Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, we celebrate the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. We continue our journey with Jesus through the Gospel of Mathew. On the first Sunday, we met Jesus as he was being baptized, identified and affirmed as the beloved son of God and empowered with the Holy Spirit. On the second Sunday, we heard John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus being the one God sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit. On the third Sunday, we met Jesus leaving Nazareth, taking up residence in Capernaum to begin his ministry and beginning to call his disciples… Simon, Andrew, James and John followed him. On the fourth Sunday, we listened to and reflected on the most important, the central and the core of his message, the Beatitudes. (Mathew 5:1-12)

After giving us the essence of the teaching of Jesus, Mathew gives us the great command of Jesus to all is followers: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?” “You are the light of the world…your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Mathew 5:13-16) Each of us must become the salt and the light - witnesses to God’s Light, Truth, Life, Peace and Steadfast Love.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?” (Mathew 5:13) Salt is a flavoring, cleansing, purifying, healing, preserving, and stabilizing agent. And that is what disciples of Jesus are called to be in the world! Take a few moments and reflect on being the salt of the earth – the flavoring, cleansing, purifying, healing, preserving, and stabilizing agents in the world. What does this mean for you at home, in your work place, in the supermarket and other places where you find yourself?  And what would a Christian be in the world without these qualities of Christian living?

A certain church had the names of ten families scheduled to receive food baskets on the eve of Thanksgiving Day. A local merchant donated hams, and groceries were purchased from the local food bank. As the boxes were being packed in the fellowship hall, these families were getting excited over the food they were taking home. It would be the best meal many had enjoyed in months. As they were picking up their boxes, another family arrived - Father, mother and three children piled out of an old pickup truck and came inside the hall. This was a new family, not on our list. They had just heard there was food being distributed by a church.

To read more of this Sunday’s reflections, please click the link below.