Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
I heard those words for the first time around 2 years ago. I was halfway into my senior year of college, I had gotten baptized, confirmed, and received my first communion at the Easter vigil barely a year before that. I heard those words from a religious brother giving a talk to a room full of college juniors and seniors. He was prepping those young men and women to do the same thing that he had done: to proclaim the gospel. And a very enthusiastic young man sat among them took what he said quite literally – for his heart was set on fire. From the heights of bridges and mountains to the depths of basements and the heart of his fellow man, his lips were focused on spreading the good news.
Our reading this week centers on Christ’s call to His disciples: to be the salt of the earth and a light to the whole world. Just like salt, His disciples are to be preserving, enhancing, and flavorful. The apostles spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and nurtured the church He had established, preserving Jesus’ teachings. They enhanced the classical understanding of the natural and supernatural world beyond insular folk faiths, instead offering our forefathers the universal Catholic and apostolic Church. And as for being flavorful? No two apostles were exactly alike! And how interesting must Heaven look when a 15th century French peasant girl, a 16th century Spanish priest, and an Italian Millennial web developer are all in full communion with God alongside these same ancient Jewish apostles. And all these Saints made it to Heaven by the grace of God, proclaiming His name through their outward faith and the fruits that stemmed from this faith.
So, what does that mean for us? It means that we should live our lives in accordance with what Christ has asked of us, as best as we can and as often as we are capable. What does that look like? It means going off script during a job interview and offering the head of engineering for your company a rosary at the end of your meeting. It means taking a moment to chat with the people next to you on vacation because they mentioned getting baptized in the Catholic church. It means understanding that, especially in the era we live in, your words and actions may be “the only bible someone reads”. Late night chat after late night chat, prayer request after prayer request, reassurance after reassurance…all are to the glory of God. My brother and sisters are repentant sinners like me, grasping out to Jesus’ outstretched hand and anchoring themselves when push comes to shove. My mother and father are the tired and weary souls who have come before me, whom I wish to see grow in the fullness of their faith majestically. And I see so much variety in all the souls I have met, yet our end goal is the same…to see each other once again in full communion with the Lord our God in Heaven.
Let’s do it! Let’s build up His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Let’s be a shining example, one that stems from living a life as genuinely as we possibly can. A life oriented on living the life God wants us to live, where we love our neighbor as ourselves and love our God with all our mind, body, and soul. Let’s live that life today, let’s live that life tomorrow, and let us live that life forever in Heaven just like the Saints that came before us. Amen.
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