First Reading — 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Clement of Rome
On 1:21
For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as every one abandons the fear of God, and has become blind in His faith, neither walks in the ordinances of His appointment, nor acts a part becoming a Christian, but walks after his own wicked lusts, resuming the practice of an unrighteous and ungodly envy, by which death itself entered into the world. [Wisdom 2:24]
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 119:129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135
Augustine of Hippo
On 118:129
"Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore hath my soul searched them" (ver. 129). Who counteth, even by their kinds, the testimonies of God? Heaven and earth, His visible and invisible works, declare in some manner the testimony of His goodness and greatness; and the very ordinary and accustomed course of nature, whereby the seasons are rapidly revolved, in all things after their kinds, however temporal and perishable, however held cheap through our constant experience of them, give, if a pious thinker give heed to them, a testimony to the Creator. But which of these is not wonderful, if we measure each not by its habitual presence, but by reason? But if we venture to bring all nature within the comprehensive view of one act of contemplation, doth not that take place in us which the prophet describeth, "I considered Thy works, and trembled"? Yet the Psalmist was not terrified in his wonder at creation, but rather said that this was the reason that he ought to search it, because it was wonderful. For after saying, "Thy testimonies are wonderful," he addeth, "therefore hath my soul searched them;" as if he had become more curious from the difficulty of thoroughly searching them. For the more abstruse are the causes of anything, the more wonderful it is...
On 118:130
"When your word goes forth," he says, "it gives light, and makes His little ones to understand" [Psalm 119:130]. What is the little one save the humble and weak? Be not proud therefore, presume not in your own strength, which is nought; and you will understand why a good law was given by a good God, though it cannot give life. For it was given for this end, that it might make you a little one instead of great, that it might show that you had not strength to do the law of your own power: and that thus, wanting aid and destitute, you might fly unto grace, saying, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.". ..Let all be little ones, and let all the world be guilty before You: because "by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified" in Your sight; "for by the Law is the knowledge of sin," etc. [Romans 3:19-21] These are Your wonderful testimonies, which the soul of this little one has searched; and has therefore found, because he became humbled and a little one. For who does Your commandments as they ought to be done, that is, by "faith which works through love," [Galatians 5:6] save love itself be shed abroad in his heart through the Holy Spirit? [Romans 5:5]
On 118:131
This is confessed by this little one; "I opened my mouth," he says, "and drew in the spirit: for I longed for Your commandments" [Psalm 119:131]. What did he long for, save to obey the divine commandments? But there was no possibility of the weak doing hard things, the little one great things: he opened his mouth, confessing that he could not do them of himself: and drew in power to do them: he opened his mouth, by seeking, asking, knocking: [Matthew 7:7] and thirsty drank in the good Spirit, which enabled him to do what he could not do by himself, "the commandment holy and just and good." [Romans 7:12] Not that they themselves who "are led by the Spirit of God," [Romans 8:14] do nothing; but that they may not do nothing good, they are moved to act by the good Spirit. For so much the more is every man made a good son, in proportion as the good Spirit is given unto Him by the Father in a greater measure.
On 118:132
He still prayeth. He hath opened his mouth, and drawn in the Spirit; but he still knocketh in prayer unto the Father, and seeketh: he drinketh, but the more sweet he findeth it, the more eagerly doth he thirst. Hear the words of him in his thirst. "O look Thou upon me," he saith, "and be merciful unto me: according to the judgment of those that love Thy Name" (ver. 132): that is, according to the judgment Thou has dealt unto all who love Thy Name; since Thou hast first loved them, to cause them to love Thee. For thus saith the Apostle John, "We love God, because He first loved us."
On 118:133
See what the Psalmist next most openly says: "Order my steps after Your word: and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me" [Psalm 119:133]. Where what else does he say than this, Make me upright and free according to Your promise. But so much the more as the love of God reigns in every man, so much the less has wickedness dominion over him. What else then does he seek than that by the gift of God he may love God? For by loving God he loves himself, so that he may healthily love his neighbour also as himself: on which commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. [Matthew 22:37-40] What then does he pray, save that God may cause the fulfillment by His help of those commandments which He imposes by His bidding?
On 118:133
This free will will be free in proportion as it is sound, and sound in proportion as it is submissive to divine mercy and grace. Therefore, it prays with faith and says, "Direct my paths according to your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." It prays, it does not promise; it confesses, it does not declare itself; it begs for the fullest liberty, it does not boast of its own power. It is not everyone who trusts in his own strength, but everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" Therefore, those who believe rightly believe that they may call on him in whom they have believed and may be strong to do what they have learned in the precepts of the law, since faith obtains what the law commands.
On 118:133
When, however, you hear, "Sin shall have no dominion over you," do not trust in yourself in order that sin may not dominate you, but trust in him to whom that holy one was praying when he said, "Direct my steps according to your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." Lest, perhaps, when we have heard, "Sin shall not have dominion over you," we should exalt ourselves and attribute this to our own strength, the apostle saw this and added at once, "Since you are not under the law but under grace." Grace therefore causes sin not to have power over you. Do not, then, trust in yourself, lest thereby sin have much more dominion over you. And when we hear, "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you shall live," let us not attribute this good to our spirit alone, as if through itself it could do these things. For, lest we enjoy that carnal feeling, our spirit being dead rather than a death-dealing one, he immediately added, "For whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God." So, when by our spirit we put to death the works of the flesh, we are impelled by the Spirit of God, which grants the continence by which we restrain, master and overcome sexual desire.
On 118:134
But what means this that he says, "O deliver me from the calumnies of men: so shall I keep Your commandments"? [Psalm 119:134]...Did not the holy people of God much the more gloriously keep the commandments among these very calumnies, when they were at their hottest in the midst of tribulations, when they yielded not to their persecutors to commit impieties? But, in truth, the meaning of these words is this: Do Thou, by pouring upon me Your Spirit, guard me from being overcome by the terrors of human calumny, and from being drawn over to their evil deeds away from Your commandments. For if You have thus dealt with me, that is, if You have in this manner delivered me by the gift of patience from their calumnies, so that I fear not the false charges they prefer against me; among those very calumnies I will keep Your commandments.
On 118:135
"Show the light of Your countenance on Your servant, and teach me your statutes" [Psalm 119:135]: that is, manifest Your presence, by succouring and aiding me. "And teach me Your righteousnesses." Teach me to work them: as it is more plainly expressed elsewhere, "Teach me to do Your will." For they who hear, although they retain in their memories what they hear, are by no means to be considered to have learned, unless they do. For it is the word of Truth: "Every man that has heard and has learned of the Father, comes unto Me." [John 6:45] He therefore who obeys not in deed, that is, who comes not, has not learned.
Gospel — Matthew 5:13-16
Hilary of Poitiers
On 5:13
There may be here seen a propriety in our Lord’s language which may be gathered by considering the Apostles’ office, and the nature of salt. This, used as it is by men for almost every purpose, preserves from decay those bodies which are sprinkled with it; and in this, as well as in every sense of its flavour as a condiment, the parallel is most exact. The Apostles are preachers of heavenly things, and thus, as it were, salters with eternity; rightly called the salt of the earth, as by the virtue of their teaching, they, as it were, salt and preserve bodies for eternity.
On 5:13
And because man is ever liable to change, He therefore warns the Apostles, who have been entitled the salt of the earth, to continue stedfast in the might of the power committed to them, when He adds, If the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?
On 5:13
But if the doctors having become senseless, and having lost all the savour they once enjoyed, are unable to restore soundness to things corrupt, they are become useless; and are thenceforth fit only to be cast out and trodden by men.
On 5:13
Or even cast out from the Church’s store rooms to be trodden under foot by those that walk.
On 5:14
It is the nature of a light to emit its rays whithersoever it is carried about, and when brought into a house to dispel the darkness of that house. Thus the world, placed beyond the pale of the knowledge of God, was held in the darkness of ignorance, till the light of knowledge was brought to it by the Apostles, and thenceforward the knowledge of God shone bright, and from their small bodies, whithersoever they went about, light is ministered to the darkness.
On 5:14
Or, the city signifies the flesh which He had taken on Him; because that in Him by this assumption of human nature, there was as it were a collection of the human race, and we by partaking in His flesh become inhabitants of that city. He cannot therefore be hid, because being set in the height of God’s power, He is offered to be contemplated of all men in admiration of his works.
On 5:14
Or, the Lord likened the Synagogue to a corn-measure, which only receiving within itself such fruit as was raised, contained a certain measure of limited obedience.
On 5:14
Or, the lamp, i. e. Christ Himself, is set on its stand when He was suspended on the Cross in His passion, to give light for ever to those that dwell in the Church; to give light, He says, to all that are in the house.
On 5:14
He instructs the Apostles to shine with such a light, that in the admiration of their work God may be praised, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.
On 5:14
He means not that we should seek glory of men, but that though we conceal it, our work may shine forth in honour of God to those among whom we live.