Today's Gospel

What’s Your Motto?

Hi, I'm Matthew Kelly and welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we're exploring the genius of Jesus, the genius of the gospels, the genius of Catholicism, and looking for a word or a phrase or an idea each day in the gospel to anchor our lives or to anchor our lives on that day. Today's reading comes from the Gospel of Matthew 5: 13-16. "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel. But on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

What jumps out at you today? It's easy for me. This first part of the last verse was my high school motto. High school motto was Lucia Lux Vestra, which is Latin for let your light shine. And so this is what I heard all through high school. Let your light shine. Let your light shine. And when we stepped off the path, we were told, "You're not letting your light shine," and worse. Are you letting your light shine? I think a lot of people think we live in a world of darkness. I think a lot of people think we live in a world where the darkness is becoming greater and greater with every passing day. And that's an indictment on us as Christians because that means we're not letting our light shine. The reality is, is the smallest light in a room full of darkness, the smallest light dispels all the darkness. There's no darkness left anymore. That's how powerful light is. And how are we going to let our light shine? We've got to come to God. We've got to come to God in prayer. We've got to come to God in the sacraments. We've got to come to God in the Scriptures. We've got to come to God through the works of mercy, through love in our neighbours. We've got to come to God, and we've got to allow Him to fill us with his light so we can go out into the world and let our light shine. Have an amazing day. And remember, don't just be yourself, be the-very-best-version-of-yourself, all that God created you to be.

I was at a dinner many years ago, was about to speak in a parish and people at the dinner, and I heard out of sort of just peripheral, a priest say at the head of the table: you can become a saint just by governing your speech. And it, it, was just so convincing. It was so compelling. I have wanted to write this book for at least 20 years. And, um, it’s The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. If you haven’t got a copy, encourage you, pick a copy up. I think it’s probably, it might be the most challenging thing I’ve ever written. The Promise of this book is very simple. You can transform your life by changing the way you speak. The Forgotten Way: The Saint James Master Plan. Hope you pick up a copy today. God bless you. And remember, Be Bold. Be Catholic.