We Are Called to be His Arms

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

I have been meditating this past week about what new topic the Holy Spirit would inspire me to write about. Many different options were crowding my mind but the one that kept coming to the surface, was light and salt. This past Sunday we celebrated Pentecost. On Pentecost, the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and the Church was officially born. They started spreading the Good News to all the corners of the world.

We also received the Holy Spirit when we were baptized and that made us disciples of Jesus. As His disciples, we are called to be His witnesses in today's world. We are to be like salt that savors or like light that is visible to all. In other words, we are to bring Christ to those around us.

My first true encounter with Jesus took place when I was 16 years old in a Youth Encounter (Encuentros Juveniles). I thought I knew Him since I had attended Catholic school growing up in Spain and I was part of my church youth group, but on that weekend, I realized that I didn't know Him at all. One thing that called my attention during that Encounter weekend was that the crucifix in the chapel was missing an arm. I felt really bad that someone had broken His arm. Every time I looked at it, I felt sad. At the end of the retreat, we were given a small crucifix to take home with us and I was in shock that this crucifix was also missing an arm. And then, on the last talk of the retreat, we were told that the reason why both the crucifix in the chapel and the one that we were taking home was missing an arm was because we were called to be Jesus' arm. Tears began to flow down my face and it was a message that I have never forgotten.

I have not always been a good arm. Many times I have been a very lazy arm. But I know that Jesus needs me just like He needs you. All of us are the arms of Jesus. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are called to bring Christ to everyone we meet. We are called to be His arms.