5th Sunday - homily

A few weeks ago, I took our FOCUS missionaries out for a nice dinner to thank them for all of their exceptional work, especially this semester already. We went to Ruths Chris steakhouse. I don't usually go there because it's rather extravagant. The missionaries are the same way. But, I wanted to do something special for them. Well, as soon as we walked in, we were overcome by an amazing aroma. Oh, it was a sweet smell! We sat down and started looking over the menu. One of the missionaries said, "there's so much to choose from. I don't know where to start!". A moment later, he turned to me and said, "Father, it's like the Church. There's so much good to choose from. I don't know where to start. You should preach on that!" So, there you go, I preached on it.


Ruths Chris has its own particular taste. It has a distinctive taste that is very popular. McDonald's also has its own taste that people really like, especially the Big Mac. Coca-Cola is the same thing. They each have a unique taste that is very good. But, what if Coke changed its taste? They actually did this in the 80s to compete with Pepsi. They came up with "New Coke". Yeah, bad idea. People didn't like New Coke. It wasn't Coke! If the Big Mac changed tomorrow, it wouldn't be any good because it’s not the Big Mac. It would be the same thing if Ruths Chris changed its menu and recipes.

Each one of us is like a Coke or a Big Mac or Ruths Chris...but even better! Each one of you has a particular taste...a particular gift...a particular brand of salt, to put into Christ's language in today's Gospel. You have a particular taste that no one in the world has. It's a unique personality, intelligence, charm, or whatever. There's no one in the world who has your brand of salt. There's one thing that makes you, you! If you ever saw the movie, "City Slickers", then you remember Curly talking about the "one thing"... the one thing that brings us happiness. Well, each of has that one thing...that one taste...that one brand of salt.

Salt preserves the taste of food, adds to the taste, and disappears in food. Those who are "salt of the earth" are those who add to the things of earth. They are so good, pure, and holy! They make everyone and everything around them better. Jesus talks about a shining light and how it lights up a whole room. It's the same thing with people who are salt of the earth; they give taste to everyone around them.

Our Lord says that if salt loses its taste, then it is good for nothing. Many people come to college and their salt loses its taste. They probably knew what their taste is before they came, but when they arrived, maybe were shy and didn't want to stand out. They tried to fit in and be like everyone else. Maybe peer pressure led to their salt losing its taste. It's been in Confession that I've seen many students in the past year and a half realize that their salt has lost its taste. They see that they are not being themselves and they are not happy. They are not as good as they could be and not living as God created them to be. Confession restores their taste; it restores their light.

Some students discover their taste in college. They come to find their one thing...their unique gift. Christ is the one who gives us our particular taste. If we live in Him, then we realize our taste and develop it. If we don't live in Him, then we lose our taste. But, let's be clear: each one of us has a particular taste...a unique brand of salt...that one thing that makes us who we are and the person God created us to be.

Finally, when you were younger, did you ever give the last sip of a Coke to a sibling or friend? They ask you for a sip as you open the bottle and you're like, "sure". Then, you guzzle it to the end and hand them the last sip, the one with backwash. They say, "ewww", as you have a nice laugh. Do we do this with God? Again, the Coke is our taste. Do we give God the first taste which is the best? Or, do we give Him the last taste...do we give God our backwash?

He has given us His best taste, His Son, Jesus Christ. He continues to give us His best taste, the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sweetest taste in the world! It is like salt for us - it preserves our taste, adds to our taste, and then disappears in us. May the Eucharist help each one of us to be salt of the earth and light of the world.