Tuesday in the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time

In one of the Peanuts cartoons Peppermint Patty is sent to the principal’s office. She tells Charlie Brown it’s all his fault. He complains, “My fault? How could it be my fault?” She replies, “Because you’re my friend. You should have been a better influence on me.”

Jesus is saying much the same thing. “You are the salt of the earth. If salt loses its taste it is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Long ago salt was so valuable it could be used in place of money. Our word “salary” comes from sal, the Latin word for salt. At one time Roman soldiers were paid with salt. So, we say that someone is, or is not, “worth their salt.”

Jesus wants us to be worth our salt, to be a better influence on the people around us, because the world needs Christians to taste and see how good the Lord is.