The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to examine how we can better align our action with Jesus' declaration of our role as salt and light for the world.
The Reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians addresses Sincerity and Constancy.
* [1:18–22] As God is faithful: unable to deny the change in plans, Paul nonetheless asserts the firmness of the original plan and claims a profound constancy in his life and work. He grounds his defense in God himself, who is firm and reliable; this quality can also be predicated in various ways of those who are associated with him. Christ, Paul, and the Corinthians all participate in analogous ways in the constancy of God. A number of the terms here, which appear related only conceptually in Greek or English, would be variations of the same root, ’mn, in a Semitic language, and thus naturally associated in a Semitic mind, such as Paul’s. These include the words yes (2 Cor 1:17–20), faithful (2 Cor 1:18), Amen (2 Cor 1:20), gives us security (2 Cor 1:21), faith, stand firm (2 Cor 1:24).
* [1:21–22] The commercial terms gives us security, seal, first installment are here used analogously to refer to the process of initiation into the Christian life, perhaps specifically to baptism. The passage is clearly trinitarian. The Spirit is the first installment or “down payment” of the full messianic benefits that God guarantees to Christians. Cf. Eph 1:13–14. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 119 praises fidelity to the law.
* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents similes of Salt and Light.
* [5:13–16] By their deeds the disciples are to influence the world for good. They can no more escape notice than a city set on a mountain. If they fail in good works, they are as useless as flavorless salt or as a lamp whose light is concealed.
* [5:13] The unusual supposition of salt losing its flavor has led some to suppose that the saying refers to the salt of the Dead Sea that, because chemically impure, could lose its taste. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
George Butterfield comments that, in the Gospel, Jesus refers to us as salt and light.
Jesus also challenges his disciples to be light. Jesus is the light of the world. His Father’s face shines upon us. When we do good, we are like a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden. This is to let our light shine. When we do this, we glorify the One whose face shines upon us and makes it possible for us to be light in the darkness.
Jesus is our Yes. The Father shines his face upon us. The Holy Spirit has been given to us. We are called to love his commands and be salt and light. How can we fail? (Butterfield, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “The Light of Truth,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD)
The Lord has already called his disciples the "salt of the earth" because they seasoned with divine wisdom the hearts of the human race which had been made tasteless by the devil. Now he also calls them the "light of the world." For, illumined by his very own self who is the true and eternal light, they too become light within the darkness. For since he himself is the sun of righteousness, he rightly also calls his disciples "light of the world." Through them, as if through shining rays, he poured the light of his knowledge on the entire world. For by showing the light of truth, the Lord's disciples made the darkness of error flee from people's hearts. (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 19.1.1-2) .
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 5:13-16 comments that in today’s Gospel, Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth! That means that our life can have an impact on the people around us, just as Jesus’ did.
Above all, cultivate your relationship with the Lord. Stay close to him. The more you receive God’s grace, the more you hold fast to his love, the “saltier” you will become and the more clearly you will witness to the people you encounter.
It’s true—you are the salt of the earth! So let Jesus’ life in you draw everyone you meet to thirst for him.
“Jesus, thank you for all the ways you have changed my life. Let your joy and peace and mercy always be visible in me.” (Meditation on Matthew 5:13-16, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Corinthians Paul speaks that God is faithful in response to Paul being accused of ambiguity. He is proclaiming Christ and the anointing of the Spirit as the love between the Father and Son. We can listen to the voice within to know the Love of God. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus declares our role as salt of the earth. We give zest and flavour to life and give meaning and significance through enthusiasm. Friar Jude reminds us that we don’t hide but give witness to our Christianity as a gift to others.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative theologian Beverly Lanzetta who offers instructions for the monastic practice of lectio divina which today can be practiced by all. The first stage is lectio or reading.
Unlike reading for content, lectio divina approaches the text as a form of prayer, guiding us closer to union with the Holy One. At its simplest, lectio is not reading intellectually to gather information or instruction, but with the intention that the reader be formed in the divine likeness. In and through text, one comes face-to-face with Spirit. Through slowly reading, we allow words to penetrate our hearts and fill us with wisdom and love. Sometimes we are pulled clean out of our ordinary state of mind. We may awaken to new truths or insights, suffer compunction or shame, or be forgiven and bathed in light. By whatever means, when we read with meditative attention, communion occurs through surrender and rest. We do not hurry reading, trying to find the thesis, underlying cause, or doing critical analysis. We stop. We remain still in the presence of mystery…. (Rohr, n.d.)
We consider the “salt” we can share that gives our journey a full taste of life and how our “light” may be an invitation to people in our environment to “come and see”.
References
Butterfield, G. (2025, June 10). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/061025.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?
Meditation on Matthew 5:13-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/10/1303612/
Psalms, PSALM 119. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Contemplatio. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/lectio-meditatio-oratio-contemplatio/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Salt of the Earth and Light of the World. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun10
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/1?18
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