“You (point) 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 (point) are the light of the world, but if you put that light under a bushel basket it doesn’t help anyone.
Instead, let your light shine – let your light shine, meaning glorify your Father in Heaven by your deeds. With the gifts He has given you.
When archaeologists explored the Holy Land, digging up ancient civilizations, the archaeologists know, in part, where the entrances to homes are, because there are remnants of salt deposits just outside the front doors of those homes. Because, when the salt was not good for anything, it was literally thrown out. Right outside the front door of the home.
So, this was a very real example/metaphor Jesus used in talking to his disciples. And, this message is a common theme throughout scripture: that of doing good work using the gifts God has given each of us individually.
Do we use our gifts to bring the flavor, the gifts God has given us…to the world? Or are we going to let those gifts – those opportunities – slip by, lose our flavor, and be thrown out?
Scripture tells us we are all given different gifts. Some are given wisdom, some faith, some healing, some teaching. And they all come from the same Spirit of God.
But it’s up to us to make the definitive decision to use those gifts we are given!
Who needs the salt that you bring? Who needs the light that you bring?
Share your bread with the hungry we heard in the first reading.
Who do you know that needs hope? Who do you know that needs a kind word. Who do you know that needs healing?
Jesus didn’t say your thoughts are the salt of the earth. He didn’t say your good intensions are the light of the world. He said you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
“Glorify your Heavenly Father with your deeds” is what He said.
8th graders, you all were just Confirmed last weekend. This sacrament – if you allow it – changes your life. You are now called to be the salt of the earth, and to let your light shine to glorify your Heavenly Father. And each of you have your own individual gifts, different gifts even from those of your best friend.
Each of us is called to bring our light to the world, to glorify our Heavenly Father by using the gifts he gives each of us. Not to put that light under a bushel basket of fear and trepidation, but to put it out there.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus also says “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”.
At Pentecost Jesus transferred that light to each of us. We are now the mystical body of Christ on earth. We are now called to bring that light of Christ to the world.
Now, bringing your gifts to the world is not always comfortable or convenient. The world, and our own false self will surely try to make us believe we have nothing to give that we do not have any special gifts, or that we do not have the courage to use those gifts. It will do everything it can to cause us to forget that…we are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world.
In the second reading Paul tells us I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling. But base your faith – base your actions – on the power and the call of God to do His will.
Our world today needs so much healing…so much salt and light. All over the world: in our streets, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our relationships, and even in our churches.
Perhaps we can all: you, me, all of us; use this opportunity, hearing this reading today, to start to do these things?
The world will encourage us to forget about his command of Jesus’. The world will reward us for not doing these things, but for doing just the opposite.
I pray that, as we leave here today, we will remember Jesus’ call for each of us to use our gifts to be the flavor of salt that we bring, and the ray of light with which God has gifted us: the light of Christ to the world.