5A SUNDAY HOMILY, MATTHEW 5:13-16 February 8, 2026
By: Fr. Vincent Corbelli
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. It 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 placed 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.
