From The Bishop

Recent statistics have found that the religiously unaffiliated, called ‘nones’, are growing significantly. Researchers call them the second largest ‘religious’ group in North America and Europe. In the United States this group is now larger than Catholic, mainline Protestant, and non-Christian faiths. Studies have found that lack of religious affiliation impacts how people look at life, death, and the world around them. It seems that the importance of faith and religion is fading in the West. This is why the words of Jesus in the Gospel for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time are so important. Our Lord says, “You are the Salt of the Earth” and “You are the Light of the World.” These words are addressed to us so that we will not lose hope. Salt is a seasoning that can add zest to a dish; faith should be the “spice of life.” Light dispels darkness; belief should illuminate life. We need to witness this in our own lives. It would seem that some of us have lost our saltiness or have allowed our light to hide under a bushel basket. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah tells us how we can overcome this spiritual deficit. We need to promote justice, fight oppression, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked. In other words, we need to put our faith into action. The ‘nones’ need to see in us people who are not afraid to talk about their faith and to live it each day. This is the heart of the new evangelization. Today’s Readings remind us that, from a spiritual perspective, we need to be salt and light. So let us avoid the bushel basket and the low-sodium diet and then we can do what Jesus asks, “let your light shine before human beings, so that so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”