The Lenten Call

“You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world.”

When Christ spoke these words, he was sitting on a mountainside, talking to his friends, his disciples, anyone who stopped to listen.

When I heard those words, I was sitting on the floor of the Loyola University Chicago Retreat Center, eyes closed, surrounded by 20 other students.

Last year’s Salt and Light Retreat was my first Marquette retreat. I didn’t really know what to expect or even what I would get out of it. At the very least, a weekend away from campus meant a chance to recharge and put the schoolwork stress on the back burner.

But as I heard each talk, song, and prayer, I realized this was more than a recharge.

It was a revival. A rebirth. A resurrection.

Salt and Light walks through the most important days in the Catholic Church: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, collectively called the Paschal Triduum. Over the course of that weekend, I finally understood why those days were so important—because they are more than days on a calendar. They are ways of life.

Showing unconditional love and humility, as Jesus did when he washed the apostles’ feet. Making unthinkable sacrifices to prove that love, as the crucifixion did. Waiting in silent patience for answers to the unknown, as the disciples waited after Jesus’s death. Glorifying God for raising us out of tombs, physical and spiritual.

I understood that “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” is more than just an inspirational Bible verse.

It is a call to action. A call to ignite the world with God’s love. A call to spread that love through works of mercy. A call spoken to each one of us individually, tenderly, earnestly.

You are the salt of the earth. The flavor added to a life made bland by indifference and ignorance.

You are the light of the world. The answer to the darkness brought on by hate, violence, and injustice.

Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. But it is also a time of self-evaluation.

Will you answer Christ’s call?

— Claire Nowak, ‘16