Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Scripture readings, we heard about the Lord Who reminded each and every one of us that we who are His people ought to show all that we truly belong to Him. And the only way to do it is by really practicing what we believe in, by actually doing and acting out the things which He had taught us to do, that is to love, and love tenderly and generously.

And that was what Jesus our Lord meant when He spoke about having a candle and a light that ought not to be hidden underneath and covered, but instead should be shown for all to see, as the light that illuminate the whole room. This is related to what He also said on another occasion, which we know as the parable of the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

In that parable, Jesus compared and indeed exhorted His disciples to be salt of the earth and to be light of the world. At the core of the message, it simply means that if we do call ourselves as Christians, then certainly we cannot show to the world otherwise, for example, by acting in ways that besmirch and desecrate the holiness of God and His Church, by committing fornication and adultery with improper relationships, as well as many others.

Jesus said that if light is concealed and hidden, that it has no use at all, as light has its purpose to brighten up the place and show the path and give direction for others to see. Meanwhile, if salt loses its saltiness, then it has also become useless, as salt is used to give flavour to the food. Without their respective useful properties, light and salt are meaningless and useless.

In the same manner, we must live our faith with sincerity and genuine intention, showing them through our loving actions, real actions that bring forth the goodness of God’s love and grace in us. In that, then we will have fulfilled what the Lord had asked us to do, to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It means that we cannot be lukewarm in our faith, and neither can we be ignorant about the many things that are occurring around us on daily basis.

Yes, the fact is that the opportunity for evangelisation is always there for us. We do not have to go far away in order to evangelise. What we need to do is to pay attention to those who are near to us, surrounding us, and see what we can do from there. Before we can do great things, we must know how to do simple things, and beginning from our own families, societies and communities around us, we can truly make a difference, not just for ourselves, but also for those whom we interact with.

Let us all look at the example of today’s great saint, the renowned St. Januarius of Naples, Italy, also known by his name San Gennaro in that place. He was renowned for the miracles that surround the most renowned relic he had, that is a vial of his preserved blood, which liquefies on certain periods of the year, including today, his feast day.

But what made St. Januarius great and such miracles to happen to his relic was indeed his great contribution to the Church and to the faithful, especially to all those to whom he had dedicated himself to. St. Januarius was the Bishop of the region of Benevento in southern Italy during a time when being a Christian often meant committing a crime against the state punishable by death. Persecution was rampant against the faithful then.

It was told that St. Januarius tried his best as the leader of the faithful in his diocese, hiding those who have been found out to be Christians and targeted by the state for punishment and imprisonment. He did this for a few years before he himself was discovered and then put into jail as a result. But he did not falter to the very end, and he continued to put his trust and faith in the Lord, until he was martyred in defending his faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should all heed the examples of St. Januarius, who had worked so hard to serve the faithful to whom he had been appointed as a shepherd and leader. We too in our own ways can contribute to the Church, and also helping one another to live out their lives in faith to God. Let us all reflect on this, and think of the ways in which we can be better Christians, living in accordance to the Lord and His ways. God bless us all. Amen.