On this fifth Sunday in ordinary time the liturgy gives us a wonderful Christian tutelage of our mission on charitable act and humane gestures to our neighbour, bearing in mind that “we are salt of the earth” and “light of the world”. Today may be a good day to reflect on the responsibility we have to perform in the Church and in our world. Jesus is using the uniqueness of salt and light in human history and everyday activities of life to instruct his followers (Christians) of their roles and importance in the continuous work of salvation. Metaphorically, salt signifies durability, fidelity, usefulness, purification and value. On the other hand, light signifies to guide, watchful, goodness and to lead. At the time of Jesus, the Romans had a Latin expression “Nihil utilius est sole et sale” which means “Nothing is more useful than sun and salt”. This indicates that the importance of salt and light can never be over-emphasized till date. Dear friends in Christ, the first reading encourages us with practical examples on how to reflect God’s light in our world by carrying out works of charity. In the second reading St Paul expresses how to bear testimony of the faith laid down by Christ and how to preserve it. He said it is not by plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and Power. Like the preservative and useful value of the salt, this same Spirit of God, that is the principal agent of evangelization, conversion and all good works is equally needed in restoring and preserving the faith we profess in Christ and guiding our path to truth, holiness and charitable works.
Bearing in mind last week gospel reading on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount viz-a-viz the Beatitudes in connection to today’s readings, the words of Henry Ward Beecher becomes expedient when he said that “every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven”. As light of the world we should ensure that our time, treasures and talents are used to the glory of God and betterment of mankind. So we are called to emulate Christ and practice the corporal works of mercy as reflected in the first reading. That is: giving food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the imprisoned, visit the sick and bury the dead. These kind gestures are not meant only for the members of St Vincent de Paul, Legion of Mary, Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) and other charitable societies in the Church. As children of God and members of the Church we have the abiding responsibility of ensuring that this heroic will of God never ceases. St Theresa of Avilla stated that “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through which to look out Christ’s compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now”. It is in following this cardinal point of God’s will that we become useful and distinctive taste in our present soured society enslaved by immorality, bribery and corruption. Dear people of God, today our world is bleeding of wars, economic decline and covid-19 pandemic, our country Nigeria is suffering from bad government policies, injustice, kidnapping, banditry, ethnic and religious crisis, while poverty has caged our society.
Due to these decadence, a renowned Writer, Chinua Achebe wrote a book titled “things fall apart”. Hence, it is our collective responsibility as family of God’s people to heal our world by evangelizing the light of God’s message, that is bringing all to Christ and Christ to all. Remember we do not produce our own light, but reflect the light of Christ. The world and the Church needs light not darkness, needs Christ not crisis, needs faith not fear, needs righteousness not sinfulness, needs testimony not acrimony, needs peace not war, needs servant-leaders not autocratic-leaders, need witnesses not weaknesses. Let us not be mere spectators of faith and good works, but be actively involved. we need to become positive catalyst in this world by making good use of all we have and enabling others experience true life in Christ. God is interested in works of love and mercy. It is the light He wants to see shining in his people.
• Rev. Fr. Simeon Reuben is the Associate Priest of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Shogunle, Lagos