Salt and Light

Father Ed Witt, SJ
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 2, 2023

On one occasion, outside the temple which was all lit up with torches, Jesus declared “I am the light of the world.” Today, Jesus tells us that you, you and I, are the light of the world. As Israel was a light to the nations, we the church are a light to the world. We draw our light from the baptismal, paschal candles.

At baptism, we pray this prayer for parents and godparents: “Parents and godparents, this light is to be entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly so that your children, enlightened by Christ, may walk always as children of the light.”

Candles are very important at baptism, on the feast of the presentation which we celebrate on February 2, and of course, at the Easter Vigil. The paschal candle symbolizes Christ, and he is the source of our light for our tiny little candles which can dispel the darkness of the world.

We are light and salt when we put God’s word into action. Isaiah tells us what to do – feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, cloth the naked, comfort the afflicted. And we, Catholics and Christians, have added others to this list which we call the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. To be light and salt. That is what we do. That is who we are.

A second way to be light and salt is to live the beatitudes. It’s no coincidence that this Gospel passage we just heard follows upon the beatitudes as part of the Sermon on the Mount. They show what God looks like in the world and we have to be a sign of God’s presence.

To refresh your memory from last week, the beatitudes – being poor in spirit. Mourning. We mourn for this mother in Memphis who lost your son so brutally. Mercy. In Memphis, we saw a lack of mercy when Tyre was beaten to death. To be clean of heart. To be a peacemaker. This is what makes God visible in the world. That is our task if we are to be light and salt.

We are not to hide these good works or to take credit for them, but they make God visible to the world. Paul reminds us in the second reading, it is his power that enables us. So, the glory belongs to God. We praise him and our actions show glory to God that we might make him known in the world.