Tuesday – 10th Week of Ordinary Time   6/8

Matthew 5:13-16

Let’s Get Cooking!

Spice Shop in Jerusalem

Ginger and I watch a lot of food shows, most of them cooking competitions like Top Chef, Food Network Star, Hell’s Kitchen and Chopped.  And with all of those shows, it boggles the mind how often someone gets booted off the competition because their dish “lacked flavor”, because their dish either lacked or needed just another pinch of salt!

I have to admit I like my share of salt.  To Ginger’s chagrin, I am always adding more salt to the dish.  I recall someone once saying that they would never trust anyone who salted their food before they even tasted it.  To each his own, I guess!

We tend to forget how important salt was in the ancient world.  Yes, it was used to season food and to enhance or bring out the innate flavor of the dish.  But it was also used as a preservative.  At a time of no refrigeration or freezing, that was the only way to extend the “shelf life” of food.  You salted fish to preserve it for the days when you didn’t catch any fish.  Salt, back then, was pure gold!

We live in a world today that has been dulled by sin, ignorance and sheer boredom.  We see so much violence, hatred and outright bigotry that we become used to it, at times unaffected by it.  Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are all called to transform that blandness of life – to give flavor to our own lives and that of others.  We are called to “preserve” our faith and keep it alive and keep it fresh and flavorful.  And we are also called to spread that faith, to bring that same energy and spice to the faith life of others.  So let’s get cooking!

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