Readings
I - 2Cor. 1:18-22
II - Mt. 5:13-16
St. Antony of Padua (Memorial)
WE ARE SALT AND LIGHT TO THE EARTH
In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to make the marooned life colourful and meaningless life purposeful by being a light and the salt of the earth. As Christians we have the responsibility to testify to the world that it is in sharing and not accumulating; it is in giving and not in receiving; it is in synergy and not in success; and it is in solidarity and not in aloofness, can we make our life colourful and purposeful. It takes a lot of courage to go against the current carrying the light of Christ to savour the lives of the people living in darkness and despair.
The Church today remembers St. Anthony of Padua, an Augustinian monk. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal. He hailed from a noble family. Still he gave up everything including his wealth and riches for the sake of Christ and his Gospel. He was just thirty five years old when he died. He was canonised in less than a year. His tongue is not corrupt and still exhibited in St. Anthony’s Church, Padua. His teaching was so perfect and his life exemplified Christian living as a monk. St. Anthony is also considered as patron for finding of the lost things. Let us pray to St. Anthony, the finder of lost things, to help us discover the qualities of Jesus in us so that we too may embrace an exemplary life in Christ becoming salt and light in our own society. May our mind and heart resonate with the prayer, “St. Anthony, Pray for us”.
