“You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world.” (Mt. 5: 13,14).
In the Gospel of Matthew, these words from Jesus immediately follow His discourse on the Beatitudes. There Jesus tells His listeners that those who are poor in spirit, peacemakers, meek, sorrowful and so on, are blessed, close to God we might say.
Taken together, Jesus’ words give a comprehensive summary of what our lives should look like, to ourselves and to others, if we are truly living as His disciples. More than simply an exhortation, they clarify for us not only our place in God’s plan, but how God wishes us to use our freedom so as to make this world the place that God created it to be.
We live in a society that emphasizes the individual. That is mixed with a culture that seeks to lift up and encourage the feeling of self-esteem. To a certain point that is, of course, a good thing. But that psychological climate of good feelings and ever-present affirmation can distort us spiritually.
I think, for example, of how many times I have heard motivational speakers addressing young people. The speakers often tell their young listeners that they are the future, they are our hope. But frequently those words come across only as a compliment or a superficial encouragement. Rarely is it expanded to include an explicit call to responsibility and sacrificial love.
When Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we need to hear and receive those words in the fullness of His message. Not only is He is telling us about the dignity that God has placed within us, He is also pointing out the task that He has given to each of us and, more widely, to His Church.
To be the salt of the earth means that we are intended to be a defense against corruption, as salt is a preservative. We also are to go to every corner of life, family and the world to make a good effect, just as salt changes the taste of all to which it is added.
As light of the world, we provide that warmth and comfort for the weary, like a traveler returning home late in the night and finding the back light still on for him or her. Even more, our light shines on the path so that everyone can find the right way and not be tripped up by obstacles, especially in our moral lives.
For us as Catholics, the full understanding of being salt and light is intimately linked to our faith. That is why we are called to responsibility and sacrificial love by those words.
Entrusted to each of us is the knowledge of the existence of God and the truth of His love. He is present to us and to the world in every circumstance, good or bad. Our faith reminds every moment. We must treat the world and creation accordingly. How different and respectful human interactions would be if they were based in that consciousness of God’s presence.
Because we have been entrusted with the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we witness to God’s presence to the world and to each individual.
So too, with the sacrament of confession and the knowledge of God’s forgiveness and our own need to forgive, we must witness to the world. Our world is filled with horrible and death-dealing wars and terrorism, almost daily shootings and family breakups that leave our children to suffer the most. That makes it important for us to speak of and live out the need to ask for and to give forgiveness as a means of healing and to build the foundations for peace. And that begins with asking God to forgive our sins.
We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. And the truth and love entrusted to us in our Catholic faith gives us a special role in living out those words of Jesus.
