Isaiah 58:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16
The readings say that the Beatitudes must not only be lived, but observed in order to be lived. The Gospel reminds us that it is essential for the Christian disciple to be observed and listened to. Christianity is not a private religion. I am not a Christian just for myself. Christianity is a vision to change the world, and there is no doubt that, to a large extent, it has done so, does so, and will continue to do so. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks in terms of justice and compassionate care for the weak, the needy and the vulnerable, for it is through them that the very goodness of God is revealed and the light of the disciple will shine like the dawn. Alleviating the suffering of the oppressed and caring for the needs of others are activities that produce light. By avoiding malice and bullying, by comforting the afflicted we enable others to see and experience the light of the Lord. Furthermore, the prophet gives concrete
examples of how we must allow God’s light to shine through us: “Share your bread with the hungry, protect the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked and care for your own. Then light will arise for you in the darkness, and the darkness will become for you like noonday” (58:7, 10).
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 112), reminds us: “The righteous is a light in the darkness for the righteous”. The verses explain that he is “light” because he uses mercy, piety and justice in dealing with other people.
St Paul, in the second reading, teaches us that when we begin to do good to others, even if it costs us suffering and death, we will demonstrate the Spirit and power of God, and become the salt of the earth and the light of the world
In today’s Gospel, which immediately follows the one on the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two simple metaphors, salt and light, to outline the role of Christians in this world. The Christian’s task is to be the salt of society, to preserve, to reconcile, to flavour, to give meaning where there is no meaning and to give hope where there is no hope. Every Christian needs to reflect the light received from Christ and radiate it in the form of love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness and humility in service.

The salt of the earth
In the ancient world, salt was highly valued. The Greeks called salt divine, and the Romans said: ‘There is nothing more useful than sunshine and salt’. The English word ‘salary’ literally means ‘salty money’.
Even in Jesus’ time, salt was prized for its purity because it was white and came from the purest of all things, the sun and the sea; because it was the most primitive of all offerings to the gods and even Jewish sacrifices were offered with salt; and, finally, because oaths were ratified with salt.
As the ‘salt of the earth’, the Christian must be an example of purity in speech, conduct and thought. God calls his children, and thus the Church, to preserve modesty (1 Tim 2:9), morality (Eph 5:3-12), honesty and integrity (Jn 8:44-47).
Salt was also the most common preservative in the ancient world, when there were no refrigerators and freezers. It was used to prevent rotting of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. As the salt of the earth, the Christian must exert a certain antiseptic influence, that is, safeguarding and preserving life and society, defeating corruption and
promoting acts of goodness. Christians must be a preserving influence to retard moral and spiritual deterioration in the world. “As the salt of the earth, you are called to guard the Faith you have received and to pass it on intact to others. Your generation is challenged in a special way to guard the deposit of the Faith” (Pope St John Paul II).

The light of the world
Jesus said of himself: ‘I am the light of the world’. We are then also called to be and do what Jesus did for the world. The message of the gospel must shine through our words and actions. Some people will not like that light, preferring darkness, and may try to extinguish it. But this is what Jesus deals with when he speaks of persecution because of the gospel in the last Beatitude.
Jesus uses two other images to emphasise the essential visibility of the Christian: that of a city built on top of a hill that there is no way to hide, and of a lamp placed under a bushel and not on a candelabra. What sense does it make to light a lamp and then cover it? What is the point of being baptised, joining the Christian community and then becoming completely invisible to others, especially non-Christians? For example, how many of my neighbours know that I am a believing and practising Christian? How many of my work colleagues know this? How many of my friends? Citizens of the kingdom must simply be “luminaries” who reflect the One True Light, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun (2 Cor 4:6).
For good workers…
– Each one of us is called to be light and salt in our daily lives, persevering in the task of regenerating human reality in the spirit of the Gospel and in the perspective of God’s kingdom. May Mary Most Holy, the first disciple of Jesus and model for believers, always help us to allow ourselves to be purified and enlightened by the Lord, to become in our turn “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Pope Francis).
– Taste and see – There is a psalm, Psalm 34, which invites us to “taste and see” how good the Lord is. It almost seems that Jesus wants to comment on it with the metaphor of salt and light: the salt is to be tasted, the light to be seen. By allowing reality to be tasted, by showing it in its beauty, the world will recognise who God is.
– The certainty of being “light and salt” – “Lord, my friend has returned from the battlefield. I ask permission to fetch him.” “Permission not granted,” replied the officer: “I do not want him to risk his life for a man who is probably already dead”. The soldier went out anyway and returned an hour later mortally wounded, carrying his friend’s corpse. The officer was beside himself with rage. “I told you he was dead. Now I have lost you both. Tell me, was it worth the risk to bring back a corpse?” The dying soldier replied, “Oh yes, sir. When I reached him, he was still alive and said: “Jack, I was sure you would come.” (Anthony de Mello)
P JOBY KAVUNGAL RCJ

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version