Matthew 5:13-16 Ordinary Time 5th Sunday (Year A); You are the salt of the earth

Sharing Guidelines
Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
Keep it short.

Reading 1
Is 58:7-10
7 Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; 10 If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday

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Reading 2
1Cor 2:1-5
1 When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

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Gospel
Mt 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
13 “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. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

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Reflection
“You are the salt of the earth.”

Salt keeps food from going bad and makes it taste better. In the same way, the disciples of Jesus should help stop the world from becoming corrupt and work to make it a better and more meaningful place. If salt loses its taste, it has no purpose. That is why Jesus warns that tasteless salt is useless and will only be thrown away and stepped on.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says, “Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50) And in Colossians we read, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one.” (Colossians 4:6)

Jesus also tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world”
The disciples can be the light of the world because Jesus Himself is the light. He said that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

Because we have received new life from Jesus, the Light of the World, our own light cannot be hidden. Our light should shine brightly in a dark and cold world, bringing warmth and hope. When we give ourselves like a candle that burns and melts, the world becomes brighter and warmer. But we must ask ourselves: Are we truly shining as the light of the world? Are we helping others see God’s goodness? Or are we only shining for ourselves, our families, or our own church?

We are called to be the light for everyone. Since Christ Himself is the true Light, we are called to become “another Christ” in this world.
May all people receive abundant life through the light of Christ shining through us. And may God be praised and glorified because of what we do.

“your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)

(이민영 예레미야 신부)

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Sharing

1. Let’s share which words or lines touched your heart.

2. Let’s think about times when someone was a light to us, and times when we were a light to someone else. Let’s talk about how we can live as salt and light, and how we can share the Good News with joy even when we face hardships because of Jesus.

3. Let’s reflect on how we can shine God’s light in the dark places of the world. How am I reflecting the light of Christ in my own life? Let’s talk about it together.

4. Resolution: Based on today’s message, what kind of life do I want to live from now on?

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.
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Today’s Reflection

“You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world.”
This is what Jesus tells us today.

But we must understand these words correctly.
Jesus does not say, “You will become the salt of the world,” but “You are the salt of the world.”
He does not say, “You will become the light of the world,” but “You are the light of the world.”

It is not something that will happen someday when our faith becomes stronger, when we improve, or when we grow spiritually.
Salt and light are not things that belong to a distant future.
What matters is this: right now, in this very moment, we ourselves are the salt and the light.

Some time ago, I went back and read my old homilies. I suddenly felt ashamed.
The writing felt clumsy, and I felt embarrassed that I was not living up to the message I had written.
I was also embarrassed knowing that many people had read those reflections.
Because of this, I lost confidence in preaching and even in submitting my homily manuscripts.

But eventually, I changed my heart.
I told myself, “Even if it is lacking or imperfect, just share it.
Even if I feel embarrassed, the Lord will use this writing to speak His message.”
I reminded myself that even if what I do seems small or inadequate, it can still bear fruit.

Just as today’s Gospel tells us, even when it is hard to believe that I am truly salt and light, I choose to trust Jesus’ words and try to live like salt and light.
I want to place the light not under a basket but on a lampstand—so that it may shine.
(한재호 루카 신부)

Matthew 5:13-16 Ordinary Time 5th Sunday (Year A); You are the salt of the earth

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it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. 16 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

————————————————-

Reflection “You are the salt of the earth.”

Jesus also tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world” The disciples can be the light of the world because Jesus Himself is the light. He said that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

We are called to be the light for everyone. Since Christ Himself is the true Light, we are called to become “another Christ” in this world. May all people receive abundant life through the light of Christ shining through us. And may God be praised and glorified because of what we do.

“your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)

(이민영 예레미야 신부)

———————————————— Sharing

1. Let’s share which words or lines touched your heart.

2. Let’s think about times when someone was a light to us, and times when we were a light to someone else. Let’s talk about how we can live as salt and light, and how we can share the Good News with joy even when we face hardships because of Jesus.

3. Let’s reflect on how we can shine God’s light in the dark places of the world. How am I reflecting the light of Christ in my own life? Let’s talk about it together.

4. Resolution: Based on today’s message, what kind of life do I want to live from now on?

. . .

Today’s Reflection

“You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world.” This is what Jesus tells us today.

But we must understand these words correctly. Jesus does not say, “You will become the salt of the world,” but “You are the salt of the world.” He does not say, “You will become the light of the world,” but “You are the light of the world.”

It is not something that will happen someday when our faith becomes stronger, when we improve, or when we grow spiritually. Salt and light are not things that belong to a distant future. What matters is this: right now, in this very moment, we ourselves are the salt and the light.

But eventually, I changed my heart. I told myself, “Even if it is lacking or imperfect, just share it. Even if I feel embarrassed, the Lord will use this writing to speak His message.” I reminded myself that even if what I do seems small or inadequate, it can still bear fruit.

Just as today’s Gospel tells us, even when it is hard to believe that I am truly salt and light, I choose to trust Jesus’ words and try to live like salt and light. I want to place the light not under a basket but on a lampstand—so that it may shine. (한재호 루카 신부)

Reflection
“You are the salt of the earth.”

Jesus also tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world”
The disciples can be the light of the world because Jesus Himself is the light. He said that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

We are called to be the light for everyone. Since Christ Himself is the true Light, we are called to become “another Christ” in this world.
May all people receive abundant life through the light of Christ shining through us. And may God be praised and glorified because of what we do.

————————————————
Sharing

.
.
.

“You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world.”
This is what Jesus tells us today.

But we must understand these words correctly.
Jesus does not say, “You will become the salt of the world,” but “You are the salt of the world.”
He does not say, “You will become the light of the world,” but “You are the light of the world.”

It is not something that will happen someday when our faith becomes stronger, when we improve, or when we grow spiritually.
Salt and light are not things that belong to a distant future.
What matters is this: right now, in this very moment, we ourselves are the salt and the light.

But eventually, I changed my heart.
I told myself, “Even if it is lacking or imperfect, just share it.
Even if I feel embarrassed, the Lord will use this writing to speak His message.”
I reminded myself that even if what I do seems small or inadequate, it can still bear fruit.

Just as today’s Gospel tells us, even when it is hard to believe that I am truly salt and light, I choose to trust Jesus’ words and try to live like salt and light.
I want to place the light not under a basket but on a lampstand—so that it may shine.
(한재호 루카 신부)