February is Black History Month, which is why the Black Catholic Congress promotes the National Day of Prayer for the African-American and African Family annually on the first Sunday of February (1).

The point in today’s gospel reading is to be “salt”: not to lose your taste for life or the flavor you bring to it.

Legal promises are mostly made of paper. The party of the first part agrees to X and the party of the second part reciprocates with Y. It's all very clean and tidy. Everyone knows what's expected of them.

Civilization owes so much to salt. Humans literally can’t live without it: We need it to maintain bodily fluids, regulate blood pressure, and support both nerve and muscle function.

Many saints, being humble folk, recoiled from the idea of letting others know of their goodness, and Jesus warns against doing good for admiration.

As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ’s love, let us acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for strength.

This salt . . . is not for keeping, because if the salt is preserved in a bottle it does not do anything—it is good for nothing.

Browse our library for additional Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A material.