Salt of Christ

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]

February 9, 2020

Matthew 5:13-16

Reading carefully, we may wonder, “Is it possible if salt loses it, saltiness?” In everyday experience, we never experience tasteless salt. However, when we go back to the time of Jesus, we will be surprised that a salt losing its taste is a daily reality. In ancient Israel, the people would go to the Dead Sea, the saltiest body of water on earth, and gathered the “pillar of salt” formed surrounding the lake. Then, they would put inside a small bag, like a tea bag”, and when it was needed for seasoning, the bag would be dipped into the water or soup. After some repeated use, the salt would lose its saltiness due to the chemical impurities. It turned to be nothing but an ordinary pebble, and shall be thrown away and trampled underfoot.

Salt is potent seasoning, but because of its small quantity, we hardly notice it. When I was still in the minor seminary, one of our Lenten observances was to eat our meals cooked without salt. The taste was totally awful. I forced myself to swallow the food, but it just made me feel terrible and feel like vomiting. I never thought that food without salt could hardly be edible.

For many of us, salt is just nothing but seasoning that we can add if lacking, or we only complain to the cooks if the menu is too salty. Yet, for some people, salt literally means life and death. From time to time, we have experienced diarrhea or a loose bowel movement. The sickness itself is easily treatable, but if left untreated, it can be deadly as it causes people to severe dehydration. One of the traditional ways to treat it is “oralit” or oral rehydration solution. It involves drinking the right quantity of water with added sugar and salt. How tiny salt saves people’s lives!

Yet, salt is seasoning and not the real menu. One cannot survive just salt alone. Too much salt in our body will lead to higher blood pressure, and high blood pressure can be fatal to many human organs. Jesus calls us “salt” because we are called to give an excellent flavor to the Bread of Life. When I was still studying in Manila, I was introduced to one of the favorite breakfasts of the Filipinos, “pan de sal.” It is Spanish for the bread of salt because a small amount of salt was added into the final phase of making the dough. The shape of the bread is simple, yet tasty, and make people crave more.

Like salt in Pan de Sal, our mission as Christians is to bring Jesus to others and to make people to long for Jesus more. It is a tough job because our lives and actions shall be right, not too salty, and not to bland. The more we draw attention to ourselves, the more people will just feel “too salty.” Yet, without making our effort, Christ will appear as rather “bland.”

Every time we go to the Mass, we receive the Body of Christ in the form of white, small, and tasteless bread, a host. Why is it flavorless? Because as we go home, we need to become the taste of this Bread of life. So, it is no longer we, but Christ who lives in us (see Gal 2:20).

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 2, 2016

Luke 17:5-10

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you (Luk 15:6).”

Reading through today’s Gospel, it seems to have faith is to perform some sort of magical power. If I have faith, I can create rice field on the seabed. If I have faith, I can made a Lamborghini car out of pile of garbage. If I have faith, I can transform my voice like Ed Sheeran. But, faith is not like that. It is not a magical show to entertain us. It is neither an instant answer to our wishes. Yet, it remains true that even the smallest of faith can make the difference.

Jesus spoke of faith as like the size of a mustard seed, that symbolizes our little faith. Yet even, this little faith can make a significant difference in our life, even to do the impossible. True, our lives practically do not change. We are still struggling with financial difficulties. We still need to deal with demanding bosses or terror professors. We are facing horrendous traffic everyday especially in big cities like Manila and Jakarta. We are battling various sickness plaguing our bodies and not knowing how to pay the medical bills. Yes, our lives do not change, yet at the same time, our little faith will make our lives never the same again. How is this possible?

With faith, we are empowered to believe in the unseen God. If we are able to see the unseen God, then we are also able to discover His unseen love and mercy working in our lives. God is not asleep and does not let us struggle alone with myriads of problems and stresses. We remember Peter, the man of little faith, who attempted to walk on the waters, but failed and began to sink. In his little faith, he saw Jesus holding his hand and thus saving him. Like Peter, we are falling into the ocean of difficulties, but we do not drown, because through our little faith, we see Jesus holding our hands.

We learn from many saints. Their faith does not make their lives any better. Many, like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Martin de Porres, remained poor through their lives like. Many still dealt with a lot of problems. Mother Teresa struggled to sustain her charity works and her young Congregation. St. Bernadette Soubirous endured severe pain due to tuberculosis of the bone. Martyrs were cruelly tortured and executed for this faith. But, this little faith have made them more generous, more persevering,  even more joyful in the midst of trials. As St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino proto-martyr, proclaimed when he was about to be executed, “I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God; had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.” Faith does not take away our suffering, but it empowers us to see God. This is enough to change us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Lazarus and Us

26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 25, 2016

Luke 16:19-31

“Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table (Luk 16:20-21).”

When Abraham said to the tormented rich man, “My child, you have received what was good during your life,” does it mean I will be thrown to the netherworld as well? I admit I have received so many good things in my life. I enjoy three good meals a day. I am studying in one of the best schools in the country. I do not have to worry about the security and future of my life. Many of us are enjoying the good things in this world, and we may ask ourselves, “are we going to have the same fate with this rich man in the parable?”

Reading closely on the Gospel, the rich man was sent to the netherworld not because of the good things he received in life. In fact, it would be unfair for him and for us. Many of us are working diligently and we deserve to enjoy our lives after all the backbreaking jobs. He was there because he did not care for Lazarus, his poor brother. If we pay attention to the proximity between the rich man and Lazarus, there is something unusual. Initially, Lazarus was outside the door, but then when he ate the food scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, he was actually inside the house. In fact, Lazarus was under the table of the rich guy. With this extreme closeness the rich man acted as if Lazarus did not exist. What sent him to the netherworld is not because of the good things he received, but his gross neglect and grave ignorance of his own poor brother. 

We may have the same fate as the rich man if we do not care for our poor brothers and sisters around us. In fact, our ignorance may be the cause of their poverty and misery. Sometimes, we just feel good after donating some coins to the beggars, but is that enough? Indeed, we cannot do much to help the thousands of refugees in war-torn Syria, but do we do something for those who are close to us? Are we too busy working and earning, so much so that we forget to share? Do we close our eyes to our relatives who are struggling with their children's education? Do we shield ourselves from the social issues in our society, like the increasing number of poor people being killed simply because they are thought to be small-time drug addicts?

We give thanks to God for the blessings and good things we receive in this life. Yet, we should remember also our brothers and sisters who are just outside our doors, those who are just under our table, waiting for our food scraps.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP