5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A (2026)

Today we hear Jesus declare that we are to be salt for the earth. That sounds odd. Scientifically, we know many things about mineral salt that people of Jesus’ time wouldn’t have known. On the other hand, they understood it and used in ways that we no longer understand.

For example, in Jesus’ time, salt was a precious and expensive commodity. It was traded by caravans, the way one traded gems or gold. The Romans valued it so much that part of a legionnaire’s pay was a ration of salt (which is where our word ‘salary’ comes from).

But also, in his time and culture, people of a village often shared an oven. And since they didn’t have electricity or natural gas, the most abundant and economical form of fuel was……animal manure. And so, the duty (or privilege) of a young girl in a family, was to go collect manure or dung, mix salt into it and form it into patties (Definitely wash those hands before dinner!). Then the patties were left to dry in the sun.

After that the salt was also put in the bottom of the oven and then, the salted dung patty was placed upon it. The salt was a catalyst which caused the dung to burn. You might try this if you plan to grill for the Superbowl!

But eventually the salt slab would lose its spark, and it became useless. As Jesus said, “It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”.

“You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus is telling his audience—and by extension, us—that we are to be a spark, which causes an effect. Said more plainly, the world around us should know Jesus because our hearts are alive with him.

But ask yourself: What’s been your recent spiritual reading, your time availed for prayer, for daily Mass, for seeking God in the Scriptures, your intentional meditation on the very life of Jesus, to help you know him better? Some of you are maybe doing none of that, but instead, merely coasting on inertia your baptismal graces.

May we not become like manure that’s lost its spark. You and I are to be a light for others. Throughout our lives, you and I have a responsibility to feed our faith. If we do not feed our faith we will lose our spark. Those we love deserve more from us more than that.