20260609 IMPACTFUL CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD
09 June 2026, Tuesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | 1 Kings 17:7-16 |
The widow gives food to Elijah, and is fed
The stream in the place where Elijah lay hidden dried up, for the country had no rain. And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, ‘Up and go to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.’ So he went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:
“Jar of meal shall not be spent,
jug of oil shall not be emptied,
before the day when the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth.”’
The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 4:2-5,7-8 |
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!
O men, how long will your hearts be closed,
will you love what is futile and seek what is false?
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.
Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
‘What can bring us happiness?’ many say.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
You have put into my heart a greater joy
than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
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!
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.’
IMPACTFUL CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Kgs 17:7-16; Ps 4:2-5, 7-8; Mt 5:13-16]
There are Christians and then there are Christians. The truth is that whilst many may see themselves as “Christians,” there are vast differences in beliefs, interpretations, practices, devotions, and commitment. A true Christian is called to live according to the Beatitudes, as Jesus taught His disciples in the preceding verses of today’s Gospel text. (Mt 5:1-12) We are called to live the blessed life according to the ‘blueprint’ given by our Lord. Unless we live a life that is poor in spirit and righteous, meek, and merciful, pure, and humble, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Only by living this blessed life as taught by our Lord can we also be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Such a life is more than simply doing good deeds or having a good character; it is embracing God’s kingship as a gift.
We are called to live an impactful life in the world by being the ‘salt’ in society. Otherwise, a nominal faith becomes a counter-witness to the Gospel. Indeed, many secularists or people of other faiths reject the Gospel because they do not see that our faith is reflected in the way we live and relate with others. Of course, it is also true that, in the final analysis, the truth of Christ is not dependent on the behaviour of Christians, as relying in that alone can give people excuses to justify their own unbelief. Regardless, whether Christian or not, if we do not live the Beatitudes and are not the salt of the earth, we will not have a place in the kingdom of God, as the Lord warned us, “It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.” Indeed, uselessness invites trouble and disaster.
Salt has a variety of uses. This is why it is highly valued. The symbolism of salt, in this instance, is principally one of preservation and adding flavour to society. To be salted is to keep ourselves from being contaminated by the world. Purity is called forth when we seek to be the salt of the earth. The tendency in today’s world is that in the face of secularisation, Christians are challenged to compromise not just their faith, but in their values, lowering the standards of morality and the demands of the Gospel. When we lack integrity in speech, thought, and conduct, we become counter-witnesses to Christ.
As Christians, we must not only keep ourselves pure and preserved from the immorality in society, but we must also seek to protect others as well. As Christians, we are called to stand up for the values of the Gospel. People, including our loved ones and family members, do not want us to speak the truth for fear that their lives might become difficult. Some Christians want the world to see them as one of their own rather than as a disciple of Christ. Hence, we cannot afford to remain silent in the face of evil and injustices in society.
However, our greatest contribution to society is not just about exposing falsehood but bringing life and flavour to society. We add salt to food to bring out the taste; so, as the salt of the earth, Christians must show themselves to be different from people in the world by staying positive and happy even when there are problems and troubles around us. We must be those who continue to give joy and hope to those around us because of our faith in Christ, who has conquered sin, the world, and death. We must show why it is good to be a Christian, to follow Jesus, and to live the Gospel life. Christians, therefore, must live an attractive and joyful life so that others will be drawn to follow us. When Christians look depressed and miserable all the time, how can we expect others to join us and accept the Gospel? The tragedy is that some people see us as wet blankets and joy-killers in life. Indeed, we must show that being a Christian fill us with joy, meaning, and purpose, living not just for this world but for the next. We live without regret and without guilt, knowing that Jesus has forgiven us our sins. Most of all, we know who we are – that we are children of God and that our life on earth is not ultimate but just a passage to fullness of life with God in heaven.
We are also called to be the light of the world. For Christians, only Jesus is the light of the world, as the Lord called Himself. (Jn 9:5) The light which we are called to be is but the light of Christ Himself shining through us. We become the light of Christ not by imitation, but by derivation. When that happens, then in whatever we do, He can claim glory as well. When Jesus called us to be the light of the world, He was calling us to be like Himself, to shine before men and women. This comes about not just through an exemplary lifestyle in accordance with the Gospel, but rather, the possibility of being the light of the world comes through our relationship with Christ, which allows Him to live in us. The Lord does not teach us to shine as a technique, rather, He is the light shining through us and in us when we allow Him to dwell in us. The origin of the light, therefore, is in God. When people see our good deeds, they immediately recognise the Father in heaven because those good deeds did not come from us, but from Him. Only this kind of light can impact others radically because they see the power and mercy of God at work in our lives. As the Lord told us, “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.”
To be the light of the world is an invitation for us to enlighten all men and women in the truth, by reminding them of their dignity as God’s sons and daughters, and that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. We must illuminate the lives of our fellowmen by revealing the will and plan of God for humanity and showing what sin has done to us. We must shine the light of Christ within us into our lives, exposing ignorance and sin, and showing them the joy of living the Gospel. Christians are not of the world, but they live in the world. Either we proclaim Christ to secular society, or they will secularise us. Beyond enlightening people in the truth, we must also do good works that flow from charity, reflecting that we love others as much as God loves us. In this way, we draw men to God by our love for them.
Consequently, as a light, we must be seen. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lampstand where it shines for everyone in the house.” Our testimony to the Father’s love should be obvious to everyone who sees us, showing that we are different from the world. We should not be afraid to identify ourselves as Christians. There is no such thing as secret discipleship or being an anonymous Christian like a secret agent. The choice is ours: secrecy destroys discipleship, or discipleship destroys secrecy. By failing to shine forth in doing good works, we hide the presence of the Father in the world. Our mission is not to draw attention to ourselves, but to lead people to the Father. We must be like John the Baptist who said, “The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:29f) In the final analysis, being the light goes beyond doing good; it is found in the very way we live our lives that shows who we are. We are called to be true to ourselves.
Indeed, none of us should become diluted disciples or invisible Christians. St Peter wrote to the Christians, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Pt 2:9). We cannot, therefore, be closet Christians. We are responsible for the world, and we must use our resources, time, and energy for the work of evangelisation by leading a profoundly Christian life, expressed in the service of God and in doing works of charity for our fellowmen.
We are called to imitate the poor widow who trusted in God completely. She had nothing left except for “a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug.” She was living in a famine, and yet when Elijah asked her for food, she was prepared to share with him whatever little she had. It was her faith and generosity that won Elijah over, and he performed a miracle for her so that she would never be hungry again. True enough, “The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.” We must also surrender our lives to God, as Elijah and the widow did, so that God can work through us.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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