About Today
Sunday 8 February 2026
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the God who saves us, alleluia.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Green.
In other years: St Jerome Emiliani (1486 - 1537)
He was born near Venice in 1486. He started his career as a soldier but after he was taken prisoner and then miraculously liberated, he devoted himself to helping the poor, distributing his own possessions among them also. Two priests joined him in this task and in 1532 he founded a religious order, the Clerks Regular of Somaschi, for the relief of poor and orphaned children. He died at Somaschi (near Bergamò) in 1537. See the articles in Wikipedia and the Catholic Encyclopaedia.
In other years: St Josephine Bakhita (1869 - 1947)
Josephine Bakhita was born near Jebel Agilere in South Darfur (Sudan). Kidnapped when still very young, she experienced the cruelty of slavery as she was sold several times in slave markets of Africa. Finally she was rescued by an Italian family and brought to Italy where she not only became a Christian but also felt the call to consecrate her life to God as a sister. She joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity and lived the rest of her life at Schio, a small village near Vicenza. She died on 8 February, 1947.
Other saints: St Cuthman of Steyning
Arundel & Brighton
The story of St Cuthman is told in the Acta Sanctorum of the Bollandists (1658), from an anonymous source. Cuthman was a shepherd, who after his father died, had to look after his crippled mother. They fell on hard times, and Cuthman was forced to beg from door to door. He set out from his home, perhaps at Chidham near Bosham, going eastwards, pushing his mother in a one-wheeled cart or wheelbarrow which he made. A rope from the handles over his shoulders took part of the weight. The rope broke, and he improvised a new one from withies. Some haymakers who were watching laughed at him, but a heavy rainstorm ruined their hay and taught them a lesson.
Cuthman decided that when the makeshift rope of withies gave way he would take it as a sign from God that he should stop at that place and build a church. It happened at the place we call Steyning. His biographer gives us his prayer: “Father Almighty, you have brought my wanderings to an end; now enable me to begin this work. For who am I, Lord, that I should build a house to name? If I rely on myself, it will be of no avail, but it is you who will assist me. You have given me the desire to be a builder; make up for my lack of skill, and bring the work of building this holy house to its completion.” After building a hut to accommodate his mother and himself, he set to work to build the church. The local people helped him, and those who did not found themselves in trouble. As the church neared completion, Cuthman had difficulty with a roof-beam. A stranger showed him how to fix it. When Cuthman asked his name, he replied “I am he in whose name you are building this church.”
We can picture Cuthman living in Steyning, continuing his work as shepherd and builder, but above all (as his biographer attests) as a man of prayer. He had accomplished his great work for God; the church he built would stand as his memorial.
Cuthman was venerated as a saint before the Norman Conquest. After the conquest his relics were transferred to Fécamp, since the Steyning church had been given to the Abbey there. In charters of William the Conqueror Steyning is sometimes called “St Cuthman’s Port” or “St Cuthman’s Parish”. In “lives” which were preserved at Fécamp it is said that he was born about 681 A.D., probably at Chidham, near Bosham, which is about 25 miles from Steyning. If this is so, his parents would have heard the preaching of St Wilfrid, the Apostle of Sussex (680-685), and no doubt became Christian. Did Wilfrid himself baptise the child Cuthman? Some authorities give him a date later than this, but at least it can be said that Cuthman’s church was in existence in 857, for we know that King Ethelwulf was buried there in that year.
In Norman times Steyning was a minster church, administered by a college of secular canons. This college was dissolved in 1260 and vicars were appointed by the Abbey of Fécamp. It was at this time that the church was re-dedicated in honour of St Andrew, which is its dedication today.
However, Cuthman’s name and exploits were not forgotten. There is a German engraving of him with his “cart” dated about 1450 and a choir seat carving at Ripon Cathedral dating from a few decades later. And at Chidham, where he was born, there was a Guild of St Cuthman, which was subject to a tax in 1522 under Henry VIII. Finally in 1658 the Bollandists transcribed and printed his Life, giving his feast day as February 8th. Visitors to Steyning to this day will see the representation of “The Boy with a Cart” on the town sign, and Christopher Fry’s play of that name continues to keep his memory green.
You are the salt of the earth
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, 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 who is in heaven.’
Reflection on the Salt Cellar
To describe someone as “the salt of the earth” is one of the highest compliments we can offer. We mean a person who is dependable, generous, kind and brings steadiness and goodness into the lives of others. Today, salt is often spoken of negatively, something to be limited or avoided for health reasons. But in the time of Jesus, salt was highly valued. It preserved food, prevented decay, and brought flavour where there would otherwise be none. That positive, life-giving role lies behind the expression Jesus uses in our Gospel reading today.
When Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” he is not setting a distant goal but naming a present reality. Note how Jesus doesn't say ‘you are to become the salt of the earth’, but ‘you ARE the salt of the earth’. It means each of us ARE already someone special, even before we become who God wants us to be. Jesus is, in effect, reminding us of our identity and our dignity: do not underestimate yourselves, do not forget what you have received, and who you are: you are special. And if this is who we are, then our calling is clear: to live in a way that preserves what is good and add the quiet flavour of Christ to the world around us.
On the tables of the wealthy, salt was presented not in an ordinary bowl but in a silver 'salt cellar'. In medieval Europe, these objects were far more than just practical utensils. Salt was expensive and precious, and the salt cellar became a marker of status. On grand tables, a large and often richly decorated standing salt was placed near the host, while lesser guests sat “below the salt,” receiving their portion from smaller, simpler vessels. Crafted by skilled silversmiths, these salt cellars were designed to be seen: ornate and proudly displayed as signs of wealth.
A particularly striking museum example is the Cellini Salt Cellar (1543), now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Made of gold rather than silver, it represents the pinnacle of 16th century silver-and goldsmith-making, transforming a functional object into a masterpiece of Renaissance art. Designed for King Francis I of France by Benvenuto Cellini, it features allegorical figures of Earth (the woman on the left holding grass in one hand) and Sea (the male figure on the right holding a trident), uniting salt and gold as symbols of power and abundance. While living at the French King's court (and before he moved to Florence to work for the Medici family), Cellini made the salt cellar, along with the assistance of five other artists (two from Italy, two from France, and one artist from Germany). Unfortunately many Renaissance gold-smithery works, including several made by Cellini (known to us solely because of his descriptions in his autobiography), were melted down. This piece was almost melted down and destroyed in 1562, but thankfully has survived.
The Cellini Salt Cellar,
Made by Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571),
Created between 1540–1543,
Gold, enamel, ebony, ivory
© Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the God who saves us, alleluia.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Green.
In other years: St Jerome Emiliani (1486 - 1537)
He was born near Venice in 1486. He started his career as a soldier but after he was taken prisoner and then miraculously liberated, he devoted himself to helping the poor, distributing his own possessions among them also. Two priests joined him in this task and in 1532 he founded a religious order, the Clerks Regular of Somaschi, for the relief of poor and orphaned children. He died at Somaschi (near Bergamò) in 1537. See the articles in Wikipedia and the Catholic Encyclopaedia.
In other years: St Josephine Bakhita (1869 - 1947)
Josephine Bakhita was born near Jebel Agilere in South Darfur (Sudan). Kidnapped when still very young, she experienced the cruelty of slavery as she was sold several times in slave markets of Africa. Finally she was rescued by an Italian family and brought to Italy where she not only became a Christian but also felt the call to consecrate her life to God as a sister. She joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity and lived the rest of her life at Schio, a small village near Vicenza. She died on 8 February, 1947.
Other saints: St Cuthman of Steyning
Arundel & Brighton
The story of St Cuthman is told in the Acta Sanctorum of the Bollandists (1658), from an anonymous source. Cuthman was a shepherd, who after his father died, had to look after his crippled mother. They fell on hard times, and Cuthman was forced to beg from door to door. He set out from his home, perhaps at Chidham near Bosham, going eastwards, pushing his mother in a one-wheeled cart or wheelbarrow which he made. A rope from the handles over his shoulders took part of the weight. The rope broke, and he improvised a new one from withies. Some haymakers who were watching laughed at him, but a heavy rainstorm ruined their hay and taught them a lesson.
Cuthman decided that when the makeshift rope of withies gave way he would take it as a sign from God that he should stop at that place and build a church. It happened at the place we call Steyning. His biographer gives us his prayer: “Father Almighty, you have brought my wanderings to an end; now enable me to begin this work. For who am I, Lord, that I should build a house to name? If I rely on myself, it will be of no avail, but it is you who will assist me. You have given me the desire to be a builder; make up for my lack of skill, and bring the work of building this holy house to its completion.” After building a hut to accommodate his mother and himself, he set to work to build the church. The local people helped him, and those who did not found themselves in trouble. As the church neared completion, Cuthman had difficulty with a roof-beam. A stranger showed him how to fix it. When Cuthman asked his name, he replied “I am he in whose name you are building this church.”
We can picture Cuthman living in Steyning, continuing his work as shepherd and builder, but above all (as his biographer attests) as a man of prayer. He had accomplished his great work for God; the church he built would stand as his memorial.
Cuthman was venerated as a saint before the Norman Conquest. After the conquest his relics were transferred to Fécamp, since the Steyning church had been given to the Abbey there. In charters of William the Conqueror Steyning is sometimes called “St Cuthman’s Port” or “St Cuthman’s Parish”. In “lives” which were preserved at Fécamp it is said that he was born about 681 A.D., probably at Chidham, near Bosham, which is about 25 miles from Steyning. If this is so, his parents would have heard the preaching of St Wilfrid, the Apostle of Sussex (680-685), and no doubt became Christian. Did Wilfrid himself baptise the child Cuthman? Some authorities give him a date later than this, but at least it can be said that Cuthman’s church was in existence in 857, for we know that King Ethelwulf was buried there in that year.
In Norman times Steyning was a minster church, administered by a college of secular canons. This college was dissolved in 1260 and vicars were appointed by the Abbey of Fécamp. It was at this time that the church was re-dedicated in honour of St Andrew, which is its dedication today.
However, Cuthman’s name and exploits were not forgotten. There is a German engraving of him with his “cart” dated about 1450 and a choir seat carving at Ripon Cathedral dating from a few decades later. And at Chidham, where he was born, there was a Guild of St Cuthman, which was subject to a tax in 1522 under Henry VIII. Finally in 1658 the Bollandists transcribed and printed his Life, giving his feast day as February 8th. Visitors to Steyning to this day will see the representation of “The Boy with a Cart” on the town sign, and Christopher Fry’s play of that name continues to keep his memory green.
You are the salt of the earth
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, 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 who is in heaven.’
Reflection on the Salt Cellar
To describe someone as “the salt of the earth” is one of the highest compliments we can offer. We mean a person who is dependable, generous, kind and brings steadiness and goodness into the lives of others. Today, salt is often spoken of negatively, something to be limited or avoided for health reasons. But in the time of Jesus, salt was highly valued. It preserved food, prevented decay, and brought flavour where there would otherwise be none. That positive, life-giving role lies behind the expression Jesus uses in our Gospel reading today.
When Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” he is not setting a distant goal but naming a present reality. Note how Jesus doesn't say ‘you are to become the salt of the earth’, but ‘you ARE the salt of the earth’. It means each of us ARE already someone special, even before we become who God wants us to be. Jesus is, in effect, reminding us of our identity and our dignity: do not underestimate yourselves, do not forget what you have received, and who you are: you are special. And if this is who we are, then our calling is clear: to live in a way that preserves what is good and add the quiet flavour of Christ to the world around us.
On the tables of the wealthy, salt was presented not in an ordinary bowl but in a silver 'salt cellar'. In medieval Europe, these objects were far more than just practical utensils. Salt was expensive and precious, and the salt cellar became a marker of status. On grand tables, a large and often richly decorated standing salt was placed near the host, while lesser guests sat “below the salt,” receiving their portion from smaller, simpler vessels. Crafted by skilled silversmiths, these salt cellars were designed to be seen: ornate and proudly displayed as signs of wealth.
A particularly striking museum example is the Cellini Salt Cellar (1543), now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Made of gold rather than silver, it represents the pinnacle of 16th century silver-and goldsmith-making, transforming a functional object into a masterpiece of Renaissance art. Designed for King Francis I of France by Benvenuto Cellini, it features allegorical figures of Earth (the woman on the left holding grass in one hand) and Sea (the male figure on the right holding a trident), uniting salt and gold as symbols of power and abundance. While living at the French King's court (and before he moved to Florence to work for the Medici family), Cellini made the salt cellar, along with the assistance of five other artists (two from Italy, two from France, and one artist from Germany). Unfortunately many Renaissance gold-smithery works, including several made by Cellini (known to us solely because of his descriptions in his autobiography), were melted down. This piece was almost melted down and destroyed in 1562, but thankfully has survived.
The Cellini Salt Cellar,
Made by Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571),
Created between 1540–1543,
Gold, enamel, ebony, ivory
© Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna