5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Reflection by Fr. Leo

Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew’s gospel this morning, that they are salt of the earth and light of the world.  This is Christ’s message to us, who choose to be his disciples.  I think the hardest part of Jesus’ message for all of us is to accept that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

For many of us, the spiritual life is an absorption in our weakness and failures. This leads us to be self-absorbed and distant from God.  Knowing God’s love for us and his ability to transform us into his light, escapes us if we focus on our faults.  Not that we don’t have them.  We need to believe in God’s love and forgiveness.

The Lord, like any parent, wants us to focus on our chosen-ness,  God desires that we accept his love and let his Spirit transform us into effective disciples.  When we accept God’s mercy, we can be merciful. When we accept God’s unconditional love, we can love unconditionally. 

This last week the gospel for Monday was about Jesus incredible freeing of the possessed man and the swine running into the sea.  The people were so astonished that they asked Jesus to leave that area.  I think we too, fear God and don’t trust that he wants to make us whole like the possessed man, who becomes an apostle to his family when they find him in his “right” mind when he returns home.

Let us ask the Lord this week to help us accept his call and his gifts of the Spirit, that we may become the salt of the earth and the light of the world.