AUGUSTINIAN LECTIO DIVINA

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (5 February 2023)

THE CHALLENGE TO BE SALT OF THE EARTH AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD
IMPORTANT REMINDERS TO ALL FACILITATORS:
- DO NOT REMOVE PARTS OF THIS ALD FORMAT. You may modify selected
parts to accommodate time.
- Remind your classmates to bring their bibles with them on the day of the ALD.
- Kindly prepare an ALTAR for the ALD session (Bible, Crucifix, Candle). This is
included in the rubric score.
- You may ask your classmates to remain on their seats, or sit on the floor and form
a circle, with the altar in the middle of the room.
- Be creative in preparing the PowerPoint presentation. Words should be big
enough for all students to read.

CALL TO SILENCE

Introduction
We instinctively associate sin and suffering with darkness, while a virtuous life is
associated with light. This is so because light is a symbol of God. The Nicene-
Constantinopolitan Creed, echoing the Gospel of St. John, speaks of Jesus as “light from Light.”
The same St. John reports Jesus as saying, “I am the light of the world.” This is surely a very
appropriate definition of our sinless Savior and we have no difficulty in accepting it, for LIGHT is
what Jesus is.

He addresses the same exhortation to us. When he tells us that we are “the light of the world,”
he is proposing an ideal we should strive to reach. As his disciples, we are, indeed, called to
behave in such a way that everybody will feel that we, too, have become a reflection of what the
Master has always been – light of the world.

Let us all stand.

As one Augustinian community, let us dwell into God’s presence as we mark ourselves –
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

OPENING SONG:

OPENING PRAYER
ALL TOGETHER–
Father, today we renew our commitment to listen attentively to your Word. May we ponder
from your life-giving lessons, that from these we may be able to offer our lives for others. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

A. LECTIO
I let his loving gaze fall upon my emptiness, and many wants. I pray that he soak my dryness in
his Grace. I pray that He open my heart and mind to his plan and message.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (5:13-16)

Glory to You, O Lord

Jesus said to his disciples:

"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. You are the light of the
world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under
a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your
light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly
Father."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to You, O Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us now be seated and pause for a moment of silence.

(one minute – with accompanying music)

B. MEDITATIO
I deepen my understanding of the Gospel. I give my full attention and reflect on the lessons the
passage is about to give me.
We continue reading from the “Sermon on the Mount,” the Magna Carta of Jesus’ teaching.
After having presented the basic conditions to belong to the Kingdom (being imbued with the
spirit of the Beatitudes), Jesus outlines with two metaphors some challenging aspects of the
fundamental vocation of being his disciple. Through the metaphor of the “Salt of the Earth”,
Jesus impresses on his disciples the necessity for them to fulfill their mission in the world by
preserving it from moral corruption, and by giving value to all human actions and vicissitudes.
On the other hand, through the metaphor of the “Light of the World”, he stresses the
inspirational and leadership roles which his disciples should exercise through their exemplary
behavior.

To be “a light to the nations” was an essential aspect of the mission of the Messiah. He came in
Jesus Christ as “the real light which enlightens every man” (Jn 1:9). His thoughts, words,
attitudes, and actions were such that, in all truth, he could claim: “I am the light of the world” (Jn
8:12 and 9:5). We understand and gratefully accept all this. But when we hear Jesus himself
say to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world,” we know
that he was not stating a fact, for he knew that the behavior of his disciples was far from being
exemplary. Rather, Jesus was throwing a challenge at them. He was giving them a mission. He
was describing what all his disciples – in all times and places – should strive to become.
Becoming the light of the world is a challenge worth accepting and living up to. If we persevere
in this effort, at the end of our life, the Lord himself will tell us in all truth: “You have done your
best to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world!” That will be a wonderful synthesis of a
life well-spent.

Let us now listen to the INPUT by Mr. Panganiban

C. ORATIO
Let us pray in the words of Our Holy Father Augustine:
ALL TOGETHER–

Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you, and if my love is too
weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how
much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to your embrace and never
be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of your presence. This only do I
know, that it is not good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside
me. I want you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter
want. Amen.

D. CONTEMPLATIO
I speak to Jesus about a word or image in the Gospel which has touched me, and
express to him in prayer the thoughts and longings which this word or image evoked in
me.

Let us now get our bibles and open them on the Gospel passage for today. We will spend 3-5
minutes to read the Gospel a second time and ponder more on it. We will also post the
Communicatio Questions so that we could be reflect on them and prepare to answer. (refer to
the sample slide on the last page.)

IMPORTANT REMINDERS TO ALL FACILITATORS:

- Remind your classmates to be sure to have their bibles with them as they do this
activity.
- Do not rush. Spend time in prayer.
- Prepare an accompanying background music as you facilitate this part of the ALD.
this activity.
E. COMMUNICATIO
I ask the Holy Spirit to give me the grace to listen to God’s word and act on it in my
everyday life.

Everyone will answer one or all of the following questions:

1. What does it mean for me to be “light” and “salt”?
2. Whenever I do something good, what is my motivation?
3. Are there times I lose my “flavor” as a Christian?

Plan of Action (Notebook)

Please get your notebooks and answer the following question. You will be given 10
minutes to answer:
What is my mission as a Child of God?
Let us all stand.

CLOSING PRAYER:
All together –
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly
grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. AMEN

CLOSING SONG

CONCLUSION
MARY, OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION, pray for us!
ST. AUGUSTINE, pray for us!
ST. JOSEPH, pray for us!
Head Facilitator: May almighty God bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to
everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Head Facilitator: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Head Facilitator: Let us now give each other a SIGN OF PEACE.

SAMPLE SLIDE for Contemplatio: