Supreme Chaplain's Challenge - February

Sharpen Your Christian Witness

A CHALLENGE AND MESSAGE FROM SUPREME CHAPLAIN ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM LORI

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” — Mt 5:13

Imagine that you’re at a steakhouse, and your plate finally arrives. Then, just as you are looking for the salt, you learn that the restaurant has completely run out of it. It’s easy to see that without salt, our food can be bland and tasteless. Turning to the words of our Lord, has your life of faith become bland and insipid? Jesus did not die for our sake in order that we might offer the world a mediocre reflection of his life. As we embark on our Lenten journey, may we strive to be men who season the world and our communities with the salt of an authentic and inspiring Christian life.

This Month’s Challenge

This month, I challenge you to sharpen your Christian witness by saying grace before meals at home and in public. Second, as you begin your Lenten journey, I challenge you to develop your “saltiness” through spiritual reflection, either with the Faith in Action Spiritual Reflection program or on a more informal basis.

Questions for Reflection

When was the last time you intentionally brought up your faith in a conversation? How did saying grace in public differ from saying it in the home? Practically speaking, what would you need to do to take your Christian “saltiness” to the next level?