You Are The Salt of the Earth
Salt is an image that has been universally recognized throughout the ages and across all cultures. As Christians we reflect on every meaning of salt and how we can apply it to our lives.
Salt has the ability to transform the taste of food. When I eat raw bok choy, I find that with a dash of sea salt, the bitter edge becomes sweet. The secret to cooking with salt is to use just enough to bring out other flavors; one should not taste the salt. How many times have we experienced the gift of salt from others? The people who clean the altar linens at Church for Sunday Mass, parents who do all the prep work for preschool art class or sew costumes for school plays, or the hosts and hostesses who prepare their homes to welcome holiday guests all do much more than we realize. They are the salt that brings beauty to our lives.
Salt is humble. It remains in the background not driven by need for recognition. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is a perfect example. As a cloistered nun, she remained apart from society devoted to a life of prayer. In her time very few people knew of her existence or the profound effect she would have on Christianity. She died at 24 years of age in 1897. Her spiritual essays, collectively published as The Story of a Soul in 1898 outline a path to holiness that is so simple a child could grasp it: do all the little things with great love.
As a mom raising young children I would have loved to say that I rose early every morning to pray a rosary before starting my day, but that was not my reality. My children did not nap and my younger one slept very poorly for years – which meant I slept poorly as well, tumbling into bed at night exhausted and falling asleep during the Apostles’ Creed; I hoarded every minute of sleep as a treasure. St. Thérèse’s words showed me how to make a prayer out of my ordinary life. Whether I was doing laundry, scrubbing the toilet, or cooking a meal, I could offer these things to God with love and they would no longer be menial tasks, but prayers from the heart. Her advice transformed my perspective not only on what I was doing, but on how I valued myself and my contribution to the world. I no longer saw myself the way American society views parents who work in the home; I saw myself as someone accomplishing the tasks God wanted me to do for love of Him and my family. I found meaning in the smallness of my life.
Salt is vital for life. Salt helps regulate the water content in our bodies, helps maintain blood pressure, and assists in nerve and muscle function. Without salt, we could not survive. If we are to be this salt, we must understand that without Christ we have no eternal life and neither does anyone else. We are chosen to be witnesses for Him and bring those around us into life in Christ. We are called to live our Christian faith so that we are a blessing to others.
Jesus is also writing us a love letter. If we really pay attention to the Scripture, we can read what He means to tell us. Jesus sees our acts of love that no one else sees. Nothing that we do is unimportant in His eyes. Salt is precious and so are we. We are the ones with whom He wants to share His eternal life. We are the reason He came to earth, suffered, died, and resurrected. We are the beloved of God.
