There is a woman in Maloney parish whom I know, admire and love. As the leader of the Sunday morning children's choir, she is more of a mother than a choir mistress to the children. There is no spiritual, emotional or material need she will not tend to as she cares for them.

Apart from “her children” in the choir, the teenagers of the community share their life experience with her as she helps to guide them into adulthood. For the adults in the parish, hers is a wise head, a loving heart and an honest tongue sought out by many.

On the street where she lives the doors of her home are always open to young and old alike who are always welcome to share in all she has. She is all these things to so many people while being faithful in her love for her husband, nurturing in her care for her son and daughters, and generous in her relationship with her grandsons.

By the witness of her life in Maloney, Shirley, “Auntie Shirley” or “Miss Shirley”, as she is sometimes called, is “a light that shines in the sight of men, so that seeing her good works, they give praise to the Father in heaven.”

On this, the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Gospel invites us to look at the witness our lives give to the world, to the God we believe in and serve. Our Christianity should make a difference in the world and that difference must be discernible, and visible to all.

The two metaphors used by Jesus in today's gospel are things with which we readily identify. As West Indian people we use salt not only to preserve our meat and so prevent it from rotting, but also to add flavour to our food thus making it more enjoyable to our taste.

Also in “pitch darkness” light, especially a powerful light, gives us confidence that there is nothing unknown or unseen in our surroundings to cause us harm. The confidence caused by the presence of the light makes us sure in our steps.

Do our lives as Christians cause people to enjoy our company? Because of our witness, will they consider “adding Christianity” to their own lives so that it will not go to waste but rather be more enjoyable? Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, do we live life with such confidence that it inspires others to want to share that faith, knowing that it will “illuminate” every area of their own lives?

These questions are particularly important for us as Church on this Carnival weekend in Trinidad and Tobago . In essence Carnival is a wholesome celebration of life, creativity and energy. In actuality, it has become associated with and in most instances is in fact an orgy of skin, wantonness and excesses of the worst kinds. That which should be salt has become tasteless. What should be a light that “ shines for everyone in the house ” has been placed “ under a tub ”.

As we celebrate Eucharist and meditate on the Gospel of this weekend, we should be inspired to live our Christian life in such a way that we positively influence every aspect of our world.

What should inspire us must be people like Shirley here in Maloney and wherever they are to be found. Like them, we to must always let our “ light shine in the sight of men, so that seeing our good works they may give praise to the Father in heaven ”.

Lord, we thank you for the people whose life has powerfully and positively influenced the world. May the example of their witness inspire us so that in our turn, we too may affect and influence all those around us.

“All it takes for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing” {William Burke}

Lord, we sincerely ask your forgiveness for the many times when our Christian faith failed to move us to make a meaningful difference to situations we encountered.

•  We allowed injustice to go unchallenged in our workplace.

•  We did not take to mentor someone who needed us.

•  We were unmoved by the poverty of people in our community

By our lack of action we were “like salt that has become tasteless”. Forgive us for those times and fill us with your grace so that always we may be “salt of the earth” and “light to the world”.

Gospel Meditations for February are by Glen Cazoe, a member of the Maloney Parish Council and chairman of the Spirituality Committee.