5B SUNDAY HOMILY, MATTHEW 5:13-16, February 4, 2024
1) STORY
As soon as a fierce tiger saw a person, he ate him. The tiger promised a
friend that he was going to change this bad habit. If he
saw a Catholic, he would not eat him. However, a few days later he saw a
Catholic and ate him, leaving only the lips. When his friend reminded him of his promise
not to eat Catholics, he replied that he smelled the man but could not find the
smell of a Catholic except for his lips. So, he ate the man leaving only the lips
saying that the man spoke like a Catholic but did not act like a Catholic. He was a Catholic in name only.
2) GOSPEL: Matthew 5:13-16
A) YOU ARE SALT AND YOU ARE LIGHT.
Salt and light were very important in the past and today. Salt was used for preserving food, such as meat and fish, in the days when there were no refrigerators. I t is used to season food. There were no electric lights in Jesus’ time so light from oil lamps was important for working, guiding people, and for safety reasons.
B) YOUR LIGHT MUST SHINE BEFORE OTHERS.
For salt and light to be useful, they must be used. Salt must be sprinkled on food to preserve and
season it. It is of no use if kept in a
container. Light must be place on a
lampstand and not under a bushel as to help people see.
3) APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
Just as salt and light are important, so are you. You are important to your family, to your friends, to your employer, to your church, and above all to Jesus. You are brothers and sisters of Jesus, and you are his disciples. For example, during Mass the following are important: the altar servers, lectors, choir and organist, ministers of Holy Communion and money collectors. Jesus wants us to know that we are important.
B) YOUR ACTIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
i) You are important to God our Father. We must pray daily thanking and praising him and asking for help and for forgiveness. We must go to Sunday Mass to hear his instructions and receive the Eucharist.
ii) We are important to others. Use often the following words: thanks, please, excuse me, and I am sorry.
iii) You are important to yourself. Make every effort to stay healthy by eating
properly, getting enough rest, and learning to relax.
4) CONCLUSION
The tiger could tell a Catholic in name from a true Catholic. Just as salt and light are important so are we
important. We must live as true
Catholics in our daily lives by our prayer life, being good to others, and
caring for our health.
