The Happy Priest: The Christian as Salt and Light for the World

Through the Sunday liturgy, the Church is reminding us that we are to live a new way of life through an intimate and personal communion with Jesus. This Sunday, through the gospel narrative, Jesus reminds us that we are to be salt and light. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - The liturgy of the Catholic Church brings us along an amazing spiritual journey.   The message that we are hearing since the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, which concluded the beautiful liturgical season of Christmas, contains the basic truths of Christianity.

Just a couple of weeks ago, when we celebrated the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, we heard these words from the Gospel of Matthew:  "From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4: 17).  This is our first response to Jesus: a turning away from our old life of sin. 

In the same gospel narrative, we see how Jesus calls the first disciples: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4: 19).  These words from Sacred Scripture remind us that Jesus calls each of us by name to follow him. 

Last Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, we began to meditate upon the Sermon on the Mount which contains the very essence of the Christian way of life.  For the next weeks, as we journey together to Ash Wednesday, we will continue to reflect upon the Sermon on the Mount.

Through the Sunday liturgy, the Church is reminding us that we are to live a new way of life through an intimate and personal communion with Jesus.

This Sunday, through the gospel narrative, Jesus reminds us that we are to be salt and light. 

"You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5: 13).  What does this mean?

In the ancient world of the Jews, the Greeks and the Romans salt was very important indeed.  The salt that we are talking about here is sea salt. 

Sea salt was used by the Greeks and the Romans in their offerings to the gods, and the Jewish sacrifices were offered with salt as well.  The ancients considered salt as a symbol of purity because it was produced from the sea water when it was evaporated by the sun.  Thus, because of the nature of salt and its use by the ancients, we can say then that the Christian, who is supposed to be the salt of the earth, must be an example of purity.

We all know that we live in a world that is sexually out of control.  The Christian is called in be in the world, but not of the world.  In a corrupt world, the Christian who lives the virtue of chastity will definitely stand out as someone who is different.  But, that is the whole point. 

The history of the Church is filled with many accounts of heroes who preferred death rather than to sin against chastity.  One such hero is Agnes of Rome. 

Saint Agnes (c. 291 - c. 304) was a Roman girl who was only thirteen years old when she suffered martyrdom.   Agnes had made a promise of perpetual virginity to God.  Many men wanted to marry Agnes because she was very beautiful. 

Procop, the Governor's son, was one of these men and he became very angry when Agnes refused to marry him.   Procop accused her of being a Christian and had her arrested.

The Governor promised Agnes wonderful gifts if she would only deny God, but Agnes refused.  He tried to change her way of thinking by putting her in chains, but she would not give in.  The Governor then had a naked Agnes dragged through the streets to a brothel where he had hoped that she would become a rape victim, but an Angel protected her.  All of the men who attempted to rape her were immediately struck blind.  Finally, she was condemned to death by being burned alive at the stake.  A soldier drew his sword and beheaded her because the flames would not touch her.  All of this took place during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian which was a time of severe persecution against the Church. 

Aside from salt being used as a symbol of purity, in the ancient world salt was used as a common preservative of food.  There was no refrigeration back then, so salt was used from keeping food, especially meat, from spoiling.  The Christian, through his or her daily actions, must preserve the morals of any society.  Christians must change the world and not allow the world to change them. 
We all know that salt is still used today as a way of enhancing the taste of the food that we eat.  Similarly, the Christian must be someone who provides flavor to everyone.  The Christian must be joyful at all times, enterprising and passionate about life. 

The famous Protestant Biblical scholar William Barclay writes: "Men need to discover the lost radiance of the Christian faith.  In a worried world, the Christian should be the only man who remains serene.  In a depressed world, the Christian should be the only man who remains full of the joy of life.  There should be a sheer sparkle about the Christian but too often he dresses like a mourner at a funeral, and talks like a spectator at a feast.  Wherever he is, if he is to be the salt of the earth, the Christian must be the diffuser of joy" (The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1, p. 121).

Amen to that!

Now let us take a look at these other words of Jesus: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5: 14).  What does this mean?  We have heard these words many, many times. 

The Christian must be seen.  A secret Christian does not exist.   The conduct, joy, peace and enthusiasm of any true Christian will be visible for anyone to see.  Everyone will know who the true Christian is.  Every Christian must be a model and example of how everyone is to live their lives. 

It is also true that a Christian is called to be active in the apostolic work of the Church.  The Second Vatican Council reminded the laity about their duties in the apostolate.  Everyone should be able to say concretely what activity they are doing in the Church. 

For example, what are you doing in your parish?  Just attending Mass on Sunday is not enough.  Teach CCD, work with the youth, do pro-life work, help raise funds, wash the floors, visit the sick, feed the hungry, cook meals for the priests, be an usher, a lector, an altar server, join the choir, help out in the sacristy.  Everyone should be doing something. 

"There are innumerable opportunities open to the laity for the exercise of their apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The very testimony of their Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have the power to draw men to belief and to God; for the Lord says, 'Even so let your light shine before men in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5:16).

However, an apostolate of this kind does not consist only in the witness of one's way of life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ by words addressed either to non-believers with a view to leading them to faith, or to the faithful with a view to instructing, strengthening and encouraging them to a more fervent life. 'For the charity of Christ impels us" (2 Cor. 5:14). The words of the Apostle should echo in all hearts, 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel' (1 Cor. 9:16).

Since, in our own times, new problems are arising and very serious errors are circulating which tend to undermine the foundations of religion, the moral order, and human society itself, this sacred synod earnestly exhorts laymen-each according to his own gifts of intelligence and learning - to be more diligent in doing what they can to explain, defend and properly apply Christian principles to the problems of our era in accordance with the mind of the Church" (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem, II, 6).

History records for us an interesting footnote. It was during the dark winter of 1864. At Petersburg, Virginia, the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way to the muck and mud of trench warfare. Late one evening one of Lee's generals, Major General George Pickett, received word that his wife had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Up and down the line the Southerners began building huge bonfires in celebration of the event. These fires did not go unnoticed in the Northern camps and soon a nervous Grant sent out a reconnaissance patrol to see what was going on. The scouts returned with the message that Pickett had had a son and these were celebratory fires. It so happened that Grant and Pickett had been contemporaries at West Point and knew one another well, so to honor the occasion Grant, too, ordered that bonfires should be built. 

What a peculiar night it was. For miles on both sides of the lines fires burned. No shots fired. No yelling back and forth. No war fought. Only light, celebrating the birth of a child. But it didn't last forever. Soon the fires burned down and once again the darkness took over. The darkness of the night and the darkness of war.
The good news for all Christians is that in the midst of a great darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome the light. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was an eternal flame. We need to remember that. There are times, in the events of the world and in the events of our own personal lives that we feel that the light of the world will be snuffed out.  Nevertheless, Jesus affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines. (www.christianglobe.com).

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Father James Farfaglia, the Happy Priest, is the pastor of Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas and is a member of the Board of Directors of Human Life International.  Father has a hard hitting blog called Illegitimi non carborundum.  He has also published a book called Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life.  You can click here for the audio podcast of this Sunday homily.  His second book, Get Serious! will be available soon.

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