If you are sixty years old and up, one thing very noticeable is that the world has changed a lot in terms of the values of people and the way people live. 

Mahatma Gandhi defined the seven deadly sins as the following:

• Wealth Without Work
• Pleasure Without Conscience
• Knowledge Without Character
• Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)
• Science Without Humanity
• Religion Without Sacrifice
• Politics Without Principle

That is why the Gospel is always an urgent call for us to be the “Light of the World and Salt of the Earth.”

Three things we should remember for us to heed the call:

• First, right is right even if no one is for it and wrong is wrong even when everyone is for it. Surely one becomes unpopular when one fights and stand for the truth. Since people cannot argue against you, they will just try to destroy your reputation. Remember though, God is always on the side of the persecuted as Jesus himself was persecuted. 
• Second, it is better to light just one candle than to curse the darkness. Even if evildoers are powerful and very bold, Good will always prevail. That is why never grow tired of doing good and standing up for what is right and true. These are seeds planted in the lives, especially of our family and friends, and will bear fruit at the proper time. Hence how often have we heard the younger generation saying, “Dad was right after all” or “Mom was right after all.”
• Third, pursue what is important and essential in life. May we always remember that we came into this world with nothing and we are leaving the world with nothing. The body will soon decay and what is important is the soul. What is my purpose? Why am I here? We must remember that God placed us in this world because we have a purpose and a mission from God. We can only be a blessing if we find out what our mission is and be faithful to it in this life. 

According to a survey, the Catholic Church is the most persecuted organization in the world today. Why, despite it being a human organization with its frailties, mistakes, sins, scandals, and shortcomings? It continues to speak out the inconvenient truth. It continues to remind the world that there are two genders and not 63 and growing, that the baby is life and a human being, and it continues to say sin is a sin although we are to love the sinner. Yes, the mission of the Church continues only if its members which is the 1 percent clergy and the 99 percent lay continue to be the light of the world and salt of the earth.