Salt is one of the most precious commodities in our natural world. Our own bodies could not function without it although too much of it is also problematic. (The same can be said of many such commodities.) Most of us think of the little cellar that sits on our tables at meal times when we think of salt. We use it to flavor our food or, more properly, to heighten the natural flavor of food.
However, in the ancient world and in many places in our world today, salt is used for two other purposes which we hardly ever consider. The first is as a preservative. In countries where there is no refrigeration, meat is dried and salted in order to preserve it so that it can be used at a later date. This method of preservation results in a product that we sometimes call "jerky." Another use for salt is as a catalyst for fire. In the world of Jesus, a bed of salt was placed in the communal ovens which were used to bake bread and other items. The bed of salt became a catalyst for the fire. A few years ago, a pastor shared with me his method of creating a smokeless flame for the Easter fire using rubbing alcohol and salt. The two elements together created a bright blue-white flame that was odorless and smokeless, perfect for an indoor fire. In the ancient world, after the salt had lost its catalytic capabilities, it was removed from the ovens and thrown onto to footpaths to provide more traction for those who were walking on the path.
When Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth, I would suggest that he is thinking of these two uses for salt; namely, as a preservative and as a catalyst. We are meant to provide for the preservation of the world through our lives of obedience to the commandments as well as to provide a catalyst for the works of the Holy Spirit through our cooperation with the graces of the Spirit. In the words of the Gospel, if we are no longer useful in these two ways, then we will share the fate of salt which has lost its savor and will be tossed onto the footpath where it is trampled underfoot.
Jesus was an agent for change in his world. We are to continue that mission in our times and in our world. We are the salt of the earth.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator