Let us be the light of the world.

The old folk wisdom could appreciate the small things that are essentially big and essential to life.

Surely you all know the fairy tale Salt over Gold. Only when there was no salt did the king realize it was worth more than gold, and his little daughter wished him well. Even the price of electricity can only be appreciated when we sit in the dark or by candlelight.

In the Gospel, too, the Lord Jesus asks his disciples, and therefore us, to be the world’s light. “No one lights a lamp and covers it with a vessel… but sets it on a lampstand…”(Lk 8:16).

What does this mean? But first, let us ask the question: How is it possible that Christianity, founded on the 12 apostles, which was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles – has triumphed? When elections are held, how many programs, posters, and meetings are made beforehand?
What did the apostles have? Nothing! What did they promise? Deny thyself, if thine eye offends thee – pluck it out if thy hand – put it away! Love your enemies! Be humble and meek of heart.

But one thing they had was faith, for which they went to their death, tough love, and unity of mind. And so a handful of Christians became the salt of the earth and swept others away by their example to follow. This is the whole secret of the Christian victory over the heathen world.

The light of the world. If I were to ask you which Pope started and which finished the building of St. Peter’s, you probably wouldn’t know, and unless you are interested in history, you might not know either. But if I ask who St. Francis of Assisi, St. Don Bosco was, you will undoubtedly know. They and many like them were the world’s light by their life, love, and dedication. They showed what true and lived Christianity is. They led by their example how the world would change… what the world would be like – a world of justice, goodness, without war and hatred, if everyone lived the Gospel.

There is also much talk today about Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She is, and indeed was, a great woman, awarded even the highest honor – the Nobel Peace Prize. With her are hundreds of other girls and women who have dedicated their lives to the poorest of the poor. Thousands of missionaries and hundreds of thousands of sisters in hospitals, orphanages, and various institutions also deserve our mention.
But let us not limit the injunction of an excellent example to spiritual persons, the Church, and Christianity. It is not only priests and nuns. It is all of us. Let us realize that if the world despises us if it looks at us with suspicion, if it ridicules us, it is certainly not because we pray and go to church, but above all, because we do not live as disciples of Christ, that we are often weathered salt and not the light of the world. Our faith and our life, our prayers and our works are diverging.

A young person came into the parish office.
– I would like to join the Church, – he says timidly. – I am without confession; I have never known the faith. However, I have lived with my wife for almost ten years, and she has shown me Christianity in her everyday life. When I was angry, she smiled at me; when unsure or worried, she said she would pray that the Lord God would help me. She can do that beautifully with children! She would tell me so simply:
– Boy, I’m not happy with you, and the Lord Jesus can’t be satisfied with that either.
– But you pray to God, and it always helps.
– This wife of mine is perfect, so I told myself that if she was like that, I could be better and happier through faith.

This is the world’s light that does not agitate but shows the life of faith. In adversity, even the price of salt is known. Our task is to make today’s gluttonous society see the cost of Christianity. To make our neighbors realize that to believe is not just to pray and sit in church all the time but to live joyfully and exceptionally well.

Let us show the world, as the early Christians once did to the Gentiles, the good news of the Gospel by our deeds, love, and goodness. This is our task, and in this will be our merit.