Yesterday, as we began reading the Sermon on the Mount, we saw the great charter for human living which Jesus presented in the Beatitudes. Truly blessed are the people who have all these qualities. But today Jesus goes further to remind us that the living of the Christian Way is not just for ourselves. We are not just called to avoid sin and stay in a 'state of grace'. Every single baptised person - and not just bishops, priests and religious - are called to be missionaries. We are not only to follow the Way of Jesus, we are to be SEEN living this kind of life so as to draw others to follow the same Way. So Jesus uses several striking images. Just as salt gives flavour to food, so are we to give a special flavour to people's lives. We might mention that salt works by being totally inserted in the food and becoming part of it. So we, too, can only be effectively salt in our society, if we are fully inserted. It is not for us to withdraw from society. The real work is done not when we are in church but in our homes, in our workplaces, on the streets... Similarly, we are to be a shining light put in a very prominent place (not hidden away). The result will be that people, seeing our lifestyle, will not say how good we are but will be led to seek, know and love God - the Source of all goodness.