YOU ARE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot".
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven".
(MATTHEW 5:13-16)
As followers of Christ, we have been called to be an influence to all the people in this world. Jesus began teaching this concept early in his ministry when he told his disciples that he would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Once when Jesus was giving a sermon on the mountain, he used the illustrations of salt and light. Both salt and light have properties which affect things around them. Salt is used to enhance flavor and as a preservative. To 'be salt' means to deliberately seek to influence people by showing them the unconditional love of Christ through good deeds. Light is a symbol used to mean awareness, knowledge and understanding. To 'be light' means to be a witness to others concerning the truth of God's Word, especially about who Christ is and how he died and rose again for our salvation.
If the salt loses its saltiness then it is of no use and it has to be thrown out. Like tasteless salt, if we Catholics lack our genuine commitment to discipleship, then we become ineffective.
For the lamp to fulfill its purpose of giving light, it needs to be visible. So covering the light would be absurd, since it would work against the purpose of the lamp. Likewise, to be effective Christians, we have to live in a manner which allows others to see that we are Christians, to see how a life in alignment with Jesus’ teachings is lived.
In the same way that a town set on a hill is clearly seen and lamp gives light to the whole house, we are to be the light from God to those who are living in the darkness.
As Catholics, our job is not only to maintain personal holiness, but also to touch the lives of everyone around us. It is our duty, as Catholics, to be in touch with other people and share the word of God especially with the ones who do not encounter Christ in their lives. It may be our most effective place to witness Christ.
Jesus said our light is not necessarily in the witness of our words, but in the witness of our deeds - our 'good works'. "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father who is in heaven" (Ephesians 5:7-14).
By the end of his earthly ministry, Christ had made it clear that the gospel was to have an universal application. He commanded his followers to go and teach all nations, to baptize them and teach them everything he had taught (Matthew 28:18-20). This has properly been taken as a mandate for all Catholics to spread the gospel of Christ to everyone. This includes both concepts of salt and light. We are to do as much good in the name of Christ Jesus as we can and we are to share the light of the gospel with as many as we can.
Christ offers eternal life as an incomparable gift. Sharing the good news of that gift with others is one of the greatest joys of the Christian life.