Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 5, 2023
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.”
A short 40 years ago, I was in a musical called “Godspell,” based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew. When I was assigned this reflection, a smile came over my face with memories of one of the songs in the show, “Light of the World.”
Salt is a common substance that enhances the flavor in our daily life and draws us to thirst for water. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. Living a vibrant, faithful life, we bear witness so that others may crave his teachings as passionately as we crave salt.
Christ warns us that when salt loses its flavor, it loses purpose and is to be thrown out. Jesus relies on us to be the flavor and preserver that people seek. By being the salt of the earth, others will be drawn to the truth, like salt draws people to life-sustaining water.
Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. Without light, there can be no life. Without Christ’s light, there is no eternal life. We are called to be bold in proclaiming God’s teachings of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Christ wants us to share our testimonies with others. His gifts aren’t meant for us alone. They are given so that we may glorify God and, in doing so, bring others to Christ.
When we reach for the salt shaker or turn on a light, remember that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I encourage you to listen to the song from Godspell! The song’s last words are, “You’ve got to live right to be the light of the world!”
Prayer
Almighty and ever living God, your people long to taste and see the goodness of your love. Bless our hands and our wits that we might become your beacon of hope in a darkened world. Make our voice your own that your children may savor the presence of your promise and peace revealed in Jesus who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Agatha is one of the most famous virgin martyrs in the Catholic tradition. Like many early saints, it can be difficult to know what aspects of her legend are historically accurate, but her witness to the faith is undoubtedly a source of ongoing inspiration for us today.
It is said that she was a young, beautiful girl from a rich and well-known family in the early Church. As young girl, she resolutely declared herself a Christian in the midst of a persecution and promised her life to God.
A Roman official who admired her beauty tried to blackmail her. He threatened to charge her as a Christian unless she consented to sex with him. She refused, so he placed her in a brothel. There, she denied customers, and was thrown into prison, where she was beaten and tortured.
None of this succeeded in turning her from her faith, and she was sent back to her cell without food or drink for four days. There, she was comforted by a vision of St. Peter, who filled her dungeon with heavenly light.
She was further tortured until death. One of the tortures she suffered was to have her breasts cut off, which is why she is patron against breast cancer.
St. Agatha is named in one of the Eucharistic prayers at Mass and her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. Her image was created by Matthew Alderman '06 and is used here with his permission. In it, she holds a smoldering bowl and a metal snipper. She is honored in Sicily because devotion to her has stopped eruptions of the nearby volcano, Mt. Etna. By extension, she is patron saint of guilds of bell makers, either because fire alarms use bells, or because the casting of a bell involves lava-like molten metal.
Her feast day is a major celebration for the people of Sicily, where she was martyred, both because of her protection and because she is an emblem of the people's struggle against Roman rule. The motto below her image reads, Mentem sanctam spontaneam, honorem Deo et patriae liberationem, which translates to, "A Saintly and spontaneous mind, love of God and liberation of the homeland."
St. Agatha, patron saint for protection from breast cancer and fire—pray for us!
Image Credit: Illustration by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.