The light of the world

This week’s gospel passage is one of the most hopeful. It’s an eminently important passage because in it Jesus reminds us of the crucial role that we have as His disciples. In comparing us, Jesus chooses to compare us to “the salt of the earth”. This metaphor is surely a complement (i.e. salt gives more flavour), but it is more than this. It outlines the necessity of our presence in the world. The earth needs us Christians as much as it needs salt. Indeed, our vocations may be different, but they are all needed for the sustenance of the earth and for the good of other human beings. Why is this exactly?

In our different missions, we all have something in common: namely, the call to give honour to the Father and to witness Him. We’re all called to express the Father’s love and light, and this is because, in doing so, we become “signs” – signs that point to God. In doing so, we help other persons build a better relationship with God. This is what Jesus did in His ministry. All throughout, his actions were signs – pathways that led others to the Father. Thus, in light of all this, it is good to remember that salt is something to be used, not to keep for oneself – Pope Francis writes how – “both salt and light are for others, not for oneself: salt does not give flavour to itself; light does not illuminate itself”. The questions is, how can we be a salt in today’s world?

With the rise of secularism, it might appear difficult – almost impossible – for us to be a “salt” to the earth. It often seems that the world doesn’t need us, and that other people are ‘fine’ not caring about God. Indeed, in a sense we might feel like the young Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is commonly known as the “weeping prophet”, mostly because he is seen complaining on numerous occasions. He had tried speaking the words that God ordained him to speak, but, to him, it felt as though no one was listening. His message was not a popular message. Thus, time and again, Jeremiah felt that the whole world was against him. At one point he even says, “I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name”. 

Before we judge Jeremiah, perhaps it would be good to be aware that some of us have done the same thing too when things seemed difficult. When trials and tribulations come on every side, it seems that we’d want to say, “God, why me?”. We may feel like giving up because our task feels over-bearing.  

But if whenever we turn to others we feel ignored, then the task should be to turn to God who never ignores us! We cannot get our energy and inspiration from the world – we can only receive it from the eternal spring of love that never tires and has no end. God will never put more on us than we can bear. Yes, it may feel that we are all alone sometimes. It may feel that no one is listening. But there is one that always hears our cries; there is someone that always knows our hurts and pains. No matter what you are going through, God will always see you through. He promised us that He will stick closer than a brother. He promised that He will never leave nor forsake us – that He will be there until the end of the age. 

The saints too had moments of desolation and darkness – but they managed to persevere because they were open to God’s help and grace. Here I am reminded of St Augustine; he had several moments of difficulty and failures. Amid all these moments, he’d often pray. The following is a prayer he wrote that may help us in our times of need:

O God, from whom to be turned is to fall, 

to whom to be turned is to rise,

and with whom to stand is to abide forever;

grant us in all our duties your help,

in all our perplexities your guidance,

in all our dangers your protection,

and in all our sorrows your peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

– St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, Soliloquies, 1,1.2-4