Application. Is your heart still pure and uncorrupted? Have you a horror of everything impure? Guard the innocence and purity of your heart most jealously, for it is your greatest treasure. Avoid the society of bad companions and suppress all sinful curiosity. Pray that you may preserve your innocence.
2. The Work of Christ's Apostles and Disciples in the world.
Then, turning to His apostles, He said to them: “You are the salt of the earth[1]. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?[2] It is good for nothing any more, but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.
“You are the light[3] of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid [4]; neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel [5], but upon a candlestick, that it may give light [6] to all who are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
COMMENTARY.
The office of the priesthood. Under the two figures of salt and light our Lord showed the apostles what a high vocation theirs was in the kingdom of God. Under the first figure He described to them the priestly office. “Even as salt gives a savour to food and preserves it from corruption, so must you make sinful man holy and pleasing to God, and keep him from the corruption of sin.”
The office of teacher was described to the apostles by our Lord under the figure of the light of the world. They were, He said, to enlighten the world, which was lying in the darkness of sin and unbelief, by their teaching and example, thus showing the way to heaven. They being the vanguard of the Church, all eyes would be directed
- ↑ Of the earth, i. e. of men living on the earth.
- ↑ Salted. Salt that has become tasteless, cannot be made salt again: you cannot put salt on salt, and therefore it is of no further use, and is thrown away.
- ↑ The light. What the sun is for the material world, that ought you to be for the spiritual world, i. e. for the souls of men.
- ↑ Hid. Because it is seen from all around. Such, our Lord means, ought to be the case with you.
- ↑ Bushel. A large cask in which wheat was measured.
- ↑ Give light. “You must be placed so that the whole world can see you; otherwise you can shed no light.” You must not only give light by your teaching, but by your lives; every one being able to see your good works. In other words you are to teach by your example, so that all men may perceive the effects of the divine grace which is working in you, and be thus constrained to give glory to your Father, Almighty God, who has given you this grace.
