follows him.”

You are the light of the world. Without light, we cannot see the dangers that are lurking all around us, and we become easy prey. Light is a beacon, a guide, and a protector. Jesus came to be light for those who live in darkness. Jesus desires that we live in his light and reflect it in our dealings with others. Each member of the Body of Christ offers their personal gifts and “seasons” the Gospel message in their own way. 

The analogy of salt and light implies that our role in the world should not the kind of ‘finger-pointing’, which is a real temptation for many Christians. Think about it! If you put too much salt on something, you neither enhance it nor preserve it; you can end up destroying it. The light of the sun is good, but that goodness can harm us if we’re not prepared for it. Christ’s saltiness and our own is a reminder that God’s plan of salvation is not one of coercion, but of love: what Jesus seeks is not the imposition of a new law, but the retrieval of the best versions of ourselves, which finds meaning and flavor only in him. Jesus came not to destroy the Old Law, but to fulfill it.

Disciples are meant to change the world. A story is told of a young Boy Scout who was on maneuvers with his fellow Scouts. They were being trained in first aid methods and how to come to the help of those in need. This Scout’s job was to lie on the ground with a red bandage on him and wait for his fellow Scouts to come and administer first aid. He waited, and waited, and nobody showed up. When the other troop members did finally come, they found a note that said” I have bled to death and gone home.” 

Moral of the story: How are we coming to the aid of others?

As I announced last weekend, this is our BAA in- pew weekend. I now invite Chris, our BAA lead, to share his witness.