In the Land of Flavor, Salt was king. He and his people reigned because he tasted good and made food taste good. He not only made food delectable for men and kings, he also preserved it. Remember, this was the time before refrigeration was invented, before preservatives existed. Salt was able to keep food from spoiling, so that men could enjoy their food longer. 

But soon, other flavors cropped up in the Land of Flavor. People discovered sugar and found it sweet and pleasant to the palate. Researchers also dubbed Salt as the silent killer so people tried to avoid it.

Salt tried to change its ways to become more sweet and less salty. Other flavors came, and soon, Salt had lost its popularity. He continued to tweak his flavor, becoming a little sweet here, a little umami there, a dash of bitterness here, and a little more sourness there. Before long, Salt had lost its unique taste and the Land of Flavor was ruled by Blandness. Salt was kicked out of the Land of Flavor, good for nothing. 

Rissa Singson Kawpeng (rissakawpeng@gmail.com)

reflect

“God made you different. Don’t ruin that trying to be like everyone else.” (Unknown)

Lord, make me Your salt of the earth and light of the world. Amen.

St. Maximus of Naples, deacon and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

The truths of the Gospel never lead to confusion or compromise. They are either yes or no. There is no exception to this rule. Humans tend to seek the easy way out of a difficult situation and compromise the truth. The true Christian disciple will never compromise; in fact, he or she will not accept compromise at all if it involves sin. It is only the truth that can set us free.

¹⁸ Brothers and sisters: As God is faithful, our word to you is not “yes” and “ no.”¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me, was not “yes” and “no,” but “yes” has been in him. ²⁰ For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory. ²¹ But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; ²² he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 119:129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135

R: Lord, let your face shine on me.

¹²⁹ Wonderful are your decrees; therefore I observe them. (R) ¹³⁰ The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple. (R) ¹³¹ I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands. (R) ¹³² Turn to me in pity as you turn to those who love your name. (R) ¹³³ Steady my footsteps according to your promise, and let no iniquity rule over me. (R) ¹³⁵ Let your countenance shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 5:13-16

God has a plan, and each of us has a task to accomplish. Let us discover God’s will for us and be obedient to it. Then let us become a light for the world and spice up its knowledge of God with our dose of salt.

Gospel Acclamation

Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

¹³ Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 KINGS 17 - 18 today.

Paul knows that receiving the grace and seal of the Holy Spirit is essential. He knows that without the Holy Spirit we will be powerless to live and proclaim the Gospel. He has personally experienced this in his own conversion with the revelation of the truth of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit. This revelation was so compelling to Paul that he immediately begins to proclaim the Gospel to those around him. Yes, he goes off and studies for a number of years under a teacher, but when he returns, it is with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the Gospel as evidenced by his success in evangelizing and the content of his many letters.

The Church today needs to rediscover the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who will convict us of the truth of the Gospel, remove the doubts that often linger when we rely only on our own understanding. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us with His gifts so we can combat the temptations of sin and the world in proclaiming the Gospel to the nations. It is the Holy Spirit who draws us more deeply each day into the experience and knowledge of the transforming power of the love of God.

The biggest question we all need to answer is: “Am I ready to surrender to the Holy Spirit like Paul did?” Faith is not about being hesitant and uncertain in our beliefs and practices; it is believing and acting on them at every possible opportunity. 

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

reflection questions

Do you tend to be half-hearted in your commitment to living and proclaiming the Gospel? Are you ready to change and ensure that you are fully committed to the Gospel?

Holy Spirit, I need Your help and inspiration to be a better disciple of Jesus. Help me to become utterly convinced of the truth of the Gospel and to be fully committed to living it in its entirety. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________