Sunday Micro Retreat – February 5, 2023
As you begin your time of reflection, try to realize that you are standing on holy ground and in the presence of God, who wants to talk to you and listen to you.
Make the Sign of the Cross. The Holy Spirit is opening your heart and mind so the Word of God that you are about to read can flourish in you for God's glory. Pray that you continue to work with his grace. Let the words or your prayer flow from your mind through your heart. Try to "feel" what you are saying.
Is there anything you would like to ask God now? What graces does your heart desire?
Talk to God about it.
Today, we ask for the grace of following God's will for our lives.
Now read the Sunday's Gospel:
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the
bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
human beings, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”(Matt 5:13-16)
The Word of God touches everyone differently. If there is anything that really stood out for you in this reading, meditate on it.
Go to the depths of your heart and listen to what God is trying to say to you.
Next, let's spend some time reflecting on the following point:
1.You are the salt
Salt is a product that everyone is familiar with. Everyone knows that salt, other than having a role in flavouring and preserving food, has other usages as well.
In the ancient world, it was used for culinary purposes, and it was also connected with functions such as purification and cleansing; it was a required addition to sacrifices; it was even used
to brighten the lights of lamps. Salt, in small amounts, had beneficial usage; however, when applied heavily, it had the opposite effects. Thus, it was used to destroy the
enemy's lands by applying a high concentration of salt, which eventually rendered the land useless. Therefore, salt had the capacity to be used in such a way that it would
either benefit others or be a source of destruction.
In this Gospel, Jesus says, "You are the salt," so reflect on how does your "saltness" affect others: do you bring joy, peace, and good experience into people's lives? or are
your actions destroying everything that they touch? Take a look at your relationships with your immediate family, friends, and co-workers: do you know your
boundaries? Do you know how much input, sharing, and caring you can offer? or do you saturate the relations by having everything done your way?
2. let your light shine before
human beings
First, Jesus explains that light is something that should not be hidden; light, by its nature, is something that is meant to bring clarity to the area where it is placed. Light is not a private phenomenon, but the light is an indication
of a public purpose. Therefore, think about your own life of faith as a light that is placed in a public sphere. Is this light strong and visible? or is it just a tiny flame that the wind can extinguish at any moment? How do you feel
about your faith in public settings? Are you able to stand up for Christian values? Are you able to publically admit that you are following God's law? If you do not feel like you are brave or strong enough to face the wind of today's
world, ask yourself why is it that you are afraid of the public? of what others may think or do to you?
In what way does your light shine before other human beings? Think about it, and record all the feelings/emotions that are associated with this reflection.
You may end this retreat by listing to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scKp29vqb2I
It is good to keep a personal journal in which reflections that stood out for you are recorded. The outcome of those Sunday Micro Retreats is
good material that you can talk about in your spiritual direction.
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