2023-02-05 Bulletin

“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. (Matthew 5:13-16)

What did the Lord Jesus Christ mean when He said to His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” and “You are the light of the world?”

In the Gospel of Matthew, the similes of salt and light immediately follow the Beatitudes. If we are to connect the two, then it sounds that Jesus was telling His disciples, that if they were to live according to the Beatitudes, then they would be, in fact, like the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

If salt is stored properly in a clean vessel, then it would last indefinitely. It will never lose its properties, like preserving food or enhancing the taste of food. But the more impurities are mixed with the salt, the less efficacious it becomes; so much so, that Jesus points out that it would become good for nothing except to be thrown out and be trampled upon. Nowadays, even with the rock salt that is used to de-ice the roads, the less purity it has, the less effective it becomes in melting ice and preventing slipping. Salt with less than 95% purity fails the ASTM standard for de-icing.

The teaching on the simile of salt is two-fold: the disciples must preserve themselves from the impurities of worldly influence that leads to loss of faith and moral decline, and at the same time, they are to enhance the faith and moral life of others. But the role of a disciple does not end there. Jesus also taught His disciples the simile of light – that they are to be the light which dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance of the faith in the world. Their light must be seen by all, like a city set on a mountain or a lamp set on a lampstand. Their witness to the Gospel must be consistent and felt by others wherever they are – at work, at home or at any other place.

Witness to the Gospel is accomplished not so much by word, but by example. The Saints are proof of this. It is through the good and holy lives that they lived that drew people to our Lord Jesus Christ. Looking back at the Beatitudes, a saint is a true disciple of Christ: one who is poor in spirit, seeks consolation in God, patient, forgiving, seeks to do the right thing, merciful, pure and clean of heart, peace-loving, and willing to be persecuted for what is right and for our Lord Jesus Christ.  

---

OUR MISSION: TO LIVE A LIFE IN CHRIST BY (1) GROWING OUR FAITH THROUGH STUDY AND REFLECTION, AND PARTICIPATING IN THE SACRAMENTS, AND (2) SHARING OUR FAITH IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY.

1. We are beginning to form small groups in our church.
2. Everyone is encouraged to join a small group.
3. A small group must have at least 2 members, but it is recommended not to exceed 8 members. It is also recommended to include members who are not from your own family.
4. Join a small group that you can feel comfortable with; persons with whom you can easily contact, listen and talk to.
5. Each small group will appoint a coordinator.
   • The coordinator is responsible to set up the small group meetings and to distribute the materials to the rest of the group.
   • Every 2 weeks, the small group coordinators will receive materials for study, reflection and sharing with their small groups.   
   • Coordinators will meet once a month.    
6. We begin the sign-up process on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Meetings will begin at the start of Lent on February 22, 2023. Meetings may be held in homes or virtual or by phone. 
7. Small groups must meet at least once every 2 weeks, but they can meet more frequently as desired.

---

---

---

---

---