5 Sunday in

th

Ordinary Time
Is. 58:7-10
Cycle AI Cor. 2:1-5 5 February 2017
Mt. 5:13-16
INTRODUCTION:

At the beginning of Jesus'

Sermon on the Mount, he
compares his disciples to:
a) SALT (ASIN)
b) LIGHT (ILAW)
c) A CITY SET ON A HILL
(NAYON/BAYAN SA BUROL)
 Each of these three exists not
for itself but for another thing
else. Let us apply each of the
three to RELIGION in general
and to CHRISTIANITY in
particular and to the people
who profess it.
1
Of what value is SALT/LIGHT/ A
CITY ON A HILL?

In itself, NONE really except in

relation to what it is used for in
ancient times and even today:
1

SALT:
(before the invention of
Refrigeration) to season
and preserve meat/food
and to render the soil
infertile as what Rome
did to Carthage.
1

LIGHT:
(before the invention of
electricity) to see
something clearer
1
CITY ON A HILL:
(before Maps and GPS)
like a compass to point
or locate direction.
1
RELIGION:
in an
privatized/individualized
culture, is considered to make
our lives holier but in the Bible,
the holiness it gives to people
affects the culture or their
behavior to life-situations.
2

SALT: seasons/preserves/
undermines and destroys
CHRISTIANITY what is dysfunctional in
and like society.
CHRISTIANS LIGHT: highlights/enhances
what is best in a culture.
CITY ON A HILL: points to

direction where one is.

2
The implication of Jesus: without
vibrant Christianity (Christians), the
world would be worse than it is. A
weak Christianity is a disaster for the
world. The world depends on
Christian Churches to become
what it is meant to be.
3
Practical APPLICATIONS IN LIFE:
The millions of babies per year who die to
abortion and the millions of babies per year who
never thrived to live due to contraceptive pills,
the parents of most of these babies are Christians
and Catholics also. Why do these happen and in
great numbers?

Di gaanong tumalab ang Pagka-Kristiano natin!

3
Practical APPLICATIONS IN LIFE:

The killing of 7000 drug

addicts these last seven
months na walang
tumututol at may mga
umaayon pa dahil addict
nga daw sila. Bakit?
3
Practical APPLICATIONS IN LIFE:
Bakit ang dalas na ng
baha ngayon tapos ng
ulang dala ng hanging
habagat? Pinutol ang
mga kahoy sa bundok ng
mga malalakas na
businessmen na mga
Katoliko din.
CONCLUSION:

Jesus' rhetorical question

"But what if salt goes flat?"
should bother us.

+ART
 CONCLUSION:
Jesus wants his disciples to be
SALT, LIGHT, A CITY ON A
HILL.

BE SALT! BE LIGHT!
BE A CITY
The world
ONwill be a better place.
A HILL! +ART