FIFTH SUNDAY OF YEAR "A"

FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Cycle “A”: Mt. 5, 13 – 16

“You are the salt of the earth;

Light of the world.”

 

Introduction: Jesus calls us to be salt of the earth and light of the world. Salt prevents decay and corruption; so the witness of Christians who live in the power of the Spirit protects the world and society from decay and corruption. Our witness should also add much-needed flavour to society. “Light of the world.”  Like our Master, Jesus, who is “The Light of the World”, we are to dispel the darkness of sin and corruption from the world, and illuminate people’s minds by showing them the truth. We are to be counter-cultural, signs of contradiction, heralds of the Gospel of life in a world that, in so many ways has lost its way.

The Homily: You want to hear about a little happening in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. One fine day Francis of Assisi invited a young monk to accompany him to the town for some preaching. They set out, wandering through the main city streets. Several people turned to them with a friendly word of greeting. Francis and monk returned the greeting with a nod, a smile, or words of cheer.  Every now and then they would stop to caress a child, to speak to someone, and end with hearty good wishes. After they had rambled quite a distance, the young monk grew anxious and asked St. Francis when and where they were going to begin their preaching. St. Francis reassured him, “We have been preaching from the moment we left the door of the monastery. Haven’t people been observing our joyfulness, or feeling encouraged by our greetings and smiles, and haven’t they noticed how pleasantly we behave towards each other along the way?    If these are not all little sermons what are they?

Did you hear about the little exchange between a certain disciple and his teacher? The disciple asked, “Tell me the difference between one who preaches and one who practises.” And the teacher answered, “The one who preaches holds the torch to show the way. The one who practices is the torch himself.”  Someone has said, “Some of the best preaching is done by holding the tongue.” Which is why I try keeping my Sunday sermon brief and to the point!  Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Not to hold the torch but to be the torch, not to preach a sermon but to be a living sermon, not to sprinkle salt on the earth but to be the salt of the earth. That’s what Jesus told us to be; that’s the way he wanted to find us when he comes around looking. In Jesus’ day salt was a valuable commodity. Inn order to preserve food from decay in the heat, salt was applied as a preservative. It also served to enhance the flavour of the food. The ancient custom of salting the sacrificial offerings denoted a purifying function (Ezek. 43, 24).

It was perhaps for this reason that newborn babies were rubbed with salt to denote purification of the addition to God’s people and as a reminder of the covenant. The sheer whiteness of salt suggests purity. The19th. Century American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorn wrote, “Salt is white and pure. There is something holy about salt.” Perhaps the author took his inspiration from the Romans. They thought that salt should be pure because it is given to us by that lovely combination of sea and sun. Salt not only gives bite and flavour to food, it also preserves food. Genuine Christians should also play the same role as salt in the society and culture about them. They give it a get up and go spirit. They make it easier for the rest of us to become attractive Christians. In the Christian life there is no salt substitute. Salt preserves food. Today’s moral decadence is due to certain factors like consumerism, cheap films and literature, and inconsiderateness for fellow humans. Material things become more important than persons.

 No doubt we need a more organised effort to stem the tide of inhuman behaviour. But every individual that makes up this organised endeavour must be really committed to this cause. You and I as individual persons are called to be the salt of the earth.

In a world worn down by worries, Christians should be serene. In a society badly in need of anti-depressant pills, we Christians should be full of joy.  In a world manipulated by the media we must maintain our freedom and balance. A small group of committed Christians can change the word. If you think one single creature cannot make a difference I invite you to climb into bed with one mosquito. As we go on to develop kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, others know they can trust us. When we deal with people honestly we send them a message that we care and that we deserve care in return. What we give to others comes back to us. And we will find that we are our own best friends because those same qualities help us to appreciate and love ourselves. So life becomes wholesome.

 

PRAYER: (after St. Columba [6th. century])

My dearest Lord,

be now a bright flame to enlighten me,

and a guiding star to lead me,

a smooth path beneath my feet

and a kindly shepherd along my way.

May the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you, your work and your worship in his name. May he give you light to guide you, courage to support you, and love to unite you, today and forever more.