Carlos Rodríguez on Being Salt and Light

In this video, Carlos Rodríguez — founder of The Happy Givers nonprofit in Puerto Rico — shares a moving story about his friendship with an elderly man named Don Héctor and the time they spent together in Héctor’s final days. Through this story, Carlos reflects on what it means to live out Jesus’ call to be salt and light. 

In this teaching, Carlos explains how his nonprofit provides meals, community support, and dignity to hundreds of elderly people in Puerto Rico. For him, the call to be salt and light is found not in lofty words but in concrete acts of love — like honoring Don Héctor’s humanity in moments of vulnerability. 

Carlos describes how visiting Don Héctor in the hospital — and even helping him take a shower — became one of the most awkward, beautiful, and holy moments of his year. In that tender exchange, he discovered the truth that presence itself is the greatest gift we can offer. 

Through this story, Carlos reminds us that being salt and light means showing up where dignity has been denied, standing with those who are marginalized, and finding God in small, ordinary acts of care. As he says, “Salt gives flavor and preserves, and light, which always shines brightest in the darkness.” 

How did Carlos’ reflection help you recognize everyday opportunities to embody love and dignity? How might you be salt and light within your own community? And, how have you reframed your understanding of “being salt and light” as we’ve uncovered wisdom from many spiritual teachers so far in our 2025 Daily Meditations? 

This year’s Daily Meditations on Being Salt and Light invite us into a way of seeing that unites our beliefs with how we live and serve. Together, we’ll deepen into a contemplative practice that nurtures ongoing transformation and draws us toward acts of love that ripple through our lives and communities. 

Join us by subscribing to our Daily Meditations as we find our way in a flawed world that is nevertheless brimming with warmth and light.