Newsletter Article

February 5, 2017

​

JR Jandayan

 

I Am Sodium Chloride (SALT), I Am Electromagnetic Radiation (LIGHT)

​

I can only prepare 2 dishes of food, and one of them is Bacon Carbonara. I consider myself to be a casual cook and only get to prepare this dish occasionally, so I’m still really far from perfecting it.Ever since I learned how to cook Bacon Carbonara I believe I can count on one hand the number of times I have volunteered to bring it to a social event. More often, I prepare the dish at home. But during last year’s Christmas season my friends and I had a Christmas Party, so I decided to bring Bacon Carbonara.

​

All of us have our own preferred tastes when it comes to food, but around my family I am used to cooking with a low sodium content. This being my habit, I forgot to consider that I wasn’t cooking for my family; so when I prepared my pasta I only added a small amount of salt. The moment of truth came; everybody was around the table and we were all eating. Just then I remembered the salt issue and became anxious that some of them would find it bland. Fortunately, we all enjoyed the party and they all loved my pasta.

​

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us of our identity; that we are the salt and the light of the world. In our modern age of technology nowadays, these two resources are probably not as valuable to us anymore, but during the time of Christ they were two of the most important and valuable resources man used. In our history class we were taught that salt was traded as a spice, and even had to be imported by other countries. It was so valuable that when it was shipped from one destination to another, pirates often plotted to board the ships and attempt to steal it.

​

On the other hand, light was just as important because it performed many functions like heat production, cooking, safety, and others. So when Jesus tells us that we are the salt and the light of the world, He is actually telling us how valuable and important we are. When all the things that are happening around us seem dark and hopeless, we can be the light that can provide warmth and security to the people around us. Perhaps love tastes salty, because the Lord says today that we can be that savory kind of love that the world needs so that we can say, “O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Sometimes we do forget to add a little bit more salt to our dish, and this makes us anxious over how people will react to it. In comparison, sometimes in our own lives we feel like we lack a bit more taste. But we don’t need to worry about this anymore because in the conclusion of the Gospel Jesus reminds us that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In this He reminds us that every time we lack confidence, we can always look to Him as our source of hope.  He has already laid down the road for us, and all we need to do is just walk according to His ways.