Flash of Gold

 

Sermon by Father Jonathan E Moore - Link HERE

The second Sunday of Lent, 2026.

Last Sunday's Gospel told of the temptations of our Lord, which reached their climax with Him on the top of a mountain, where Satan showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, telling Jesus, “I will give you all this if you will bow down before me”. Our Lord, of course, rejected this false and empty promise.

This Sunday's Gospel story also reaches its climax on a mountaintop, but there the similarity ends. This time it is Jesus Himself who takes Peter, James and John to the mountaintop. That journey up the mountain symbolises a spiritual ascent, a movement away from the distractions of the world towards the presence of God.

Jesus doesn't show them the glory of the world and promise it all to them. In fact, He promises them nothing. What He does do, however, is to give them a momentary glimpse of His divinity.

Side by side with Jesus, they see Moses and Elijah. Their Jewish faith rested entirely upon the law and the prophets, and their revered lawgiver Moses and their greatest prophet Elijah, thus gave their testimony to Jesus. They also hear the voice of God the Father, “this is my own beloved Son, listen to Him”.

The Transfiguration is not just about seeing Jesus' glory, but about hearing and obeying His word. Those three apostles did not see the Lord's glory for long. Most of the experience was shrouded in mist and mystery, but they remembered it for the rest of their lives.

Saint Peter recalled that moment many years later when he wrote, “we ourselves heard that voice from Heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain”.

I want you to think this morning about the way you see Jesus, your image of Christ. Whichever depiction of Jesus it is you have in your mind now doesn't really matter.

What does matter, however, is that you pay close attention to the way that figure is clothed. In both Eastern and Western religious art it is usual to find Jesus shown with one corner or edge of His outward robe turned down. In the East that garment is commonly brown, depicting our Lord's human nature.

In the West it is usually red, symbolising our Lord's redeeming passion and death. The colour of the robe is not important, but that turned down corner is, because it is always coloured gold to show our Lord's divinity. This image helps us like Peter, James and John to glimpse his Godhead.

Jesus as truly God and man. Jesus taking on our human nature so as to make that greatest and most perfect sacrifice, giving His life so that we might have eternal life. Never lose sight of that little flash of gold.

We can of course lose sight of Jesus in another place too. Mass on the first Monday of Lent always features St Matthew's parable of the Last Judgement, with all of humanity divided into sheep or goats. The sheep are destined for Heaven because they served Christ in the sick, the hungry, the naked, those in prison.

The goats will not see Heaven. Their destiny is altogether different. They passed by their chance of Heaven when they failed to see the face of Jesus Christ in the poor and needy around them.

Thank God there are many opportunities of seeing a real concern for the poor, for refugees and outcasts shown in our society today. So many charities attracting support from people of faith and people who profess none. Lent for us Christians is a special time for almsgiving.

The real point of fasting in Lent is not to lose weight or trim yourself up, get fitter, but to save money we would normally spend on ourselves so as to give it to poor folk the world over. Seeing Christ, serving Christ in people we often will never meet this side of Heaven. What a pity if we ever allow the poor to become invisible to us.

How sad to go through all of life missing that flash of gold hidden beneath the cloak of human misery and suffering. Once seen it is never forgotten. It gives one a reason for living in this world and God's own true promise of happiness in the next.

Amen. God bless you. Say one for me.

Why did Jesus have to die?

 

Article by Victor S E Moubarak - Link HERE 

Why did Jesus have to suffer and die in order that we might be forgiven? Surely, if God wanted to forgive us, and to redeem us, He could have done so without Jesus having to suffer such a cruel death.

Let us first consider what is meant by "to redeem us".

Imagine the slave trade of times gone by, when free people were captured and sold as slaves to serve their owners as servants. Imagine a rich man buys a slave and then signs a paper which he gives the slave and sets him free. The rich man has bought the slaves freedom. He has redeemed him to his previous self. 

When God created us, He could have created a race of robots, all pre-programmed with His will, all doing as He would have wished. There would have been no wrong-doings, no sin, no evil; and everyone living happily ever after in Heaven.

But God in His infinite love and generosity gave us a gift. The gift of free will. He created us as free people able to decide for ourselves. He gave us the freedom of choice to make our own decisions and to do as we wished. 

And humanity did just that. Humanity rebelled. We chose sin time and again, from one generation to the next, we chose to sin.

God wanted to give us a second chance. He sent His Son Jesus to buy our forgiveness and to set us free and on the right path once again. To redeem our sins. That is, to pay the price for our sins by dying on the Cross.

This next bit is very important. 

Humanity sinned against God by disobeying His Commandments. So, strictly speaking, only God can forgive sins and no one else; since we sinned against Him. 

No human can take the role of forgiving sins; not Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah or anyone else. 

God wanted us to know that we can be forgiven by Him, so He sent His Son, (Jesus) on earth. 

Jesus is God. He is the only one with the power to forgive sin. 

(Note: In Matthew 18:18 Jesus gives His Disciples the authority to forgive sins). 

By sending us Jesus, God the Creator joined us and became His own creation. Jesus was born fully human as well as being fully God.

Jesus declared many times when healing people that their sins are forgiven . The Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes did not understand what He said and criticised Him saying that only God can forgive sins. They did not accept Him as the Son of God and reviled Him for saying so; and plotted to kill Him.

Despite  witnessing  Christ's compassion, mercy and love for His people, and the miracles He performed; His enemies still did not acknowledge Him as the Son of God and that He had/has the power to forgive sin. Because He was/is God.

Many today do not still accept Jesus as the Son of God.

"Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.'

Jesus answered: 'Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?' " John 14:1-14

Eventually, the leaders of the Jews got their own way and managed to have Jesus crucified for claiming to be the Son of God. 

God knew all this would happen and that humanity would turn against His Son long before it happened. 

It was predicted by the prophets in the Old Testament many years previously. The prophets were inspired by the Holy Spirit in what they said and wrote. 

Yet God allowed it to happen. He allowed His Son to come to earth and be rebelled against and killed.

Jesus always existed as God; He did not just start to exist when He was born on earth. He always existed and always knew that by coming to earth He will be rebelled against and be killed. Yet, He accepted His mission in obedience to God and in love for us. 

I can appreciate here the possible confusion in many minds. 

How can a Jesus who always existed as a Spirit appear again as a baby on earth? This is one of the great mysteries of our faith; and I doubt anyone has a suitable explanation. 

In my mind, I think that as a Spirit Jesus always existed. His birth as a baby was as a human being. God decreed that He would be born of a human as a vulnerable child, growing amongst us, learning our ways, and living with us. Jesus was/is fully God and fully human.

Because of our sins, from generation to generation, everyone in humanity has to suffer. It is the price we pay for making the wrong decisions. 

For some it is poverty, for others it is some illness or ailment, for others it is the work we do, or the difficulties of unemployment and so on. Everyone of us has his own share of suffering that we go through in life.

It is important to note that this is not a punishment for our own personal sin; but a consequence of humanity's rebellion over many generations and its propensity to sin; to choose evil instead of good. 

It follows, therefore, that Jesus, being human, as well as being God, had to suffer the pain and cruelty of a terrible death. Not because of His own personal sins; because He was without sin. But because of the consequences of humanity's sins throughout the generations. 

Sinning humans rebelled against Him and put Him to death; thus fulfilling the prophesies about Him which God knew about all along.

When Jesus prayed to His Father in the garden on the Mount of Olives "not my will, however, but your will be done"; He meant, "not your will that I should suffer, but your will that they may have and exercise their freedom of choice!"

Later, on the Cross, Jesus says, "forgive them Father! They don't know what they are doing," (by exercising their freedom of choice).

When He hung dying on that Cross, God had not abandoned Jesus, but was there beside Him suffering the evils of mankind. 

It was us who put Jesus to such suffering and cruel death, not God. 

When we study the life of Jesus, there are more than 300 prophesies about Him in the Old Testament that He fulfilled in His life. Some prophesies He had no personal control over - like where He would be born, the manner of His death and suffering, where He would be buried. The fact that on His Death the Romans would not break His legs as they did to the other two crucified with Him. The fact that the Roman soldiers would divide His clothes amongst themselves and gamble for His robe whilst He hung from the Cross.

And God allowed it all to happen in order that our sins against Him may be forgiven.

But there is more to it than just Jesus suffering death in such a way. 

God wanted to show us that He can conquer sin. He can conquer death. 

He did so by resurrecting His only Son in order for us to believe. For us to know that He was/is the Son of God. 

The one Who died for us, to forgive our sins, to redeem us. 

And He was raised again by His Father, our God in order to glorify Him for ever more.

My favourite prayer

 

Article by Myra Guca - Link HERE

My Favorite Prayer

Do you recall the first prayer you were taught as a child?, Have you a favorite?

Like so many children, I expect mine was the standard, "Now I lay me down to sleep ....".

Oh, but that line "....if I should die before I wake" was so unsettling! Akin to boogey-men who hide in little girls' closets. Sweet dreams? I'm thinking.... not.

Rather than confiding my fears, come bedtime I'd take a mental detour. The lips are moving, but no-one's home. Gone fishing; wherever.

Even in my adolescent years -- reciting liturgy, the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed: my mind was somewhere else.... far, far away. No, I'm not particularly proud of this fact, but there it is, in spite of my parents example, their best efforts.

Then along came Malcolm Boyd, the "hippie priest." By this time I was attending my best-friend's church -- one which boasted a large youth fellowship, whose leaders who actually seemed to connect. In retrospect, our group was anything but "hippie." Perhaps we enjoyed the shock value? "Are you running with me, Jesus?"

Thankfully I now enjoy listening "on purpose", going inside prayer consciousness. In his book, The Power to Change Today, Gregory Dickow advises us: "Each morning, choose a silent, peaceful place and talk to God. Greet God as you would a friend. 'Good morning, Lord! I'm looking forward to spending the day with you'."

OK, that "peaceful place" would be my car. Backing out of the driveway ... ensuring the garage door is descending ("Houston, we have lift-off.") ... I greet the empty expanse with my favorite prayer:

The light of God surrounds me;
The love of God enfolds me;
The power of God protects me;
The presence of God watches over me;
Wherever I am .... God is!

...and all is well.

Prayer for Protection
by James Dillet Freeman

A Lesson in Gratitude

  

Article by Barbara Mims - Link HERE 

A Lesson in Gratitude

It was good for me to be afflicted

so that I might learn your decrees.

Psalm 119:71

We did our grocery shopping today. I like to thank the Lord for what can seem very ordinary:

our groceries

the money to buy food

our car and the fuel to go shopping

the health to take care of our needs

Many years ago as a young, single adult in a heated frame of mind, I impulsively moved myself from a very comfortable, secure environment to live in a small, minimally-furnished apartment all by myself. I had no car and no telephone. I had to ride the city bus to get to my secretarial job downtown and to get to the grocery store. 

As I prepared for bed that first night in my new home, I began to realize some of the results of my rash behavior and upchucked my supper!

Right away I learned to not buy too many things at one time since there was nobody to carry the purchases other than me. As a result, I often would stop at the grocery store on my way home from work, buy the bare minimum of my needs, and then would have to pay bus fare again to finish getting home.

If I wanted or needed to use a telephone, I either walked outside for a block to a phone booth outside of a restaurant, or waited until a weekday when I could use the phone in my office.

At least I had a decent paycheck to cover the rent, bus fare, and of course, the groceries. The apartment complex had a beautiful outdoor swimming pool that I may have used once -- a questionable benefit in light of the practicalities I did not have.

Blessedly, that situation only lasted about 5 months. The entire experience taught me some valuable life lessons in a number of areas: 

1) rash decisions are usually the most foolish choice

2) be thankful and do not take for granted what we have

At that time I knew the Lord Jesus as my Savior, but clearly, my maturity was lacking in some key areas. I can look back now, some 50 years later, to thank the Lord for not deserting me in my foolish behavior.

Rembrandt and a Young Filipina

.

 Young Jew as Christ, Rembrandt 

Rembrandt and a Young Filipina

Article by Fr Seán Coyle

The author is a member of the Missionary Society of St Columban who spent most of his life as a priest in the Philippines and now lives in Ireland. He blogs at Bangor to Bobbio [https://bangortobobbio.blogspot.com/ ]

********** 

Fifteen or so years ago Letty (not her real name) came to Holy Family Home for Girls, Bacolod City, when she was around 14. She was from a remote mountainous area in the large island of Negros in the central Philippines. She had been referred there by the social worker in her municipality because she had been sexually abused. Holy Family Home is run by a wonderful group of religious sisters, the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family, whose main mission is to girls and young women in troubled situations. Most of those in the home in Bacolod, which houses between 30 and 40, have experienced abuse, nearly always from someone they knew. Most come from a background of poverty. Some are there simply because of that. The girls attend the local public elementary and high schools, within walking distance. There is a house in the city proper for girls taking third-level or vocational courses. All girls are given professional care.

I became involved with Holy Family Home when I was invited to celebrate Mass there on the feast of the Holy Family after Christmas 2002, a few months after I had returned to the Philippines from a two-year stint in Britain. I felt rather nervous because of what had come to light in Western countries about the abuse of minors by priests and religious. However, I got a very warm welcome from the girls and from the Sisters and professional staff.

I gradually became more and more involved and eventually began to celebrate Mass at the Home on Sundays and on feast days. One Sunday I brought with me a very poor black and white copy of Rembrandt’s Young Jew as Christ. During my homily I had it passed around, as it was related to the gospel of the day. After Mass Letty came to me and asked if she could keep the copy. Of course, I gave it to her.

Later I decided to give Letty a proper copy of the painting and had one made during the week. I also bought an inexpensive wooden frame and brought the framed picture with me the following Sunday. When I gave it to Letty I asked her what had drawn her to it. He looks so human, she answered.

A note on the website of Web Gallery of Art, where I found the painting, says, The sitter of the painting is a young Jew evicted from Spain and settled in Amsterdam in the neighbourhood of Rembrandt.

I doubt that Letty had ever heard of Rembrandt and Rembrandt, whose father was Protestant and his mother Catholic, would have known very little about the Philippines. But his portrait of a young Jew expelled from Spain made Jesus so human for a young girl on the margins of society in the Philippines nearly 400 years later.

+++

You Can Make It!

Article by Myra Guca - Link HERE

I think everyone has “those” Moments. Sometimes they come up at 4:00 on any given Tuesday when we least expect them, when we wonder, “Am I going to make it?” Not just make it through a health challenge .. and that is immense. Not just through a troubling incident in a relationship …and that is heartache. Not just through a financial challenge .. and that can feel desperate .. But make it as a spiritual being, and come through, into our own. That sense of being OK with God and OK with ourselves.

I don’t know how we get through the things we get through. When I look back at my own life experience there were times I got through things that right now I don’t know how I did it.

Mary Kay Ash, who founded a tremendous empire, said, “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” It is a matter of personal decision, believing that. Don’t be discouraged if some people ~ even people who say they love you ~ say that you’re not going to make it, because they don’t know.

For some crazy reason, you begin to realize that you’re going to make it; you must make it. Maybe, the tension of getting through difficulties helped bring you to the point of realizing there’s got to be more. It is a decision point. It means that we have got to step out on faith when it may not look like we have anything to stand on.

I love the story of Peter, who steps out on the water, and for a few steps he’s going all right – then he looks down. He sees the storm and the waves and starts to sink. He cries out, “Help me, I’m sinking!”
Do you know what that’s like? I do.

We know that immediately, Jesus reached for his hand and pulled him up. Well, this is what I love. When I think I’m out of faith and out of ideas, out of time, out of possibilities and out of dreams that moment arrives when a hand reaches out for me. I hear, “You’re going to make it. In fact, you have made it. Let me guide you.”

How does it come to us? I don’t know. We have to remember that we’re not alone. I think that’s a big part of it.Like that senior spirit who says to the seaman climbing to crow’s nest for the very first time, “Don’t look down. You can make it.”

 

The whole Universe is pulling for us we when let it.

Hell

Article by Father Francis Maple OFM Cap - Link HERE

Mark 9: 38-43, 47-48

I was once giving a parish Mission and I remember knocking on the door of one home. The moment I entered I sensed a very unhappy, cold atmosphere.Something wasn't right. If I spoke to the husband, the wife didn't exist. If I spoke to the wife, the husband didn't exist. You could sense that there was no communication between them. There was a coldness and hostility. After being with them for 15 minutes I decided to move on to the next Catholic home. The husband saw me to the door and said, "Father, do you ever preach on Hell?" I said, "I do." "Then whenever you preach on Hell in the future always use the example of my wife and I, because in this house there is no love. It is a living Hell. We live our separate lives under one roof. We just can't stand each other's company. We cook our own meals and eat on our own. I have my own living room and bedroom and she has hers. We decided to live like this for the last twelve years. We agreed that going through a divorce is too much trouble. I tell you, Father, living like this is like living in Hell. So when you next preach on Hell use us as an example because there is no love in our home. That is precisely what Hell is! There is a complete breakdown in our relationship."

That man went to the heart of the matter of Hell when he said it was a place where no love exists. I have heard some Catholics say there is no Hell. How can a loving God create such a place? We Catholics must believe that Hell exists. Jesus Himself refers to its existence when He says, "Fear Him, (meaning God,) who has power to cast body and soul into Hell." Hell is the home of Satan and his fallen angels. Is there anyone else in Hell? We just don't know, but Jesus in His parable of the Sheep and Goats warns us that we could find ourselves in Hell if we don't love. He described the sending of those to Hell in these words, "Depart from Me into the fire of Hell prepared for the devil and His angels." Those words indicate that there has been a complete breakdown in people's relationship with God and their neighbour.

What is Hell like? No one knows exactly, because no one has ever come back from Hell to describe it for us. Jesus speaks of Hell in terms of everlasting fire. It is not the fire we see at a barbecue or a bonfire.That fire could not afflict the soul, which is a spirit. To be thrown into fire causes extreme pain and fire is mentioned to indicate the extreme suffering one will experience in Hell. The real excruciating suffering in Hell is the pain of loss. The pain of loss is the eternal separation from God, which constitutes the worst of Hell's suffering. The persons in Hell know that the only Person who can make them happy is God and yet they hate Him. Hell is being fully aware that God is waiting for us with open arms and we can never be with Him through our own fault because we have rejected Him. It is similar to the ache in the heart of lovers who are separated. All they want is to be with each other, but this is impossible. That pain is nothing compared to the pain of never again being able to love and possess God.

There has to be a tremendous loneliness in Hell, hating God, hating everyone and hating yourself. It is no good thinking if your friend goes to Hell that you will be able to enjoy each other’s company and console each other. You will be hating each other, wishing you could just turn back the clock and be given another chance to love God and your neighbour. My Mum used to tell us, in Hell there is a clock, which ticks and says, "Forever and ever! Forever and ever!" No picture can paint the reality of Hell. May God forbid anyone of us going there!

I love this illustration of the difference between Heaven and Hell. A man dies and was first shown Hell. He saw everyone sitting at a sumptuous banquet with the finest food and drink, but was surprised to see that everyone was starving. Then he noticed a weak man trying to feed himself. He couldn't, for the forks, spoons and knives were all six foot long and he couldn't get the food to his mouth. Next he was shown Heaven and there he saw exactly the same scene, a sumptuous banquet. But here no one was starving. He noticed when anyone was hungry the person opposite just picked up their spoon and fed them. In Hell there is only hate and selfishness, but in Heaven there is only love and thoughtfulness.

To deserve to go to Hell, we must have broken our relationship completely with God. To commit any mortal sin requires three conditions to be present. These are, one, that the sin must be of grave matter. The second condition is that you know it is a serious offence against God, and the third condition is you deliberately commit the sin.

Supposing you were to die the next day after missing (Sunday) Mass and without repenting, then according to moral theologians, those who die in mortal sin will go to Hell for all eternity. 

But my own personal thought is that this would be unlikely to happen because to be condemned to Hell for one failing seems too harsh a punishment! For missing Mass once on Sunday does not necessarily entail a complete breakdown in our relationship with God. However, the danger is that having missed Mass without good reason once, it will be easier to miss again and again, and then again…until not going to Mass becomes a “normal” part of life as God’s Commandments are forgotten which, in time is likely to lead to a complete breakdown in the relationship. That is why it is not okay to miss Mass even on the odd occasion. 

I think of a life as a tree. If a tree leans in one direction when it dies it will fall in that direction. It is not going to fall in the opposite direction. So, too, with our lives. If all the time we are leaning towards God, very likely, with God's grace we shall fall into His arms when we die. But if our lives never point to God, it is very likely that when we die we shall die in enmity with God.

If you want to avoid Hell make sure you have in your heart love for God and your neighbour. Remember that each of us is one of God's children. He never wants to lose any and would never send anyone to Hell. If someone goes there it will be because of the life which that person has chosen to live. Should we go to Hell it must break His heart. Knowing this a prayer I like to say very often is, "Heavenly Father, do not consider what we truly deserve, but forgive us our sins and lead us all to Heaven to be happy with You forever."

Wink and a Nod

“Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” 

(Isa 49:16)  

 

Article by Myra Guca - Link HERE 

"Your leg is scary."
....My granddaughter's face reflects a curious mixture of revulsion and awe, as she regards the vicious scars peeking through my poolside cover-up.

"Hmmm, I guess you're right." 

I've become so accustomed to the unsightly visage ... so adept at concealment that her candor wasn't so upsetting, as it was surprising.

I suppose everyone regards their external scars with certain propriety. Each tells a story ... yet hopefully, we've the good sense to keep our mouth shut (lol) and move on!

When I stop to regard my own so-called flaws, I'm humbled by Another, whose palms and feet were so horribly violated, all in the name of Love. 

... and I remember what Pastor Chris wrote a few years back in the church newsletter regarding his father's final illness:

"As he sat in his family room looking out into the backyard, 3 deer wandered in and grazed.  Being the photographer that we was, he snapped off a couple pictures just before seeing them bound off. 

After looking at the pictures later, he noted that one of the deer had been wounded in the side.   He shared this story, as he was facing his own end-of-life issues, feeling this was God reminding him of His presence in his life. 

He told our family that the three deer were symbolic of the Trinity:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that the wounded deer represented Jesus and His wounds from the Cross. 
As he told us this story, he gave thanks to God for the 'wink and the nod', reminding me that you're always here with me."

This is a powerful time when we are reminded of His presence in our lives ... not just one day, but throughout our whole lives.

Continue to Expect

 

Article by Barbara Mims - Link HERE 

This year many people are saying it’s been unusually cold. That is especially true for my area which is widely known for its sub-tropical climate. We’re used to wearing cropped pants, short sleeves and flip flops most of the year. 

Due to the dire forecasts, local TV stations have instructed us to cover our more vulnerable outdoor plants with breathable fabrics (not plastic) and to leave them on for several days, not just for the overnight hours during the freeze warnings. 

We have done that. Since it’s also been very windy, it’s taken the two of us to get the bushes covered and to secure the fabric with clothes pins to the branches. 

After a week of this, the weather is finally warming up. Now it’s time to remove those coverings. That has proven to be a harsh revelation as to the effectiveness of trying to protect our landscaping.  At least 3 of our bushes are looking not only poorly, but possibly dead. 

Last year a family member advised us to not be too hasty declaring the demise of the bushes. She said we might be surprised in the coming weeks to see that after a careful pruning, there might be signs of renewed growth at the base of the plant. She was right!

I am reminded of Philippians 1:6 which says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

While our bushes may, or may not, come back to life, the people for whom I pray for a renewed interest in and a dedication to the Lord are definitely not a lost cause.  God finishes what He has started, and His word does not result in emptiness. 

Isaiah 55:11 tells us God’s Word does not return to Him void but accomplishes what He pleases, and it prospers.

I John 5:14-15 tells us if we ask Him anything according to His will, He hears us and we will have those requests. 

What a promise that is! We must pray and believe that God will open the hearts of those who have been frozen to the invitations of the Holy Spirit. 

My faith is bolstered as I think on these things!

 

Salt of the earth

 

Sermon by Father Jonathan E Moore for the 

Fifth Sunday of the Year 2026

Dear friends, here's my reflection for the fifth Sunday of the year, 2026, and I'm meditating this morning a little on just one phrase from the gospel, “you are the salt of the earth”. Now it's said that the eminent Victorian physicist Michael Faraday, when lecturing at the Royal Institution, used to begin by saying, gentlemen, first of all, I will tell you what I'm going to do, then I shall do it, and then I shall tell you what I've just done. This technique is still recommended to teachers and preachers.

If you say the same thing slightly differently three times, the average human listener has more chance of remembering what you've said. One of my favourite icons is that of Christ the Teacher. Jesus was the best of teachers and preachers, so we need hardly be surprised to find Him in Matthew's fifth chapter employing exactly the same technique in his great Sermon on the Mount, where first of all he announces the values of God's Kingdom in the Beatitudes, then tells us what living those values will make us, salt of the earth and light of the world.

He then finishes with more detailed and practical examples of how we live the Kingdom's values, transforming both the world and ourselves too. But for today, we just concentrate on one of those two powerful images, salt.

Last year I was called back to the local surgery after a blood test because the level of sodium in my blood was far too low.

I was told to go away for a fortnight and eat lots of salty things like peanuts and crisps and all the things you shouldn't really be eating. I did as I was told and two weeks later the sodium was back to an acceptable level. These days salt is on the food fanatics blacklist, but eating too little is as dangerous as too much.

Salt is necessary for life, which explains why it was often used as currency in past years. Roman soldiers were often paid in salarium, their word for salt, from which we derive the word salary.

Seventy years ago when I was a child in rural Lincolnshire, few people had a fridge at home, let alone a deep freeze.

Meat and vegetables such as runner beans were preserved in salt. I well remember the taste of home-cured meat and salty beans. My sodium levels must have been off the clock back then.

Salt both flavours and preserves. When Jesus calls us salt of the earth, He is telling us that lived Kingdom values enhance the quality of human life, both our own and that of those around us. Kingdom values will preserve us and our society from moral decay, whatever the prevailing climate in the world around us.

It might also be good for us to remember, labourers in the Lord's vineyard as we are, that salt is a very good weed killer and is effective in getting rid of some garden pests too. Now, those of you who know me will generally expect me to need no excuse for diving back into the Old Testament. There is in the book of Leviticus, a salt is prescribed as part of all animal and grain offerings to the Lord.

In Exodus, it's included in the recipe for sacred incense. And after the exile in Babylon, Ezra needed to remind the Jerusalem priests of the need to use salt with all of their temple offerings. Salt stands as a powerful symbol of faithfulness, purity, incorruptibility and loyalty to the covenant.

Our faith, Jesus teaches, should not be just outward show, but a reality permeating every aspect of our lives, sustaining and strengthening our commitment to God and neighbour. Jesus then issues a stern warning about salt losing its savour. This is especially applicable to the present day.

I think there exist two temptations for Christians living in this post-Christian society. The first is what I like to call chameleon Christianity, by which I mean we change our colours, the strength of our moral attitudes to suit present company. And this is bad enough.

But there's a worse one, and that is what I call camouflaged Christianity, where we keep those kingdom values hidden just in case they might offend someone. In both cases, we stand to lose our ability to preserve and to transform. Our world needs the distinctive witness of Christian love, mercy and justice.

Being salty means being willing to stand out, to challenge injustice, to call others to a higher standard, even when it is unpopular or uncomfortable. This is a daunting prospect, but let's remember that Jesus never means us to do this alone. He speaks of Christian life as a Kingdom, not a hermitage.

The image of salt reminds us that our faith is to be lived in community, where we support and encourage each other. As Christ's body on earth, we gather in worship and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, drawing strength from Christ and the Church, nourished and sent forth to be the salt of the earth, daring to be His presence in the world. Amen.

God bless you.

NOTE: You can find more sermons from Father Jonathan in his books entitled "With Him ... in Him" published on AMAZON. Please click HERE