Salt and Light

You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world 

Good morning/evening everyone, I am so happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. Our special to all our parishioners, visitors and everyone here today. Friends in Christ Jesus, let us thank God almighty for bringing us all here to this beautiful Church of St. Paul the Apostle/St. Jean de Brebeuf. Let us thank Him for sending His only Son our Lord Jesus Christ to be with us for ever. Let us thank Him for showering upon us His countless blessings each and every day. 

Now let us take a moment to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ, calling to mind, our sins, sufferings, failures, pain and weakness and asking divine assistance and Christ our Lord's forgiveness, mercy and compassion. 

Good morning every one. I still remember my mom asking me to have a month holiday and I did but within two weeks of my holiday, all she asked was, "When are you going back to Canada?" Understanding mothers are not an easy thing. If I phone her, she would say, "why are you calling me all the time" and if I don't phone her, she would say, "You are too busy now.  

An unexpected thing happened when I was at St. Paul's Church in Norwood. One day about two o'clock in the morning , there was a bang at the door. I ignored the sound initially but the sound began to grow stronger and stronger. So I collected all my courage and turned all the lights on and thus went downstairs and opened the front door. There about twenty people standing outside saying," we are here for world youth day 2002".  

The theme for world youth day 2002 was, "You are the salt of the earth and you are the light of the world". The Catholic TV network in Canada, 'Salt and Light' was named after the world youth day theme. 

As my family lives only five kilometers from the Indian ocean in India, I used to meditate on the vastness of the Ocean and how amazing things happening in the sea every day. There are so many living creatures and plants live in the salty water and the salty water creates harmony among living beings.  

Salt brings life and salt gives protection to living creatures and plants in the water. When saltiness is being disturbed with such as oil spill and other things,  then we see some great catastrophes happening. We know how salt gives tastes to food, it preserves things and adds flavor to things.  

Christ our Lord asks us today to be the salt of the earth. we are asked to add happiness and joy. We are asked to add a little more spiritual meaning in others lives and to help them to know that they are not alone but Christ our Lord who lived, died and came back to life for us all is still with them and continues His miracles and wonders even today.  

The story of EWTN is the story of a brave woman who had the courage of her conviction that she should be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Yes Mother Angelica who died in 2016 started broadcasting catholic TV for just a few hours a day in 1981 from the garage of her poor Clare monastery in the States. The project grew bigger and now after thirty-five years, the Eternal world Television Network is available twenty-four hours a day all over the world by cable and satellite. We are called to be like mother Angelica salt of the earth and light of the world. 

Jesus the light of the world asks us to be like Him. He asks us to reflect His light in the world. Anyone who follows Christ will begin to shine before others. We can not hide that powerful Christ light that is within us.  

The gospel of St. John begins saying in the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was God and everything came into being only through Him and what has come into being was life and the life was the light of the world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not over come the light. 

Christ is the light and the light can not be hidden. Let us be bearers of Christ light and shine before others. Yes, instead of cursing the darkness, let us be light and shine before all. Amen.