03

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

甲年，常年期第五主日

Gospel: Mt 5:13-16 (玛5：13-16)

"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.

Homily: How could one become salt and light?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the images of salt and light to define the disciples and their mission. The rabbis of Israel used to say: “The Torah—the holy Law given by God to his people—is like salt and the world cannot live without salt.” Jesus applies this image to the disciples.

The first and most immediate use of salt is that of giving flavor to foods. Since ancient times, salt has become the symbol of “wisdom.” The image indicates that the disciples must bring to the world a wisdom capable of giving flavor and meaning to life.

Salt is used not only to give flavor to foods; it is also used to preserve food, to prevent them from becoming stale. The Christian is salt of the earth: with her/his presence s/he is called upon to prevent corruption, not to allow society guided by wicked principles to rot and go into decay. In a world where inviolability of human life from its beginning to its natural end is doubted, the Christian believer is salt that reminds of its sacredness. Where sexuality, cohabitation, and adultery are trivialized, and are no longer called by their names, there the Christian reminds of the holiness of the man-woman rapport and God’s plan for marital love. Where one seeks one’s own advantage, the disciple is salt that preserves, always reminding everyone of the heroic proposal, the gift of self.

The parable of the salt is told immediately after the beatitudes. The Christian is salt if s/he accepts in full the proposals of the Master without additions, without changes, without the “howevers”， “ifs” and “buts” with which one tries to soften them to make them less demanding and seemingly more workable.

For example, Jesus says that there is a need to share one’s assets, to turn the other cheek, to forgive seventy times seven. This is the characteristic taste of the salt of the Gospel. However, the temptation for us to add a bit of “common sense” looms always. The arguments that one must not overdo but must also think of oneself, if one forgives others too much, they take advantage, or one should not resort to violence unless it is necessary are ways the gospel message gets compromised and loses its flavor.

Calling his disciples “light of the world,” Jesus declares that the mission entrusted by God to Israel to be the light of the world was destined to continue through them. The image of the lamp is delightful: we are introduced to the humble home of an upper Galilee peasant where a lamp of oil in clay is lighted. It is put on an iron stand and placed on top so that it can illuminate even the most hidden corners of the house. No one would think of hiding it under a bowl.

The invitation is not to conceal, to veil the most challenging parts of the Gospel message. The disciples do not have to worry to defend or justify the proposals of Jesus. They just announce it without fear, without fear of being ridiculed or persecuted. It will be for people as a lamp “shining in a dark place until the break of day when the morning star shines in your hearts” (2 Pt 1:19).

证道：门徒作光照人间黑暗，门徒作盐提醒基督真理！

在今日的福音中，耶稣用盐和光的比喻阐释门徒的身份和使命。以色列的拉比通常说：“天主给予祂子民的神圣法律——托辣（The Torah），就像盐一样，而这个世界没有了盐无法生活”。耶稣把这个比喻用在了门徒身上。

盐的首要和最直接的用途是给食物调味。从古时，盐就成了“智慧”的象征。这比喻表明，门徒必须给世界带来一种智慧，能够给生命带去味道和意义。

盐在过去并不仅仅是给食物调味，也用来保存食物，并防止变质。基督徒是世上的盐：基督徒的存在被召叫防止腐败，不允许社会被邪恶的法则引领腐败，走向衰落。在这世界上，人类生命的不可侵犯性从开始到自然结束的都受到怀疑，基督徒要作盐，提醒人类生命的神圣性。在性行为、同居和通奸被贬低的地方，也不再称呼他们的名字了，而基督徒提醒：男人与女人和谐融洽关系的神圣，以及天主为婚姻之爱的计划。在人追求自己利益的地方，门徒是保存的盐，一直向每个人勇敢地提出：把自己作为礼物的建议。

盐的比喻被直接放在了真福八端后面。基督徒是盐，如果他完全接受师傅的建议，不作任何增添，不加任何改变，也不尝试削弱说“然而”、“如果”和“但是”，不做出妥协为使师傅的建议不那么苛刻和看起来更似乎可行。

举例来说，耶稣说，人需要分享个人的财产，把脸的另一边转过来甘受耻辱，并宽恕七十个七次。这就是福音中盐的味道特性。然而，增添一点“常识”的诱惑，总是对我们隐约可见。一个人不能做的太过头，也必须要考虑好自身；如果某人过于宽容别人，会被利用；或者，一个人不应该诉诸暴力，除非有必要，这些方式违背了福音的讯息，失去了福音的味道。

耶稣宣布召叫门徒成为“世界的光”，天主委托以色列人成为世界之光的使命，指定要通过门徒来继续下去。灯的比喻令人愉快：比喻引领我们进入加里肋亚北部的一个简陋农舍中，陶土的油灯正亮着。油灯放在一个铁架上，放在最高处，所以才能照明房间，甚至房子中最隐秘的角落也会被照亮。没有谁会想把油灯藏在斗底下。

这邀请并不是要隐藏和掩盖福音讯息中最有挑战性的部分。门徒不需要为辩护和证明耶稣的建议而担忧。他们只需要毫无畏惧地宣讲福音，不惧怕被嘲笑和受迫害。这将成为人们的灯，“在暗中发光的灯，直到天亮，晨星在你们的心中升起的时候”（伯后1：19）。