February 08, 2026
Dear Friends,
I have had the blessing of going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land three times in my life. Each of those journeys has been a graced opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Lord in the land in which he lived and to come to know him more intimately.
One of the places I have visited during each of those pilgrimages has been the Dead Sea, which is the lowest place on the surface of the earth. The Dead Sea, which is actually a lake, gets its name because its water is nine times saltier than seawater. This means that no birds, fish, or plants can live there. The reason for the Dead Sea’s high saline levels is that the fresh water that flows into it from the Jordan River has no outlet and, as the dry desert heat evaporates the water, salt deposits are left. That incredible concentration of salt makes it impossible for any living creature to survive there.
Now, we don’t think much about salt, except, perhaps, if we have high blood pressure, or when we season food. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that, as his disciples, we are to be “the salt of the earth.” Behind this image used by Jesus is the fact that, in his day, and for most of human history, salt was not just a seasoning, but a valuable commodity used to preserve food and as a form of payment. In fact, the word “salary” is derived from the word “salt”. In addition, for ancient Jews, and even in some Arab cultures today, eating salt together was a way for two people to legally seal a binding agreement.
So, when Jesus tells us that we are salt of the earth, he is teaching us that we are to live in a way that adds value to our world by seasoning it with the love of God, preserving it from evil, and proclaiming to it the everlasting covenant God has established with humanity in and through Jesus!
A traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land always ends in Jerusalem, which has been the focal point of Jewish religious and political life and hopes for thousands of years. Jerusalem is also a holy place for Christians and Muslims. Just an hour’s drive from the Dead Sea, Jerusalem is on a high plateau in the Judean Mountains. The Scriptures always speak of “going up” to Jerusalem because of its geographical location, but also because of its religious and political significance.
Jesus tells us that besides salt of the earth, we are to be the light of the world. He goes on to say that “a city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.” For us Midwesterners, used to flat terrain and electric lights, this image might not mean much. But for Jesus’ first disciples, who had repeatedly made the important, but arduous trip “up to Jerusalem,” Jesus’ words evoked the joy and relief at seeing the light of the holy city.
So, when Jesus tells us that we are to be like the light of a city set on a high mountain, he is teaching us that, in a world filled with darkness and insecurity, we are to be what Jerusalem was intended to be all along: a city that manifests the everlasting light of God to the world.
But how is it that we develop the qualities that enable us to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”? How can we preserve and brighten our world when the decay and darkness of sin still is present in our lives and community? St. Paul helps us to ponder these important questions, in our reading from his First Letter to the Corinthians, by reminding us that to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” means that we don’t preach ourselves, but, rather, we proclaim the wisdom and power of God, fully revealed in Jesus Christ crucified, through the Holy Spirit given to us.
And so, unlike the Dead Sea, which is closed in on itself, and cannot sustain life, or modern Jerusalem, which is divided and cannot experience peace, our Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist must open us up to the needs of our world and unite us to its brokenness, so that, through our words, actions, and lives, others may experience the healing power of God, the warmth of His light, and join us in glorifying the Father.
Peace,
Father Leo