Salt and Light

Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5: 13-16) in which, Jesus tells his disciples they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Fr Paul says, these sayings about salt and light in the Gospel today appear in a number of places in the Gospels. They are there to challenge or encourage the disciples of Jesus.  These sayings come after the Sermon on the Mount and they are for all the followers of Jesus and not just for the disciples themselves.

We know that when food is cooked without salt it can be bland and tasteless, as we are told in the Gospel; and half-hearted proclaiming of the message of the Gospel, doesn’t win any converts.  If the message of the Gospel does not change the hearer then what is it worth.

Fr Paul says the image of the lamp we hear in the Gospel is gentler and more positive.  On a lamp stand the light can penetrate the whole room and it is the same with the message of the Gospel.

These two messages challenge the disciples and us to share the message of the Gospel to all who can hear it.