Good Mother Sheep

I tried making some potato wedges today. After the potatoes were cut, I decided to season them even though there was still an hour till dinner time. My intention was to save some time, but dinner came, I saw the tray of potatoes lying in a puddle of water. Then it hit me that the salt drew water out from the potatoes. They became wet potatoes that shrank in size.

It made me think about the popular verse from the bible about being salt of the earth (Matt 5:13). I always linked salt to flavour but I never took notice of its ability to draw water out – until today.

Let’s bring this to the spiritual life once again shall we? Christ said, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14).

If we tried to draw water from ourselves – which means, we live every moment relying on our own strength – we will eventually shrink, shrivel up and die inside. We burn out, and stray further and further away from the truth of our existence, and the meaning of life.

But we really do not have to turn into ikan bilis (anchovies), that is not the life that Christ is calling us to lead. He desires to give us this everlasting water! One that is a spring of water that never runs dry. It is only when we reach a union with Christ that we can be salt of the earth, since the water that gushes out from us is no longer ours – but Jesus’.

Let us ask our Blessed Mother to show us how to say “Yes” to giving Jesus our all. May we recognise our nothingness and learn to rely on His strength in everything that we do.

Signing off!

Melissa