Tuesday, June 07, 2016 10th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 1Kings 17:7-16 Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its strength, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
Salt gives taste to food. One of my favorite desserts at the Cebu Family Choice Restaurant in Cebu City is their fried banana served in thin slices. I discovered only recently that the secret of its unique taste is the addition of salt, not sugar to the fried banana. Salt mitigates the revolting taste of oil used in the frying. Like salt that gives taste to food, Jesus’ follower is called to make the lives of others palatable.
But what happens when salt itself loses taste? How can it be made salty again? “Put salt on it,” answered a friend in jest. But what’s the point in salting tasteless salt when you can just throw the tasteless salt away and use the fresh one? Today’s Gospel makes a similar suggestion and warns us in effect that we share the destiny of tasteless salt when we fail to make the lives of others palatable.
Salt can also keep fire alive. I found this out in early childhood when I saw Mama sprinkling salt on the dying embers of firewood at the hearth in our kitchen. I loved the little bursts of salt when sprinkled on fire and I would secretly put more into the embers to prolong my little entertainment. Like salt a disciple is supposed to keep the fire of love alive in his community. By being salt of the earth we also fulfill the challenge of Jesus that we become lights of the world. When we keep fire alive we also give light to the world.
Another characteristic of salt is that it cannot withhold its taste from water the moment it is thrown into it. Like salt, a true disciple cannot withhold its love when thrown into hot waters.
Today’s Gospel challenges us to be the salt of the earth. If we have to lose taste it should be because we have used ourselves up in making the lives of others palatable. We can be charred as we strive to keep the embers of love alive in our community. But the same fire will renew us so we could continue being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.– (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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