Shake Up Your World: Matthew 5: 13-16

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 08:33:31 -0400

“. . . ye are the salt of the earth. . .”

Chances are, when you sit down at the breakfast table this morning, there will be a saltshaker on the table. It is so ever-present that we might take this remarkable mineral for granted.

Salt is not simply a seasoning - - it is an essential nutrient. Every living animal, including humankind, needs salt to survive. In your lifetime, you will consume 16 tons of salt.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus likens us to the salt of the earth.

Salt adds flavor to whatever it seasons by making our taste buds more receptive to other ingredients. If we live our lives according to the teachings of Christ, we will make others more receptive to His message. Just as salt brings out the best in other foods, we can bring out the best in others by following the example of Christ.

Salt is a binding agent used in the blending of the dyes that make our garments more colorful. We, too, can make the world a more beautiful place with a friendly smile, a positive outlook and an encouraging word for all we meet.

Salt is used in canning and to preserve meat. Without “the salt of the earth,” society itself cannot be preserved. The signs of decay are all too apparent in the newspaper headlines, television newscasts, movies and music. It’s up to us to spread the Good News.

Used with vinegar and flour, salt makes brass and copper sparkle; used with lemon juice, it removes mildew. Just as salt removes dirt and grime, we too must rid our society of anything that sullies the spirit.

Salt creates thirst. If we fulfill our mission as Christians, we will create in others a thirst for the living waters of Baptism.

Salt is an amazing element. But nothing happens until the saltshaker is shaken. Today’s Gospel message calls us to go out into the workplace and marketplace and shake up our world.

The Test of Faith: Matthew 8: 5-13

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:03:03 -0400

“Lord I am not worthy. . .only speak but the word and my soul will be healed.”

We say those very words every time we approach the altar to receive Holy Communion. It must be one of the most often-stated expressions of our faith. Yet that prayer wasn’t inspired by a prophet, a Father of the Church or a saint. It was first voiced by a Roman centurion. He may have been a gentile, but his unquestioning belief in the authority of Jesus has come to be an exemplar of what our Christian faith should be.

What the centurion said that day would have been soon forgotten were it not for what he did. In putting his faith into action, he set an example for all of us to follow.

Picture the scene that day as the centurion approaches Jesus. The crowd draws back in hushed silence and Jesus turns to see the powerful Roman soldier. The two men could not have been more different:

The centurion was a man of war. Jesus was the Prince of Peace.

The centurion was a ranking officer in the occupation forces, a man with servants and slaves. Jesus was a humble carpenter and itinerant preacher.

They were separated by status, customs, religion and language. The one thing they shared in common was a bloody history.

So the centurion took a risk by approaching Jesus in public. He might have been rebuffed. Yet, this powerful Roman commander went out of his way to humble himself before the Lord. As a man of authority, he knew Jesus’ word was law. All it would take to heal his servant was one word from Jesus.

“Speak but the word, Lord,” he said, “and my servant will be healed.”

Jesus was stunned because He had never witnessed such faith among the Jews. That very hour the centurion’s servant was healed.

But the story could have had a different ending. For all the centurion knew, Jesus might have refused to perform a miracle. The centurion stepped out in faith and took a risk. He could never have imagined that his example of faith would be memorialized in every Mass. But such is the power of a good example.

Likewise, none of us can know how our example of faith might affect the lives of others. All we know for sure is that every act of faith involves some risk.

When we step out in faith, we are like the famous European tightrope walker who amazed crowds throughout France. Performing without a safety net, he would cross great heights wearing a blindfold and pushing a wheelbarrow. When an American newspaper heard of his feats, they offered him a large sum of money to cross Niagara Falls. The tightrope walker accepted the challenge and came to New York where he was greeted by a skeptical reporter for the newspaper. On the appointed day, the reporter watched in amazement as the blindfolded frenchman pushed his wheelbarrow across a tightrope strung above the raging waters.

“Now do you believe?” the frenchman asked.

“Yes,” the reporter replied. “I’ve seen you do it with my own eyes.”

“Do you really believe?” the frenchman insisted.

“Yes, I believe,” the reporter said.

“You have no doubts?” the frenchman asked again.

“None whatsoever,” the reporter insisted.

“Good,” the frenchman said. “Then get into the wheelbarrow.”

Until we are willing to step out and take a risk, our expressions of faith are meaningless.

Saint Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel always; if necessary use words.”

Other people may not always observe what we say but they always observe what we do.

Is there someone watching you? Tuned in to you? Someone waiting to see what kind of example you’ll set?

Christian Faith

Shake Up Your World: Matthew 5: 13-16

The Test of Faith: Matthew 8: 5-13