Homily, February 8, 2026

February 08, 2026

181

From The Pastor

Jesus is a teacher. Effective teachers teach from their hearts, who they are, what they deeply believe in, and what they hope their students will become. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God incarnate through the Holy Spirit. As God, Jesus reveals and teaches us who God is through the words, actions, and meaning of his life. Jesus speaks of justice and peace, unity, and love among all people. The words of Jesus are modeled and fulfilled in his actions. Jesus lives justice with a deep inner peace grounded in mercy that knows and understands the human condition. The words and actions of Jesus heal, forgive, awaken, and give new life to those who encounter him.

Jesus is salt and light. The words and deeds of Jesus season and give new flavor that enriches how we taste and metabolize the life of the gospel. Jesus lifts people up, gives hope, and helps others to see and accept themselves with a new love and self-value. In faith, walking with Jesus inspires people beyond them self toward a maturing self-awareness of dignity and worth.

Jesus loves himself in his identity and shares all he is with others. Jesus proclaims, “I am the Light of the world.” What does this mean? Jesus is the light of love, truth, and goodness. He is the Light of God who dispels and defeats the darkness of evil, sin, and death through the power of Divine Love. As a person of light, Jesus teaches and calls each of us to see the light of God in ourselves and in others. Jesus does not possess the light as his own but calls each of us to accept his light and discover its power within us.

In the gospel, Jesus is speaking to the disciples about the nature and identity of God. He teaches and forms his followers in his identity as Lord and Redeemer. As if speaking to all who will hear it, Jesus says to the disciples, “You are the salt of the earth.” This is a gift and a call. He is affirming the disciples, inviting them to see in themselves all that He sees in them.

What does it mean to be salt of the earth? Salt is a seasoning that enriches the taste and flavor of food. Salt preserves but also can burn if not used wisely. To be the salt of God means a person claims and acts in the attitude of Christ. Having the attitude of Christ enriches and draws out the goodness, truth, and light of others that brings greater good to the world. People with the salt of God are influencers who draw others to the awareness of their own goodness through words and actions of love, affirmation, or encouragement. People with salt see and react to injustice, human suffering, and to those in need with patience, tolerance, and compassionate self-giving.

‘What is salt if loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?’ When salt loses its taste or the ability to season, it has lost its reason to exist; the purpose for which it was created. The believer who loses their salt loses the attitude of their identity in Christ to know, love, and give glory to God. Their faith has become tasteless without seasoning or ability to share the flavor of Christ.

“You are the light of the world.” What does this mean? It means you have professed faith in God revealed in the Lord Jesus, accepting the love of God in the gift of redemption. Through the grace of Baptism, the light of God dwells within you. Embracing this light in a maturing way, a person comes to know and love themself as a beloved of God. Trusting the light of Christ, you come to realize and accept your deep inner goodness in the dignity of your person as one created by God. This inner knowing and acceptance of personal goodness, by nature, will bear fruit through your acts of love in word and deed.

People of light do not have to announce themselves. Their goodness is shared and seen which draws others them. Sadly, too many people have not yet discovered their light or the courage to share it with others. Fear of criticism, embarrassment, or rejection causes many of us to not allow our light to shine. This is not only to the diminishment of the one, but to the diminishment of many. The light in each of us is needed to fully reveal the glory of God. Every one of us has the light of God and Jesus calls us to share our light not only for our own good, but for the good of others that all might be touched by the love of God and learn to reveal God’s glory.

You have salt and you are light. God is inviting you to share your goodness and the light of your faith for the good of the world. Many will doubt, others will resist. Every believer has some share of the light of Christ that another member of the Body of Christ might need to know God more fully. Whatever gift, light, goodness, love, truth, joy, or hope you hold, share it for the glory of God. You will be seasoned and richly flavored as will those around you.

Father John Esper