“WALK DAILY WITH JESUS”, 09/06/26, (Tuesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time of Year A. Also, Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Doctor of the Church).

COLLECT: “O GOD, FROM WHOM ALL GOOD THINGS COME, GRANT THAT WE, WHO CALL ON YOU IN OUR NEED, MAY AT YOUR PROMPTING DISCERN WHAT IS RIGHT, AND BY YOUR GUIDANCE DO IT. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH GOD THE FATHER IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.

1Kgs 17:1-6; Ps Ps 120:1-8 and Mt 5:1-12.

The portion from the First Book of the Kings continues the story of the predicament of Elijah as he manifests God’s power/God’s supremacy/God’s righteousness. The brook near where Elijah is hiding runs dry because of a drought. Elijah is instructed by the Lord to move to Zarephath of Sidon to stay there. He will be cared for by a widow. In the portion of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus continues to unfold his program or agenda, which is also the agenda for those following him. Today, Jesus gives two items on his agenda for his followers to live: the images of SALT and LIGHT. A disciple who is like salt and light is the one who manifests God’s supremacy/power/righteousness, God’s truth and love in the world, as well as shows that he/she is living his/her faith fully.

As ‘the salt of the earth’, we should give taste to the world by making the world a better place for ourselves and for others to live in. Our loving and cheerful deeds should make the world an attractive place for people. Even though we are in the world but not for the world, we should work to add more meaning to it, make it ‘delicious, palatable and enjoyable’ for ourselves and for others to live in.

As salt that serves as a preservative, we are to preserve the world by our good, impartial and incorruptible deeds and actions. If our actions corrupt the world and make it an evil and rotten place, then we are failed followers of Jesus. We should therefore act as moral disinfectants of society, working to maintain moral standards in society by being virtuous and law-abiding. This will preserve society from moral disintegration.

We should be ready and willing to dissolve ourselves like salt does for plants and animals for growth and strength. We dissolve ourselves when we are ready to ‘lose ourselves’ by spending and sacrificing our time, energy and resources so that other people may live better lives in the world.

As ‘the light of the world’, followers of Jesus like light should be able to illuminate and shine in dark areas so that people may move about freely and without fear. Our lives should be shining examples for others to follow and imitate without fear of falling into error. Otherwise, it will be better to tie rocks to our necks and throw us into the seawater.

Light cannot be hidden and it should not otherwise it has no use. We should therefore endeavour not to hide behind the world, behind our workplaces and offices or hide behind people/the crowd. We must show ourselves as Jesus’ disciples and be living examples in all parts of the world and in all spheres of human life: in politics, business, Civil service, military service, religious life as well as in public service. We should be conspicuous through our good deeds and shining examples wherever we find ourselves. We should attract people like light, drawing people to Christ and not repel and dispel people from coming to Christ. We should give life, love and warmth to our families, communities, workplaces and to the world as a whole.

We should ask ourselves today regarding our calling to be ‘Salt’ and ‘Light’ of the world/society if we have fallen short in any of the areas where we should behave as such. May the Lord forgive us. On the other hand, if we have been doing our best as ‘salt’ and ‘light’ of the world, we thank the Lord for giving us the graces to do that and pray that he may assist us to improve. May Saint Ephrem intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Ephrem.

WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.

PRAYER: “MAY YOUR HEALING WORK, O LORD, FREE US, WE PRAY, FROM DOING EVIL AND LEAD US TO WHAT IS RIGHT. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”

Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.