Salt And Light

Many times, our catechists would give an analogy of what the salt means.  When we do not put salt in our soup, it tastes very bland.  When salt is added, the salt dissolved in the soup and it gives flavor to the soup.  It makes the soup very tasty. The dissolving of salt is described as death.  From the death of sin comes out new life.  As our catechists often explained, the old man must die and a new creation is born.  So, do not despair brothers.  God is the master of history, and He allows things to happen for a good reason.  We cannot see the whole picture, but time will reveal it.  We know that from Christ's death came the redemption and salvation of mankind.  

Today, we now know that the death of Guam's seminary brought life to other dioceses.  We now know that the seminarians who were rejected have been and are being ordained into the priesthood.  In fact, four more RMS seminarians from RMS Guam will be ordained this May, 2019.  So, the death of Guam's seminary brought new life in other diocese of the universal Church. 

Salt is food that is spicy.  It is not dull and boring.  It has the power to make bland food tasty and to preserve food from spoiling.  Salt was so valuable in antiquity that it was also used to pay soldiers their wages.  In fact, the Latin term for salt is the origin of our English word "salary."  Hence the expression, "He is worth his salt."

We are the salt of the earth.  This reminds me of what was said of another group of Christians who were called lukewarm rather than hot or cold.  Those who were lukewarm were spit out of God's mouth (Revelations 3:15-16).  So, I guess it can be said that lukewarm Christians make God sick to His stomach that He had to spit them out of His mouth.  

Of course, I am not saying that to be the salt of the earth one must be an excellent entertainer, a brilliant lecturer or a successful Christian.  It was never about personality, but rather about the heart.  It is about approaching your Christian life with passion rather than with a yawn.  After all, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down with fire, and people did not mope around.  They moved quickly.   

We cannot be the light of the world unless we are on fire.  The Christian life is not lived on autopilot or under cruise control.  That kind of existence is not living, but surviving.  It will not attract anyone to Christ and His Church.  How then can one move from being a lukewarm Catholic to a salty, fiery Catholic?  The old man dies, and a new creation is seen.  One can see this new creation in the faces of Christians, which expresses pure joy and peace.  They manifest the light of Christ in their shining countenance, preaching words of fire.  They pursue a life of prayer, evangelization, and service to the poor. They become the hands and feet of Christ doing His work rather than human works.  Continue to walk. Continue to shine the light of Christ within you so that all those who see His light can praise God our Father (Matthew 5:13-16).