June 7, Tuesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 1Kings 17:7-16; Gospel: Mathew 5: 13-16
The Prophet Elijah is directed by God to go to Zarephath, where a widow would look after him. He does see the widow and requires her to get a morsel of bread. At first, she is reluctant, but she agrees after she is assured that her supply of flour and oil will never run out.
In the gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to be the salt of the earth. Similarly, he urges them to be the light of the world. Further, he says that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket.
The widow’s jar of oil not drying up is a sign of God’s generosity and providence in meeting our needs. Elijah is God's servant during a difficult time in Israel. God sends Elijah to the widow to learn the principle of giving even when it is impossible, and God will provide enough.
In the gospel, Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth," "You are the light of the world." In this passage, Jesus uses these two images of salt and light to drive home his message in a powerful way. Salt is used to preserve food from rotting, and the image of light is used to dispel the darkness and carry out one's work. Jesus uses the analogy of salt and light to say that as his followers, we need to put on the purity of heart and, like salt, radiate light to others through our life of simplicity, honesty, and integrity of heart. It is like the church of God is becoming worldlier and getting darker with its evil practices, rather than using the light of Christ to dispel darkness.
What I need to do is be happy with what I have. God always provides for our needs. God will take care of you, and you will have enough and more. Be the giver, as there is more joy in giving than receiving. Giving is a delight that we need to cultivate no matter what we have. We have to share with others, even the little we might have, like the widow in the scriptures.
What is your response to a challenging situation like Elijah's? Do you believe in God when it is impossible to be generous?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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