St. Ephrem, deacon  & martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 kings 17:7-16

After a while, the brook dried up

be­cause no rain had fallen in the land. Then Yahweh spoke to Eli­jah, “Go to Zarephath of the Sido­nites and stay there. I have given word to a widow there to give you food.” So Elijah went to Zare­phath. On reaching the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink.”

 As she was going to bring it, he called after her and said, “Bring me also a piece of bread.” But she answered, “As Yahweh your God lives, I have no bread left but only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am just now gathering some sticks so that I may go in and prepare something for myself and my son to eat – and die.”

Elijah then said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me; then make some for yourself and your son. For this is the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be emptied nor shall the jug of oil fail, until the day when Yahweh sends rain to the earth.”

 So she went and did as Elijah told her; and she had food for herself, Elijah and her son from that day on. The jar of flour was not emptied nor did the jug of oil fail, in accordance with what Yahweh had said through Elijah.

 

Ps 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8

Lord, let your face shine on us.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 5:13-16

 You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its strength, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lamp­stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Too often, we fear giving of ourselves, of our resources, of our skills, talents, and abilities, because we are afraid that if we do so, we would either be rejected or ridiculed, or that our generosity, our gift.

Our kindness would not be reciprocated. And so we hold back. We resort to keeping our blessings to ourselves. Why indeed would we let to if there is no guaranteed “return on investment”.

But Jesus tells us to do the exact opposite, to share, to let go to give, to let our light shine, so that all the world might know that we are his followers.

It is the way by which his disciples become the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” – by sharing what they have, by allowing the goodness that is in them, to flow, by allowing the light of Christ which illumines their hearts, minds, and souls, to spread its light throughout the world.

When we share our gifts, it isn’t our gifts that we ultimately share, it is Christ, and that is a gift that will never run out.