Bishop Anthony B. Taylor delivered this homily Feb. 9.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the Vatican flag. It has the papal tiara and two keys on the white side of the yellow and white flag. The keys represent the authority Jesus gave to Peter and his successors to open and close. “Whatever you bind on earth” — the silver key — “shall be bound in heaven” — the gold key — and “whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
Hence the power to impose restrictions (for instance, to forbid eating meat on Fridays of Lent and even the power to excommunicate) and the power to forgive (for instance, to dispense from certain obligations and even to annul certain marriages).
But have you ever wondered about the yellow and white colors of the flag? They remind us of what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel: we are to be “the salt of the earth” (the white part of the flag) and “the light of the world” (the yellow part of the flag). What Jesus says about the light is obvious. We should let our “light shine before others” so that they may see our good deeds and give glory to God.
But what about the salt, the white part of the flag? Well, salt was the main spice used in Jesus’ time. His meaning is that just as salt keeps good food from spoiling, so we have a role in keeping the world from slipping into decay. And since salt preserves food in a way that also enhances its flavor, so we are to preserve and protect the world in way that enhances our world — brings out the best in it, while at the same time correcting the flaws in the world.
And then Jesus adds that if the salt loses its flavor, it is not good for anything other than to be thrown out. You might think it strange to think of sodium chloride losing its flavor. Salt is a stable chemical and the salt we buy at the store never goes stale. But that was not true in the ancient world. Their salt was not salt in a pure form. It was mined from the earth and contained chalk and other impurities. Sometimes the humidity would leach the salt out of this chalky, salty powder, with the result that what was left retained no sodium chloride at all — no salty taste, no preservative qualities.
So also, Jesus suggests, if our dedication to bringing out the best in the world is leached out of us, if we lose our desire to correct the flaws in ourselves and in our world, then we’re not good for much. Just as the useless powder is thrown out, so the useless disciple risks being discarded. And just as good food that spoils for lack of salt must be thrown out, so our good world risks spoilage and moral decay for lack of sufficient dedicated disciples.
And in this, all of us have something to contribute. The great cuisines of the world often take the most improbable ingredients, some of which are almost indigestible by themselves, and blend them in such a way that the specific contribution of each enhances the flavor of the dish as a whole. Who wants to eat garlic by itself? Or oregano by itself? Or salt by itself? But combined with tomatoes and olive oil and parmesan cheese, all of these together can make a great spaghetti sauce, a sauce that would not be nearly as good if even one of those ingredients were missing. So also in the Church.
We are to be the salt of the earth: to preserve and protect and build up our world — both within the Church and in society — and not just the material things of our world, but more importantly to preserve, protect and build up our world spiritually.
We do this by proclaiming the Gospel of Life and the intrinsic worth of the human person from the first moment of conception to natural death. We do this by speaking out in defense of human rights, by reaching out to the needy with special love and compassion, by working hard to correct injustices and build bridges of understanding and reconciliation and peace. We do this (1) by enlightening others about Jesus and about our faith — the yellow part of the flag, (2) with works of self-sacrificing love — the white part of the flag, thus fulfilling Jesus’ call to work to enhance our world and remedy its flaws.
