5th Sunday A

Sunday 5 A
Of Salt and Light

To better understand Jesus saying to the disciples, “You are the Salt of the Earth,” we need to do some adjusting of our perceptions. Today we hear more of the negatives connected with too much Salt, high blood pressure, heart attacks, obesity. In Jesus time salt was looked on much differently. It was used not only to improve the taste of food but also to preserve meat and fish. Salt in the ancient world was a precious commodity. Roman soldiers were partially paid with packets of salt (“sal” in Latin); this was the origin of our word “salary” and of phrases like “worth his salt.”
Here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas we have some rich natural salt deposits. They are found at La Sal del Rey (El Sal del Rey) and La Sal Vieja (Old Salt) in western Willacy County. In the book HISTORIC RIO GRANDE VALLEY by Marjorie Johnson she notes: “Because salt is so important to both animals and man for many purposes—flavoring, medicine, meat preservation, water purification, mining and steel smelting, the salt deposits have been utilized and coveted by many.”
“Warring Indian tribes from north and south of the Rio Grande harvested supplies of salt to cure meats and tan hides, resuming their battles only after they had left the area, for the tribes did not attack each other while on salt missions. Spanish explorers claimed the lakes for the king of Spain… At one time, Santos Coy of Camargo employed 500 men and used 10,000 mules in connection with the operation of the Salt Train, which traveled as far as Durango and Zacatecas in the interior and Veracruz on the Gulf coast….Ships from Spain, France, and England returned to their European ports loaded with salt after bringing supplies to their colonies in the New World.” Pp. 21,22

So when Jesus says, “You are the Salt of the earth…light of the world.” These are words of blessing, but also words of commission. The importance of salt in Jesus’ time and even its importance in our own valley as illustrated above, gives us an insight into how precious we are in God’s sight. Salt was a precious commodity to the people of Jesus’ time, to the first peoples of our valley and later to the king of Spain, the Mexican government, the Republic of Texas, the state of Texas down to our own time of first private ownership and now to the Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge.

Jesus also uses these metaphors to remind Christians that we have a responsibility in the world. We are commissioned. Christians can lose their effectiveness and value in the world, and therefore be discarded as useless. The symbol of rejection in the Gospel passage is powerful, “But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew is constantly warning his church: the rejection which befell Israel can befall you as well. This is a word of warning to us as powerful as the word of blessing that he offers in the image.
In the history of the Church we have seen the Church become so identified with the world that she lost her voice, her witness, and her power for a season. The Russian Orthodox Church did just that under the final days of the czars, and when the communist revolt came, the people threw out the church as well as the czars. In Central and South America the Catholic church was for a long time identified with the rich.

Both salt and light are most effective when they draw attention, not to themselves, but to something beyond themselves. When used in seasoning food, salt works best when it enhances the flavor of the meal and is not even noticed by the one eating. Similarly, a well placed lamp is one that does not itself stand out, but rather illumines well what is noteworthy in the room. We are called to improve the quality of human existence and preserve it from destruction.
We have heard the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” Children learn it and sing it with delight. As simple as the words may be, and as airy the melody, the message is profound. In fact, it can be fully understood only by adults, for it is a proclamation of one’s willingness to give witness to one’s faith. Like salt, our care of others will bring out the best of a world that has turned sour; like the radiance of a lamp, we can enlighten a world that is floundering in darkness. We can be a city set on a mountain for all to see, a refuge and safe haven in a world threatened by hatred and terror. Ours may be only a little light, but if each of us lets it shine, we can indeed make a difference.
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5th Sunday of the Year "A"

"You are the salt of the earth."

In Jesus' time, salt was used not only to improve the taste of food
but also to preserve meat and fish. When Jesus compares his followers
to salt he says that they improve the quality of human existence and
preserve it from destruction. (Collegeville commentary, Harrington).

salt is both a spice and preservative

Salt in the ancient world was a precious commodity (even monopolized
by the royalty in Egypt and Persia). Roman soldiers were partially paid
with packets of salt ("sal" in Latin); this was the origin of our word
"salary" and of phrases like "worth his salt," etc.

Webster dictionary: (pl.) any of various mineral salts used as a
cathartic (Epsom salts), to soften bath water (bath salts), as a
restorative (smelling salts), etc.
(Colloq.) a sailor, esp. an experienced one
--salt of the earth (after Mt. 5:l3:) any person or persons regarded
as the finest, noblest, etc.
--worth one's salt worth one's wages, sustenance, etc.

4th Sunday A

4th A Sunday

This Sunday the first reading works toward showing us how much the spirit of the Hebrew Scriptures is present in the teachings of Jesus. The prophet Zephaniah speaks of a “remnant”. Zephaniah begins the long development of the theological meaning of humility, poverty, and lowliness as contained in the Hebrew word “anawim”. New Testament saints like Mary, see in poverty an interior attitude of dependence upon God. We can make a litany of Saints who lived this attitude, Juan Diego, Mother Teresea, Pope John XXIII, St. Theresa of the Little Flower, St. Martin de Porres, etc., etc.

Raymond Brown comments on the beginning of Chapter 5. “More than any other teacher of morality, the Matthean Jesus instructs with divine power and authority, and by this empowerment makes possible a new existence. There are parallels between Moses and the Matthean Jesus. The OT conveyor of divine revelation encountered God on a mountain, the NT revealer speaks to his disciples on a mountain. For Christians, next to the Ten Commandments as an expression of God’s will, the eight Beatitudes have been revered for expressing succinctly the values on which Jesus placed priority. In the comparable Lucan passage there are only four beatitudes (phrased more concretely: “you who are poor...hungry now...weep now...when people hate you”), and it is likely that Matt has added spiritualizing phrases (‘poor, in spirit...hunger and thirst for righteousness”) and four spiritual beatitudes (meek, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers). Seemingly Matt’s community has some people who are not physically poor and hungry; and the evangelist gives assurance that there was an outreach of Jesus to them as well, if they have attitudes attuned to the kingdom. Jesus teaches these beatitudes to the disciples who are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Christ in the Gospels of the Ordinary Sundays, Raymond Brown, pp23,24)

...the values on which Jesus placed priority. Later on in chapter 5, vs. 20 Jesus says, “I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

In A Man and His God, (p. 30) Martin Pables writes: “...we, without fully realizing it, have allowed our vision to be shaped by something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. His gospel is in fierce competition with what I and others call “the cultural gospel.” There is another set of values and standards around that is so all pervasive that we barely recognize it, much less examine and challenge it.” He then goes on to list aspects of the Cultural Gospel: Blessed are the rich and comfortable (poor) ; Blessed are the tough (meek) ; Blessed are they whose every want is satisfied (hunger and thirst for righteousness) ; Blessed are they who get even (merciful) ; Blessed are you when they accept you and pamper you (insult you and persecute you).

Cardinal Bernardin commented on Jesus words: “...learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest...” “Jesus practiced what he preached. He was gentle toward the people he served and humbly obedient to the will of his Father. He called us to love one another and laid down his own life for us. The ‘rest’ he offers us comes from adopting and living each day his attitudes, his values, his mission, his ministry, his willingness to lay down his very life--in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.”

3rd Sunday A

3rd Sunday A
Learning from Meticulous Matthew

l) "When Jesus heard that John had been arrested he withdrew to
Galilee." This sentence has been understood as Jesus courageously
taking up the mission of John.. It clearly signals a change of direction
in Jesus' life. This change involved a geographical move but also a
new phase in the life of Jesus. Matthew in this passage moves us
rapidly through Jesus beginning to
proclaim his theme, calling followers, teaching, proclaiming and
healing. The lives of Jesus and John were closely intertwined. There was
friendship but also foreshadowing. Later in the Gospel in chapter l4
when Jesus hears about the horrible death of John, Matthew tells us,
"...he withdrew into a deserted place by himself." Jesus could see
images of his own life in the life of John. Our lives too are intertwined
with those of others. One point for our consideration this Sunday is
to examine our lives in terms of changes of direction.

2) "From that time on Jesus began to proclaim this theme: Reform
your lives! The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Here Matthew edits
Mark's Gospel to put the exact same words on the lips of Jesus that had
been on the lips of John. But though the words are the same the
understanding of John is different from that of Jesus. Both call for
reform of lives. The necessity of "doing" the will of God will be
developed in a special way in Matthew's Gospel. John thought that the
coming of the kingdom of heaven would bring judgment, that sinners
would be condemned and perish. Instead in Jesus the coming of the
kingdom would mean something different. Jesus in Matthew's Gospel will
be portrayed as the wisdom teacher and compassionate healer.

3) "He said to them, Come after me and I will make your fishers of
men. They immediately abandoned their nets and became his followers."
Jesus distinguishes himself from the teachers of his day by taking the
positive initiative to call disciples. The crisp format of the call
narrative reminds us of the Old Testament call narratives when a prophet
or king was swept into Yahweh's service. Here as in Mark (unlike Luke
and John) the disciples response is motivated only be Jesus' invitation,
an element that emphasizes his mysterious power, his extraordinary
attractiveness and magnetism. Here we also have the important theme of
discipleship being developed. To be a disciple is to be with Jesus and
to share in his mission.

4) "Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and
illness among the people." One author has described the author of this
Gospel as "meticulous Matthew." In this summary statement of the
mission of Jesus we see some of Matthew’s precision. Jesus in his
travels is doing three things: teaching, proclaiming and curing. For
Matthew the time of Jesus is the time of arrival of the kingdom. As
Herald he proclaims what God does in Jesus. In Jesus God shows a
ministry of word and of deed. Jesus is wisdom teacher and compassionate
healer. Chapters 5-7 will develop the notion of wisdom teacher and
chapters 8-9 that of Jesus as compassionate healer. In chapter 9: 35
Matthew will repeat this exact summary. Chapter 10 expands Jesus’
call to disciples to join his liberating mission “fish for people” (4:19).

Between now and the beginning of Lent, we will be
exploring the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. After the
Easter season when we resume ordinary time we will take up Matthew's
Gospel at the second of his five great discourses, the Missionary
discourse.