Salt and Light

 

...For when he says: You are the salt of the earth, he is indicating that all mankind had lost its savor and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, he requires of these men those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary if they are to bear the burdens of many...

...Once again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole world. The light he means is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful serious doctrine. ~ St. John Chrysostom

In today's Office of Readings, we are treated to a commentary on Matthew by  St. John Chrysostom.  I say "treated" because he truly has the "golden tongue" for which he is named.  The Divine Liturgy that he authored, as well as the propers composef by his contemporary, St. Basil the Great, are used to this day in our sister Orthodox Churches as they celebrate Eucharist.  I took him as patron as we share a nickname.

Salt has many uses:

• Salting the land of a foe will destroy fertility of soil, making it impossible for any living plant to grow. (When Rome finally defeated Carthage after 3 wars, they salted their fields so that they would never challenge them again.)
• Next, salt is an essential mineral for our physical bodies. Too little salt in the bloodstream can have dire consequences that include coma and even death.
• Especially before refrigeration, dredging food like fishes in salt preserved them.
• Finally, salt can give flavor or heighten the taste of our foods. 

It is the last of these meanings, restoring what "savor...had been corrupted by sin" that Our Lord means when He calls the Church salt.  Once we awaken the senses of our neighbors, it is then that we can light their path to return to true worship.

...If others lose their savor, then your ministry will help them regain it. But if you yourselves suffer that loss, you will drag others down with you...