Today’s Gospel is one of my favourite pieces of Scripture. Jesus says to his disciples ‘You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world’. He explains that if salt becomes tasteless it is of no use and can be thrown away. Similarly a lamp is useless if it is hidden under a tub, it must be placed on a lampstand for everyone to see. We are all familiar with the function of salt and light in a modern context but these two images which Jesus uses challenge us to renew our Christian calling; to do the will of God in our lives and to ignite the flame of faith in the world around us. Jesus is challenging us to witness to our faith and not to be afraid to radiate the light of his love to those we encounter in our everyday lives. The light of faith is something which is badly needed in our world, in which there is much loneliness, depression and despair. Jesus has the power to bring light, hope, and love into even the darkest situations that we encounter, and we can be instruments of his love and light by the witness of our lives. By sharing the light of our faith with others we can help many people in our world come to experience the joy of knowing God and being loved by Him.
The support of others can be a great help in keeping the light of faith burning brightly in our lives. The lines of scripture ‘You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world’ which are taken from Matthew 5:13-14 comprised the theme for World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002. I have many happy memories of attending World Youth Days. During these times I was particularly struck by the deep sense of joy and belonging that other young Catholics had and I wanted to experience this for myself. Over the years the regular support which I received from other like-minded young people has helped me to deepen my personal faith and in the process make some fantastic friends. In particular being part of Youth 2000 and the Emmanuel Community has helped me to go deeper in the faith, and encounter Jesus in a more personal way. Throughout my life I have experienced light of Christ in many ways and my faith has also brought me on many adventures. I especially think of my experience at the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome which was a particularly blessed time that helped me to focus on living in the present moment and trust more in Jesus – the light of the world who offers us pure love, real happiness and inner peace.
