In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus uses the imagery of salt and light. We know that salt is good for enhancing and preserving foods. We also know that if salt loses the very essence of what makes it salt, it is tasteless/worthless. We are called to be salt. This means that we must preserve the Word of God and the teachings of the Church. In doing so, we bring these teachings and tenets of the faith to those we encounter. This is the work of evangelization ~ enhancing. If we lose the “essence” of what makes us who we are, then the mission becomes jeopardized.
Jesus was warning His disciples to hold onto the qualities that made them His followers. What does it mean for us to be a follower of Jesus? At its very core, we need to embody the Gospel; knowing Christ is the essence of the Christian way of life. Jesus preserves and enhances our lives, let us preserve and enhance that relationship through the Eucharist, Confession, Adoration, and prayer. When we do so, then we are that light that shines in the darkness. The response to the Psalm today calls that very fact to mind: “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.” Be that for one another.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne