20250610 THE MESSENGER AND THE MESSAGE
10 June 2025, Tuesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Corinthians 1:18-22 |
God himself has anointed us and given us his Spirit
I swear by God’s truth, there is no Yes and No about what we say to you. The Son of God, the Christ Jesus that we proclaimed among you – I mean Silvanus and Timothy and I – was never Yes and No: with him it was always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in him. That is why it is ‘through him’ that we answer Amen to the praise of God. Remember it is God himself who assures us all, and you, of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):129-133,135 |
Let your face shine on your servant.
Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.
Let your face shine on your servant.
I open my mouth and I sigh
as I yearn for your commands.
Turn and show me your mercy;
show justice to your friends.
Let your face shine on your servant.
Let my steps be guided by your promise;
let no evil rule me.
Let your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
Let your face shine on your servant.
Gospel Acclamation | Ph2:15-16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 5:13-16 |
Your light must shine in the sight of men
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’
THE MESSENGER AND THE MESSAGE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Cor 1:18-22; Ps 119:129-133,135; Mt 5:13-16]
In the Gospel, Jesus said to His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” The first question that comes to mind upon hearing these words, is: what should we do to be the salt of the earth, and how we can be the light of the world? Indeed, many of us are more concerned with the programmes and demonstrating productivity and results in our ministry. We are outcome-driven, rather than mission-and-message oriented. We place more emphasis on showing people the trees than on giving them an experience of the beauty of the forest. This is understandable in a fast and rapid changing world, where time is of the essence and results are seen as the measure of success.
This is the lesson of today’s first reading. The Christians in Corinth challenged the credibility of Paul’s message simply because he cancelled his visit to Corinth. In response, they labelled him a fair-weather friend who was unreliable – just like the rest of the world, making empty promises, changing his plans to suit himself. This was not just a judgment on his decision, but also on the trustworthiness of Paul’s message. If he could not be reliable in small matters, how could he be trusted with more important ones, such as the Gospel? In other words, the Corinthians were slandering Paul and discrediting his integrity.
Paul therefore had to defend himself, because it was not merely a false accusation- it threatened to compromise the integrity of his message. This reminds us how important the trustworthiness of the teacher or apostle is, because it directly affects the credibility of his message and authority. If one cannot trust the words of the preacher, one is unlikely to trust his message. This is why, public leaders lose credibility when their words do not match their promises. No leader should make promises that he cannot – or does not intend to – fulfil. Promises must not be made lightly, or else they are likely be broken as well.
What, then, was Paul’s defence? His critics failed to see that the change in his travel plans was not motivated by personal convenience or preference, but by a greater concern for the mission and the effectiveness of the Gospel message. It was not people who dictated his schedule, but the mission and the message were the all- determining factors. For Paul, what mattered was whether they proclaimed Christ and remained faithful to Christ and His Gospel. There was no inconsistency or fickle- mindedness on his part.
For this reason, we need to get to the heart of what is truly important, and not merely what is urgent – driven by the desire to satisfy others’ needs and expectations. What is more important is that we be before we do. In other words, being must come before doing. When our Lord said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light that shines before men”, it is means that we ourselves must first be salted and lighted. Before we can speak about the good deeds we do, we must first form our character according to the values of the Kingdom that Christ has imparted to us. The images of salt and light emphasise who we are, rather than what we do. This is why today’s gospel text is preceded by the teaching on the Beatitudes. (cf Mt 5:3-12) The Beatitudes describe who we are called to become so that we may share in Christ’s blessedness.
We are called to cultivate the virtues of poverty of spirit, holiness, purity, meekness, mercy, justice and forgiveness. If a disciple does not first cultivate these values in his life, he is like salt that has lost its taste or someone still walking in darkness.
So, what does it mean to be salt? It means living a life of purity. The sparkling whiteness of salt reminds us that we are called to live lives that are pure and free from the contamination of evil. To be the salt of the earth means being living examples of purity in mind and heart – in words and actions. This is much needed today, as many minds are contaminated by selfishness, greed and evil. Even global and corporate leaders often lack integrity. In public service, we have lowered moral standards – not only in terms of integrity, but also in diligence and ethical conduct. Leaders, in order to lead, must seek to be pure in speech, thought and conduct.
This is why the Lord said, “if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.” If we ourselves have no salt, we will be useless for humanity. What is salt if it has no flavour or the power to preserve things? Uselessness invites disaster. When we have no salt within us, we have no purpose in life. Unless we begin by living a life of purity and integrity, we will not be able to salt the world.
The other purpose of salt is to act as a preservative. As Christians, we must not remove ourselves from the world, nor must we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by its values. Rather, we are called to be the antiseptic for society – to fight against corruption, injustice and immorality.
But being the salt of the world is not simply about acting as a wet blanket to whatever the world offers. On the contrary, we are called to add flavour to life, for that is one of the properties of salt. We need to give hope to those who are hopeless. In a world filled with suffering, persecution and injustice, our task as salt of the earth is to help humanity find peace in a troubled world by focusing on Christ, and beginning by building the Kingdom in our own limited ways, wherever we are. We must not give up hope in doing good.
When it comes to being the light, Christians are reminded that only Christ is the light of the world. Before we can become a light to others, we must first come into contact with Jesus the light of the world. Once we receive the light, it is our duty to shine that light for others to see. It is clear, therefore, that we are not our own light. We can be the light insofar that Jesus is our light. We do not produce the light ourselves but allow the light of Christ in us to shine forth so that, as the Lord says, “seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.” It is absolutely necessary for a disciple to come to Jesus and be filled with His light in order to be a radiant light for others. However, the good deeds we do are not meant to draw people to ourselves but to Christ. We must be sincere and humble, not seeking recognition for what we do, but rather, that Christ be seen, honoured, and loved – and that people know that our goodness comes from Him alone.
How, then, does one move from being a light to one that shines before others? It requires that we manifest the life of Christ in our conduct, words and actions. We should not be afraid to let others know that we are disciples of Christ. Christianity calls us to be witnesses to the Gospel.
Unfortunately, today, many disciples of Christ prefer to act anonymously. They are afraid to be known as His followers. They hide their faith and religion at work, in business, and in public for fear of losing favour with the world or suffering disadvantages. As it is said, “There can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy.”
As light we are called to educate, to enlighten, and guide – not just within the Church, but in the world. Like the lighthouse, we are called to provide warning to those who go astray. A light is a guide, like a torch. As Christians, we must make clear to others how to find happiness, peace, love and unity. Through our example, we show them the way to true joy and life. At times, being the light requires us to warn those who walk the way of error and the path of destruction.
Disciples of Christ, therefore, possess the life of the Kingdom and produce good deeds that come from a life with Christ and in King. Bearing the light and being the salt in both message and life will lead others to recognise that the Kingdom of God is truly in the world, and they will glorify their heavenly Father. The Beatitudes hint at this direction, but the metaphors of salt and light illustrate how the presence of the kingdom produces changed lives.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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