Matthew 5:13-16

Isaiah 58:7-10

Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You 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 are the light of the world.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;

it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, bless me and keep me today. May your face shine upon me and be gracious toward me. Turn your face toward me and grant me your peace.

Encountering the Word of God

1. May They See Your Good Deeds: After proclaiming the Beatitudes and the path to happiness in this life and the next, Jesus focuses on our mission in the world. Jesus prays that people may see our good deeds and, on account of them, give glory to God the Father. On the one hand, we are called to be the salt of the earth. Salt, in the ancient world, was used for three things. It was used to preserve food. For example, we know that the fish caught in the Sea of Galilee were salted with salt from the Dead Sea and transported to places like Rome. Salt was also used to flavor food. And, thirdly, it accompanied the sacrifices offered to the Lord God in the Temple in Jerusalem. Salt only “loses its taste” when it is mixed with other impurities. And so, Jesus warns his disciples that they are to be on guard against contamination from the world. They are to flavor and season the world with their sanctity and charity, and the world is not to be a cause of corruption. On the other hand, we are called to be the light of the world. The temptation here is to hide the light of Christ that we bear within us. If we are truly followers of Jesus and allow his grace to work within us, we will bring light to the darkness of the world. How often are we silent when we need to speak? How often are we tempted to hide our light?

2. Righteous Deeds in Isaiah: The First Reading, from Isaiah, contains examples of the good deeds we, as Christians, are called to do. Feed the hungry. Shelter the oppressed and homeless. Clothe the naked. Welcome, rather than turn our back to our brothers and sisters. Jesus will take up all of these admonitions and say that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, clothe the naked, and serve the poor, we are doing these good deeds to him. Isaiah also mentions our light: “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” The fundamental message of Jesus about charity toward the oppressed and poor echoes that of Isaiah. The difference is that we have the grace of Christ that empowers us to do good, righteous, and meritorious deeds! Which of the seven corporal works of mercy do I need to work on?

3. Human Wisdom vs. The Power of God: In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul is contrasting worldly wisdom with divine wisdom and power. The Corinthians were tempted to promote themselves according to worldly values and expectations. They wanted to be associated with the best or greatest teacher, and this was causing division in the community. Some valued that they were baptized by or followed the eloquent Apollos, others allied themselves with Peter, and still others with Paul. On the one hand, the social logic of God’s kingdom operates in a worldly thinking and values. This is seen especially in the crucifixion of Jesus, who saved us and gave us life by dying for us on the cross. On the other hand, Paul urges the Corinthians that they need to “let their minds be laid low and transformed by the unexpected and scandalous salvation into which they have been baptized. Then they will recognize their unity with one another and see their ministers as instruments of God rather than personalities over whom to divide (1 Corinthians 3:5-11)” (Prothro, The Apostle Paul and His Letters, 108). Paul recognizes his own human limitations, but hopes that, in his weakness and humility, he has demonstrated the power of God. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me a share in your divine wisdom and power. May I see all the things in this passing world in the light of eternity. May I be empowered by your grace to love God and my brothers and sisters in a supernatural way and so merit eternal life.

Living the Word of God: As I hear the First Letter to the Corinthians, do I see a similar temptation to division in the Church today? How can I work to conquer that temptation? How do I tend to foster division? How can I take Paul’s message to heart and be an agent of Christian unity?