You are the salt of the earth….
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
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.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”
(Matthew 5:13-16)
The Gospel reading from this morning’s liturgy always strikes me as being at the very heart of what the Christian life is all about. We are meant to follow Christ so closely as to allow God’s light to shine through us. When done well, we can and do lead others to God. Yet, this is easier said than done on most days for this sinner. A prayer I ought to use more often when asking for God’s help in being a light to others is one attributed to the saint whose feast we celebrate today, St. Ephrem the Syrian.
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
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