Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.
Most of us would like our food to be a little bit salty. If it is, then that food is flavorful. If it is flavorful, then we can enjoy the food and maybe eat more than the usual. This is the reason in our dining table, we have a lot of things that we use to salten our food – soy sauce, “patis” or fish sauce, “bagoong” or shrimp paste and of course, salt. For we equate saltiness with flavor and flavor with saltiness. And among the poor, most of them will have lunch of rice with salt or soy sauce, and that’s it!
The role of salt in the Bible is relevant to understanding Hebrew society during the Old Testament and New Testament periods. Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification.
In today’s gospel, Jesus invites us to “keep salt in ourselves” to achieve peace with one another. We have to keep ourselves “flavorful” – valuable, loyal, useful and pure – in the eyes of God and in the eyes of others. Salt is primarily used as a seasoning - how about your life does it add seasoning to others? Salt is also known to be a great preservative. There are a lot things in our lives that need to be preserved, things like passion, love for people, righteous living, giving and obedience to God’s will. These are characteristics that God wants preserved in our lives daily.
Prevent ourselves to become insipid – losing that flavor – for we will be of no use. Keep your life filled with passion, giving, and love for people. Allow God to melt away everything that is not of Him. Have SALT in yourselves.
Almighty Father, I give my soul to your care. Do not let me lose it by serious sin. Protect my mind and my will so that all my thoughts and desires will be pleasing to God. Let me love you with all my heart, through Jesus. Let me always try to love my neighbor. Let me always remember that my body is a home for the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.
God will redeem me from the power of the nether world by receiving me.
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