February 8 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

OVERVIEW: An individual who dies in faith, having delighted in and kept God’s commands, has an eternal abode in heaven—a fact that brings joy (ATHANASIUS). What the psalmist says about a man who fears God being blessed applies to women also (AUGUSTINE). Long before David, pagan philosophers knew that obedience to the commands of God brought eternal rewards (AMBROSE). While the earthly life of the righteous may seem cursed, they will be rewarded eternally by God for their fear of the Lord and their delight in God’s commands (AUGUSTINE). The light that surrounded the angels at Christ’s nativity was unique and a glorious tribute at the birth of humanity’s Creator and Redeemer (BEDE). The church’s annual commemoration of the faithfully departed is justified already by the psalmist as a means of providing the living with examples of just and holy lives for their imitation. Prophecies of judgment day are to be seen as assurances that such events as the resurrection and final judgment will indeed occur (AUGUSTINE). Reason, under the tutelage of Christ, teaches generosity, which is a product and the true wealth of the soul (CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA). A posthumous reputation is best achieved not by the accumulation of temporal possessions but by the distribution of one’s material wealth to the poor (GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, CHRYSOSTOM, CAESARIUS). The craving pursuit of wealth is a disease, but the distribution of one’s wealth to the poor is good and brings a lasting reward. God’s invitation to come to faith must be extended to all, although some will reject it and receive their just reward (AUGUSTINE).

112:1-4 Blessed Is One Who Fears the Lord
BLESSED ARE THEY WHO DIED IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD. ATHANASIUS: I have heard about the death of the blessed Theodorus, and the news caused me great anxiety, knowing as I did his value to you. Now if it had not been Theodorus, I would have spoken to you at greater length, with tears, considering what follows after death. But since it is Theodorus whom you and I have known, what need I say in my letter except “Blessed is” Theodorus, “who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly”? But if “he is blessed who fears the Lord,” we may now confidently call Theodorus blessed, having the firm assurance that he has reached as it were a haven and has a life without care. Would that the same had also befallen each one of us; would that each of us in his running might thus arrive; would that each of us, on his voyage, might anchor his own ship there in the stormless haven, so that, at rest with the fathers, he might say, “here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.” Wherefore, brother beloved and most longed for, weep not for Theodorus, for he “is not dead but is sleeping.” SECOND LETTER TO ORSISIUS 58.

TERMS ARE SOMETIMES USED INCLUSIVELY. AUGUSTINE: But even if this should be referred to the form in which each one shall rise, what should hinder us from applying to the woman what is expressly said of the man, understanding both sexes to be included under the general term “man?” For certainly in the saying, “Blessed is he who feareth the Lord,” women also who fear the Lord are included. CITY OF GOD 22.18.

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD BRINGS ETERNAL LIFE. AMBROSE: Let no one think that this was said only recently and that it was spoken of by the philosophers before it was mentioned in the gospel. For the philosophers, that is to say, Aristotle and Theophrastus, as also Zeno and Hieronymus, certainly lived before the time of the gospel, but they came after the prophets. Let them rather think how long before even the names of the philosophers were heard of, both of these [Aristotle and Theophrastus] seem to have found open expression through the mouth of the holy David; for it is written, “Blessed is the man whom you instruct, O Lord, and teach him out of your law.” We find elsewhere also, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, he will rejoice greatly in his commandments.” We have proved our point as regards knowledge, the reward for which the prophet states to be the fruit of eternity, adding that in the house of the one who fears the Lord or is instructed in his law and rejoices greatly in the divine commandments “is glory and riches; and his justice abides for ever and ever.” He has further also in the same psalm made statements about good works, that they gain for an upright man the gift of eternal life. He speaks thus: “Blessed is the man who shows pity and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion, surely he shall not be moved for ever, the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” And further, “He has dispersed, he has given to the poor, his justice endures forever.” DUTIES OF THE CLERGY 2.2.6.

THE EARTHLY AND ETERNAL FORTUNES OF THE FAITHFUL. AUGUSTINE: Your fourth question is, “Why David said, ‘His seed shall be mighty on the earth, the generation of the righteous shall be blessed,’ when we know that the children of the just were and are cursed and those of the unjust were and are blessed.” I answer this question from an exposition of the same psalm that I gave to the people. For, “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.” God, who alone judges rightly and mercifully, shall see how much he excels in his commandments, since, as holy Job says, “The life of [a person] on earth is a warfare.” And again it is written, “For the corruptible body is a load on the soul, and the earthly habitation presses down the mind that muses on many things.” But he who judges us is the Lord, and we should not judge before the time until the Lord shall come and bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart. Then shall each person have praise from God. Therefore, [God] shall see how much each person excels in his commandments, yet each person shall delight exceedingly who truly loves the peace of the cobuilding, nor should each person despair now, since “in his commandments he shall delight exceedingly,” and there will be “peace in the land to men of good will.” EIGHT QUESTIONS OF DULCITIUS 4.

A LIGHT HAS ARISEN IN THE DARKNESS. BEDE: “Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone around them.” What does it mean that, as the angel was appearing to the shepherds, the splendor of divine brightness also enclosed them, something that we have never discovered in the whole course of the Old Testament? Though in countless cases angels appeared to prophets and just people, nowhere do we read of angels enclosing the human beings with the brightness of divine light. [Why is this], unless it is because the privilege was properly kept for the dignity of this time? For when the true Light of the world was born in the world, it was unquestionably fitting that the herald of his nativity should also bathe the bodily sight of human beings with the freshness of heavenly light. Now the prophet says concerning his nativity, “A light has arisen in the darkness for those who are righteous in heart.” And as though we were asking what the light was to which he refers, he immediately goes on, “He is a merciful and compassionate and just Lord.” Therefore, when the merciful and just Maker and Redeemer of the human race deigned to illuminate the world by the glory of a wondrous nativity, it was entirely proper that the brightness of a wondrous light should fill that very region in which he was born. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.6.

112:6-9 The Steadfastness and Generosity of the Righteous
A JUST PERSON WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER. AUGUSTINE: Today we are celebrating the memory of a just man. So in this sermon that I owe your graces in carrying out my ministry, I must say something about what we have been singing to the Lord with full and harmonious hearts and voices: “The just person will be held in eternal memory, he will not be afraid of an evil hearing.” The psalm, clearly, was read in order to remind us what good purpose is served by this sort of solemn celebration. The reason, you see, that holy church celebrates every year the anniversary of the last days of the just and holy people who have departed from this world is not thereby to increase the honor enjoyed by these just persons but to set before us an example to be imitated. SERMON 335L.1.

PROPHECIES ARE PROMISES OF THE FUTURE. AUGUSTINE: So “the just person will be remembered forever; and he will not be afraid of an evil hearing.” The judge is coming, you see, of the living and the dead, as we read in the Gospel. And it is true; since in fact the things we now see had not yet occurred, when it was foretold they would happen. The fact that you can now see the name of Christ being proclaimed throughout all nations, people converted to the one God, idols being forsaken, temples pulled down, images smashed; none of these things had yet happened, and yet they were spoken of, and now they can be seen. So in the Scriptures in which these things we can now see were written about (they were written, though, at a time when they could not be seen, but they were being promised for the future), in the very same Scriptures we read of what has not yet come about. I mean, the day of judgment has not yet come, the resurrection of the dead has not yet happened, the one who is going to judge has not yet come, who came the first time to be judged. SERMON 328.5.

TRUE WEALTH IS IN THE SOUL. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: However, in my opinion, he who possesses things of higher value is the one, and the only one, who is truly wealthy, without passing for such. A gem is not worth much, nor is silver, nor clothes nor beauty of body; but virtue is, because it is reason translated into deeds under the guidance of the Educator [Christ]. This is reason forbidding luxuriousness, stimulating independent service of self and singing the praises of frugality, offspring of self-control. “Receive instruction,” Scripture says, “and not money, and choose knowledge rather than gold. For wisdom is better than precious stones, and all that is priceless cannot be compared with it.” And, again, “My fruit is better than gold and precious stone and silver; and my blossoms than choice silver.” If we must make distinctions, let the person with a fortune be considered the wealthy one, loaded down as he is with gold like a dingy purse; but the holy one is the discreet one, for discretion is the quality that maintains a properly balanced moderation between spending and giving. “Some distribute their own goods,” it is written, “and become richer.” Of such people, Scripture says, “He has distributed, he has given to the poor; his justice remains forever.” Therefore, it is not he who possesses and retains his wealth who is wealthy but he who gives; it is giving, not receiving, that reveals the happy person. Generosity is a product of the soul; so, true wealth is in the soul. CHRIST THE EDUCATOR 3.6.35.

A TRUE EXAMPLE OF GENEROSITY AND HOSPITALITY. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: Who, more than she [Gregory’s sister], threw open her house, with a courteous and generous welcome to those who live according to God? And, better still, who received them with such modesty or advanced to meet them in a manner so pleasing to God? Further, who displayed a mind more tranquil in misfortune or a heart more sympathetic to those in distress? Who was more liberal to those in want? I would not hesitate to praise her in the words of Job: “Her door was open to every traveler, the stranger did not stay without.” “She was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame and a mother to orphans.” Of her compassion toward widows, what more need I say than that she received as its fruit never to be called a widow herself? Her house was a common hospice for all her needy relatives, and her goods were as common to all the needy as their own personal belongings. “She has distributed, she has given to the poor.” Because of the infallible truth of the divine promise, she stored up many treasures in the heavenly coffers and often received Christ himself in the person of the many to whom she had shown kindness. Best of all, she was more truly what she was than she appeared to be, and in secret she cultivated piety for him who sees secret things. She snatched everything from the prince of this world, and she transferred it to safe storehouses. She left nothing behind to earth except her body. She exchanged all things for the hopes above. The only riches she left to her children were imitation of her example and emulation of her virtues. ON HIS SISTER ST. GORGIANA, ORATION 8.12.

GENEROSITY PRODUCES AN HONORABLE REPUTATION. CHRYSOSTOM: There are many people even today who in imitation of them want to be remembered for such achievements, by building splendid homes, baths, porches and avenues. I mean, if you were to ask each of them why they toil and labor and lay out such great expense to no good purpose, you would hear nothing but these very words—so as to ensure their memory survives in perpetuity and to have it said that “this is the house belonging to so-and-so,” “this the property of so-and-so.” This, on the contrary, is worthy not of commemoration but of condemnation: hard on those words come other remarks equivalent to countless accusations—“belonging to so-and-so the grasping miser, despoiler of widows and orphans.” So such behavior is calculated not to earn remembrance but to encounter unremitting accusations, achieve notoriety after death and incite the tongues of onlookers to calumny and condemnation of the person who acquired these goods. But if you are quite anxious for undying reputation, I will show you the way to succeed in being remembered for every achievement and also, along with an excellent name, to provide yourself with great confidence in the age to come. How, then, will you manage both to be remembered day after day and also become the recipient of tributes even after passing from one life to the next? If you give away these goods of yours into the hands of the poor, letting go of precious stones, magnificent homes, properties and baths. This is undying reputation; this remembrance proves that you are a provider of countless treasures; this remembrance relieves you of the burden of sins and procures for you great confidence with the Lord. After all, consider, I ask you, even the very words everybody would be likely to say about the dispenser of such largesse—so generous and kind, so gentle and good. Scripture says, remember, “He distributed his goods as gifts to the poor; his righteousness lasts forever.” That, after all, is what material wealth is like: the more it is given away, the more it remains, whereas if it is clung to and locked up in safe keeping, it destroys even the people who cling to it. “He distributed his goods as gifts to the poor,” it says, remember. But listen to what follows as well: “His righteousness lasts forever.” It took one day for him to distribute his wealth, and his goodness continues for all time and earns an undying remembrance. HOMILIES ON GENESIS 30.7.

DESIRE ONLY WHAT IS NECESSARY. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: For our part, beloved brothers, when we recognize our kind Redeemer and reflect on our price, let us not love “the world or the things that are in the world”; but according to the apostle, “having food and sufficient clothing, with these let us be content.” Let us seek the use of what is necessary but not have greedy desires. If we lack riches, let us not seek them in the world by evil deeds or unjust gains. However, if we have them, let us transmit them to heaven by good works, so that there may be fulfilled in us what is written: “Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever”; with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. SERMON 141.6.

DOING GOOD WITH ONE’S GOODS. AUGUSTINE: So there is a good that can make [you] good, and there is a good with which you can do good. The good that makes [you] good is God, for only the one who is always good can make people good. In order that you, therefore, may be good, call on God. There is, however, another good with which you can do good, anything, that is, that you may have. It is gold, it is silver, it is good, not such that can make you good but such that you can do good with. You have gold, you have silver, and you are lusting for gold, and you are lusting for silver. You have it, and you are lusting for it, you are full, and you are still thirsty. It is a disease you have, not prosperity. There are people with a disease that makes them full of moisture and yet always thirsty; they are full of moisture, and they are thirsting for moisture! So how can you enjoy your prosperity when your lust for money suggests a bad case of dropsy? So you have gold, it is good; you have something to do good with but not something to be good with. “What good,” you ask, “am I going to do with gold?” Haven’t you heard the psalm, “He has distributed,” it says, “he has given to the poor his justice abides forever and ever.” This is the good, this is the good you are good with, justice. If you have the good you can be good with, do good with the good you are not good with. You have some money, disburse it. By disbursing your money, you increase your justice. “He has distributed,” you see, he has disbursed, “he has given to the poor; his justice abides forever and ever.” Notice what gets less and what increases; what gets less is money, what increases is justice. It is what you are going to say goodbye to that gets less, what you are going to leave behind that gets less; what increases is what you are going to possess forever. SERMON 61.3.

OVERVIEW: Paul was not without natural fear when he was beaten and persecuted (CHRYSOSTOM) as a direct result of his preaching (AMBROSIASTER). When demonstration is made by the wisdom of human words, the worse argument often overcomes the better one, so as to encourage the arguer to boast of his own achievement (CHRYSOSTOM). The false teachers were embarrassed by the Word incarnate (AMBROSIASTER) and dull to sublime teachings (AUGUSTINE) of the one through whom God accomplished our salvation on the cross and in the resurrection (MARIUS VICTORINUS). Faith is elicited not by philosophical rhetoric but by the power of God demonstrated (ORIGEN).

2:1 No Lofty Words or Wisdom
FALSE TEACHERS EMBARRASSED BY THE WORD INCARNATE. AMBROSIASTER: What Paul calls the testimony here is God the Word incarnate, hidden from all ages with God. Heretics played fast and loose with these things. They preached their wicked doctrine with great eloquence, following the wisdom of the world. They emptied Christ’s cross of its power. They were embarrassed to be ridiculed by the world. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

2:2 Knowing Only Christ Crucified
JESUS CHRIST FREED US. MARIUS VICTORINUS: It was the incarnate Word who accomplished the mystery of our salvation. It was he who freed us and redeemed us. We believe in him who is our Savior through the cross and through his resurrection from the dead. AGAINST ARIUS 1A.

DULL TO SUBLIME TEACHINGS. AUGUSTINE: Paul said this because he was speaking to those who were unable to grasp the more sublime teachings of the divinity of Christ. ON THE TRINITY 1.12.

2:3 In Weakness, Fear and Trembling
PROVOKING PERSECUTION. AMBROSIASTER: By preaching Christ in what appeared to be folly to human wisdom, Paul provoked hatred and persecution against himself. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

IN MUCH FEAR. CHRYSOSTOM: Was Paul really afraid of danger? Yes, he was, for even though he was Paul, he was still a man. This is not to say anything against him but rather about the infirmity of human nature. Indeed it is to the credit of his sense of determination that even when he was afraid of death and beatings, he did nothing wrong because of this fear. Therefore those who claim that Paul was not afraid of being beaten not only do not honor him, they diminish his greatness. For if he was without fear, what endurance or self-control was there in bearing dangers? HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 6.2.

2:4 Not Words of Wisdom
NOT IN PLAUSIBLE WORDS OF WISDOM. ORIGEN: If our Scriptures had persuaded people to believe because they had been written with rhetorical art or philosophical skill, there is no doubt that our faith would be said to depend on the art of words and on human wisdom rather than on the power of God. ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 4.1.7.

DEMONSTRATION OF POWER. CHRYSOSTOM: It does not belittle the gospel to say that it was preached without wisdom. On the contrary, this is the gospel’s great glory, the clearest sign that it is divine and that it comes from heaven. When demonstration is made by the wisdom of human words, the worse argument often overcomes the better one, because the one who argues for it has greater rhetorical skills. But in this case it is not so, because the Spirit does not enter an unclean soul, nor can he ever be overcome, however much clever speech is used to attack him. The demonstration by works and signs is more powerful than mere words. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 6.3.

2:5 Faith Rests in the Power of God
GOD’S POWER IS ETERNAL. PELAGIUS: Human wisdom is temporal. The power of God is eternal. COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 2.

WISDOM’S BOAST. CHRYSOSTOM: Human wisdom denied the cross, but faith proclaimed the power of God. Wisdom not only failed to reveal the things which people sought after, but also it encouraged them to boast of their own achievements. But faith not only gave them the truth, it also encouraged them to glorify God. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 6.3.

OVERVIEW: As salt preserves meat from decaying, so also do Christ’s disciples have a preservative effect (Origen). The disciples must not lose their delightful taste (Hilary, Chromatius). Those who have been educated for heavenly wisdom ought to remain steadfast so as not to be made tasteless by the devil’s treachery (Chromatius). They are called to restore to the whole created order its original succulence, which has degenerated into rottenness (Chrysostom). Jesus calls salt the frame of mind that is filled with the apostolic word. When it has been sowed in our souls, it allows the word of wisdom to dwell in us (Cyril of Alexandria). It is only as they become salt, penetrating the taste and texture of the world, that they refract God’s illumination of the world through the light of his Truth (Chrysostom). Jesus’ disciples are called the light of the world because they are illumined by One who is the true and eternal light (Chromatius, Chrysostom). The worldly are less like lamps than buckets (Theodore of Mopsuestia), lacking in God, empty from above but full from below (Chrysostom). The leader of the church should be equipped with the widest range of virtues (Anonymous).

Matthew 5:13-16
Salt Preserves Foods. ORIGEN: Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meats from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication, support and hold together this whole earthly realm. Fragment 91.1

Resistance to Corruption. HILARY: The salt of the earth, I suppose, seems at first like nothing special. So what did Jesus mean when he called the apostles the “salt of the earth”? We must look for the words’ appropriate meaning. Both the apostles’ task and the nature of salt itself will reveal this. The element of water and the element of fire are combined and united in salt. So ordinary salt, made for the use of the human race, imparts resistance to corruption to the meats on which it is sprinkled. And, of course, it is very apt to add the sensation of hidden flavor. Likewise the apostles are the preachers of surprising heavenly things and eternity. Like sowers, they sow immortality on all bodies on which their discourse has been sprinkled. They are perfected by the baptism of water and fire. So those who are to be salted with the power of gospel teaching have rightly been called the “salt of the earth.” They are right now being preserved to the end. On Matthew 4.10.2

The Word Sown in Our Souls. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He calls “salt” the frame of mind that is filled with the apostolic word, which is full of understanding. When it has been sown in our souls, it allows the word of wisdom to dwell in us. It has been compared with salt because of salt’s good taste and delightfulness. For without salt neither bread nor fish is edible. So too without the apostles’ understanding and instruction, every soul is dull and unwholesome and unpleasant to God. Fragment 41.3

Do Not Lose Your Delightful Taste. HILARY: Jesus calls the faithful the “salt of the earth.” He warns them to persist in the strength of the power handed over to them. Otherwise, losing their own taste, they are unable to make anything else tasty. Deprived of salt’s taste, they are unable to make what is rotten edible. He warns them lest, cast forth from the church storerooms, they be trampled underfoot by the feet of passersby—the very feet of those they should have served with salt. On Matthew 4.10.4

Restoring the Tastiness of the Created Order. CHRYSOSTOM: It is as a matter of absolute necessity that he commands all this. Why must you be salt? Jesus says in effect: “You are accountable not only for your own life but also for that of the entire world. I am sending you not to one or two cities, nor to ten or twenty, nor even to one nation, as I sent the prophets. Rather, I am sending you to the entire earth, across the seas, to the whole world, to a world fallen into an evil state.” For by saying, “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus signifies that all human nature itself has “lost its taste,” having become rotten through sin. For this reason, you see, he requires from his disciples those character traits that are most necessary and useful for the benefit of all. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15.6.

Good for Nothing. CHROMATIUS: He shows that those who have been educated for the faith and in heavenly wisdom ought to remain faithful and steadfast and not “lose their taste.” If they forsake the faith and divine wisdom, they either plunge headlong into heresy or return to the folly of unbelievers. And so Jesus says, “But if the salt loses its flavor, with what will it be seasoned?” For people of this sort, made tasteless by the devil’s treachery and having lost the grace of faith, are good for nothing. Though they once might have seasoned nonbelievers still foreign to the faith with the word of divine preaching, they instead showed themselves useless. Judas Iscariot deteriorated into this sort of useless salt. After he had rejected divine wisdom, having changed from an apostle into an apostate, he not only did not help others. He became wretched and useless even to himself. Tractate on Matthew 18.4.1-2.

Illumined by Christ. CHROMATIUS: The Lord has already called his disciples the “salt of the earth” because they seasoned with divine wisdom the hearts of the human race which had been made tasteless by the devil. Now he also calls them the “light of the world.” For, illumined by his very own self who is the true and eternal light, they too become light within the darkness. For since he himself is the sun of righteousness, he rightly also calls his disciples “light of the world.” Through them, as if through shining rays, he poured the light of his knowledge on the entire world. For by showing the light of truth, the Lord’s disciples made the darkness of error flee from people’s hearts. Tractate on Matthew 19.1.1-2.

First Salt, Then Light. CHRYSOSTOM: You are the light of the world—not of a single nation nor of twenty cities but of the entire inhabited earth. You are like a light for the mind, far better than any particular sunbeam. Similarly, you are spiritual salt. First you are salt. Then you are light. The metaphors of salt and light drive home the great benefit of these stinging words and the profit of this rigorous discipline, how it binds and does not permit us to become dissolute in our behavior. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15.7.

Christ Unites Us in One Commonwealth. HILARY: He calls the flesh he has assumed a city. For as a city consists in a variety and multitude of inhabitants, so by virtue of his assumed body he contains in himself a certain union of the entire human race. Thus he becomes a city by our union in him, and we through union with his flesh are the community of the city. Therefore he cannot be hidden. Situated on God’s lofty height, he is held up to all in admiration of his good works as deserving of contemplation and understanding. But a lamp is not to be lit and hidden under a bushel. For what benefit is derived from keeping light enclosed? Thus the lamp of Christ must not be hidden under a bushel. . . . Hung on the wood of the cross, it sheds everlasting light on all those who dwell in the church. On Matthew 4.12-13.

Do Not Fence in Goodness. CHRYSOSTOM: The person characterized by humility, gentleness, mercy and righteousness does not build a fence around good deeds. Rather, that one ensures that these good fountains overflow for the benefit of others. One who is pure in heart and a peacemaker, even when persecuted for the sake of truth, orders his way of life for the common good. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15.7.

The Holy City. ANONYMOUS: What is this city? It is the church of the holy people, of which the prophet says, “Glorious things of you are spoken, city of our King.” Moreover, all the faithful are its citizens, of whom the apostle says, “You are fellow citizens with the saints and are part of God’s household.” Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 10.

The Lighters of the Lamp. ANONYMOUS: This city has been set upon a mountain. The city refers to the apostles, the prophets and other teachers who have been instructed in Christ. For Christ is the mountain, of whom Daniel says, “Look, the rock has been hewn without hands and has become a large mountain and has taken possession of the whole earth.” Now through another comparison he wants to show why Christ himself makes his saints manifest. He does not want them to be hidden: “Neither do people light a lamp in order to put it under a bucket, but they do so to put it on a lampstand, so that it will give light to all the people in the house.” Who are the lighters of this lamp? The Father and the Son. What is that lamp? The divine word, of which it has been said, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” The lamp of the word sheds light so that the way might be manifest, that it might give light to those who are in the house, either the house of the church or of the world. What is this lampstand? The church, which bears the word of life. So Paul too speaks of those “among whom you shine, like lightgivers in the world containing the word of life.” So too every person in the church, possessing the word of God, is called a lampstand. But worldly people are more like bushel buckets, lacking both God and everything that is of God. Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 10.

Hiding the Lamp Under a Bucket. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: So, what does the Savior mean by the “bucket” under which some people put the lamp? Here by “bucket” he means vice, and by “lamp,” virtue. People who intend to perform some illicit act walk in darkness, avoiding, if possible, the light. Fragment 26.

The Body Service to the Light. AUGUSTINE: That person places the lamp under a bushel who obscures and conceals the light of good teaching with earthbound interests. Rather, one should place the truth up high “on the lampstand.” That indicates the light that shines as a result of bodily service, so that it is presented to believers through their embodied ministry. In this way our voices and tongues and other operations of the body are conveyed into good works by those who are learning. Sermon on the Mount 1.6.17.

Good Works to Glorify God. AUGUSTINE: Of course, the very words of the gospel are self-explanatory. While they feed the hearts of those who knock, they do not hinder the shouts of those who hunger. One must look deeply into the human heart to see in what direction it is turned and on what point its gaze is fixed. Suppose someone desires that his good work be seen by others. Suppose he regards his glory and profit according to the estimation of others and seeks to be elevated in the sight of others. By doing so he fulfills neither of the commands that the Lord has given in this text. For he has sought to practice his justice before the eyes of others, in order to be seen by them. Therefore his light has not caused others to give glory to the Father who is in heaven. He did not wish to have glory rendered to God but to himself. He did not love the will of God but sought advantage for himself. Of such the apostle says, “For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” The saying “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works” is incomplete. He immediately adds the reason why this should be done: “that they may give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” This means that even though one is seen by others in doing good works, in one’s conscience one ought to have the simple intention of glorifying God. It is only for the sake of God’s glory that we should allow our good works to become known. Sermon 54.3.

Matthew 5:17-20
Teaching and Practicing. ANONYMOUS: “Even so let your light shine before others, in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” That is to say, so shine and teach, not only that people may hear your words but also that they may see your good works. Let those you illumine by the light of your words be seasoned by the salt of your works. For the one who teaches and practices what he teaches, teaches truly. But one who does not practice what he teaches does not teach anyone but casts a bad light on himself. And it is better to practice and not to teach than to teach and not to practice. Because one who practices, though he may keep silent, corrects some people by his example. But one who teaches and does not practice not only corrects no one but even scandalizes many. For who is not tempted to sin when he sees the teachers of goodness committing sins? Therefore the Lord is magnified through those teachers who teach and practice. He is blasphemed through those who teach and do not practice. Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 10.

Let Your Light Shine. ANONYMOUS: The church leader should be equipped with all the virtues. He should be poor, so that he can chastise greed with a free voice. He should always be someone who sighs at inordinate pleasure, whether in himself or in others. He is ready to confront those who do not hesitate before they sin and those who do not feel sorry for having sinned after they sin. So let him sigh and lament. Let him show thereby that this world is difficult and dangerous for the faithful. He should be somebody who hungers and thirsts for justice, so that he might have the strength confidently to arouse by God’s Word those who are lazy in good works. He knows how to use the whip of rebuke, but more by his example than by his voice. He should be gentle. He rules the church more by mercy than by punishment. He desires more to be loved than feared. He should be merciful to others but severe with himself. He sets on the scales a heavy weight of justice for himself but for others a light weight. He should be pure of heart. He does not entangle himself in earthly affairs, but more so he does not even think of them. Incomplete Work on Matthew, Homily 10.