Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin Gospel: Mark 7:1-13 The New Teaching of Jesus
Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Scholastica. The Gospel for today’s Mass is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark, which reveals a debate between Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes who came from Jerusalem.
In our daily lives, we often pay close attention to our outward appearance before others. For instance, when attending public events, we may beforehand arrange for a haircut, take a bath, and put on attire reserved only for festive occasions. Likewise, when conversing with others, we are particularly mindful of our external presentation, as we always wish to display our best side to the world. The Pharisees were much the same; they placed great emphasis on their outward appearance. Thus, upon noticing that Jesus and His disciples did not observe the customs they rigidly upheld, they began to reproach them: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Similarly, when we participate in the Mass, we often fixate on the demeanor of the priest, lectors, and altar servers at the altar, yet we neglect the presence of God. In our minds, if those serving at the altar—the priest, lectors, and altar servers—do not conduct themselves in the sacred liturgy exactly as we envision, we are quick to pass judgment upon them.
Today, let us imitate Saint Scholastica, seeking Christ with single-hearted devotion rather than pursuing mere external rituals. For while the liturgy holds importance, our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is of far greater significance. Saint Scholastica was devoted to the Savior Christ throughout her entire life, and her thoughts were always in harmony with His. Having been united with the Lord Jesus through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are called to be conformed to Him in every aspect.
As we celebrate anew the Memorial of the Virgin Saint Scholastica, we pray, O Lord, that, following her example, we may serve you with pure love and happily receive what comes from loving you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
CALLED TO THE POTENCY OF THE SALT AND THE COURAGE OF THE FLAME Matthew 5:13-16
Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF Claretian Missionaries
We live in a world that deeply believes in the leverage of power—in networks that move markets, in structures that shape nations, in platforms that amplify ideologies. Influence is often measured by scale: the size of the audience, the magnitude of the budget, the force of the narrative. It is into this world, then, that Jesus speaks a quiet, subversive, and stunning paradox. He gathers a small band of ordinary disciples—fishermen, tax collectors, uncertain followers—and does not tell them to build a movement or seize an institution. Instead, he looks at them, this seemingly insignificant group, and declares: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”
The real change, he insists, will not come from dominating the systems from above, but from transforming the substance of life from within. God’s strategy for renewing the world rests not primarily in the halls of power, but in the hidden, potent faithfulness of his few who live the gospel values. What a revolutionary thought: the future of humanity is seasoned and illumined not by the mighty, but by the modest; not by the overwhelming force of the many, but by the essential quality of love of the committed few.
The Potency of the Little Pinch Consider salt. A dish may contain pounds of ingredients, but it is transformed by a mere teaspoon of salt. That small amount doesn’t dominate; it doesn’t become the soup or the bread. Instead, it disappears into the whole, doing its quiet work from within. It draws out the hidden goodness already present, making the entire meal come alive. This is our Christian calling. We are not called to be the entire meal, to constitute the whole world. We are that necessary pinch. In a family, a workplace, a neighborhood, we are the few who are called to blend in, yet without losing our essence. Our presence—marked by grace, patience, integrity, and hope—is meant to draw out the latent goodness in others, to preserve what is true and beautiful from decay, and to make the experience of life in our community more humane, more “tasteful.” The world can be bland, consumed with haste, anxiety, and self-interest. Our lives, seasoned with the love of Christ, are to add the flavor of peace, deliberate kindness, and enduring meaning.
The Courage of the Single Flame Now consider light. Jesus speaks of a city on a hill, but let’s hold the simpler image: a single lamp in a dark room. When you enter a darkened space, you do not need a blazing stadium light. One small candle, one humble lamp, is enough to push back the darkness. It defines the space, reveals the path, and creates an atmosphere of warmth and safety. But light does more than just push back darkness; it allows us to see things in their proper form and true value. In dim light, a coiled rope on a path might startle us, appearing as a snake. Fear and confusion reign. But when full light falls upon it, we see it for what it is—harmless, a tool, perhaps something to be picked up and used. The light changes everything. It dispels illusion and reveals reality.
This is the deeper purpose of being “the light of the world.” The Gospel we carry is not just a warm glow; it is a clarifying truth. It helps us, and those around us, see the world with right perspective. In its light, we learn to distinguish the eternally valuable from the temporarily glittering. We see people not as tools or obstacles, but as beloved images of God. We see suffering not as mere tragedy, but as a place where grace can enter. We see success not as the pinnacle of life, but as a stewardship. Our lived witness—through our choices, our calm, our priorities—can become that clarifying light for others, helping them see past the world’s illusions to the enduring truth of God’s love and order.
“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket.” To hide a light is a contradiction. Its purpose is to shine. For us, this means our faith is not a private treasure to be hoarded, but a gift to be shared from the lampstand of our daily lives. Our “light” is the gentle glow of good deeds and a life ordered by Gospel values: the patience we extend, the forgiveness we offer, the dignity we affirm. One such light in a room changes everything. It allows others to see clearly, to navigate their own way, and ultimately, to look past the lamp itself to the source of all light and clarity—our Heavenly Father.
Jesus assures us it does. His strategy for transforming the world has always worked from the inside out, through the few for the many. He doesn’t ask us to become the ocean, but to be salt. He doesn’t ask us to become the sun, but to be a faithful, clarifying lamp. Our power lies not in our volume, but in our Christ-given nature.
Do not underestimate the potency of your presence. Where has God placed you as that essential pinch of salt? In what room of your life are you called to be the steady, gentle light that reveals true value? Live your identity with quiet confidence. Blend in with love, but do not lose your savor. Shine from your unique lampstand, and do not hide. For it is through these small, faithful witnesses that the whole world is seasoned, illuminated, and brought into the clarity of God’s loving gaze.
How could one become salt and light? Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
Fr. Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF Claretian Missionaries
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the images of salt and light to define the disciples and their mission. The rabbis of Israel used to say: “The Torah—the holy Law given by God to his people—is like salt and the world cannot live without salt.” Jesus applies this image to the disciples.
The first and most immediate use of salt is that of giving flavor to foods. Since ancient times, salt has become the symbol of “wisdom.” The image indicates that the disciples must bring to the world a wisdom capable of giving flavor and meaning to life.
Salt is used not only to give flavor to foods; it is also used to preserve food, to prevent them from becoming stale. The Christian is salt of the earth: with her/his presence s/he is called upon to prevent corruption, not to allow society guided by wicked principles to rot and go into decay. In a world where inviolability of human life from its beginning to its natural end is doubted, the Christian believer is salt that reminds of its sacredness. Where sexuality, cohabitation, and adultery are trivialized, and are no longer called by their names, there the Christian reminds of the holiness of the man-woman rapport and God’s plan for marital love. Where one seeks one’s own advantage, the disciple is salt that preserves, always reminding everyone of the heroic proposal, the gift of self.
The parable of the salt is told immediately after the beatitudes. The Christian is salt if s/he accepts in full the proposals of the Master without additions, without changes, without the “howevers,” “ifs” and “buts” with which one tries to soften them to make them less demanding and seemingly more workable.
For example, Jesus says that there is a need to share one’s assets, to turn the other cheek, to forgive seventy times seven. This is the characteristic taste of the salt of the Gospel. However, the temptation for us to add a bit of “common sense” looms always. The arguments that one must not overdo but must also think of oneself, if one forgives others too much, they take advantage, or one should not resort to violence unless it is necessary are ways the gospel message gets compromised and loses its flavor.
Calling his disciples “light of the world,” Jesus declares that the mission entrusted by God to Israel to be the light of the world was destined to continue through them. The image of the lamp is delightful: we are introduced to the humble home of an upper Galilee peasant where a lamp of oil in clay is lighted. It is put on an iron stand and placed on top so that it can illuminate even the most hidden corners of the house. No one would think of hiding it under a bowl.
The invitation is not to conceal, to veil the most challenging parts of the Gospel message. The disciples do not have to worry to defend or justify the proposals of Jesus. They just announce it without fear, without fear of being ridiculed or persecuted. It will be for people as a lamp “shining in a dark place until the break of day when the morning star shines in your hearts” (2 Pt 1:19).
Indebted to Fr. Armellini SCJ for textual analysis
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