From: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
St. Paul’s Preaching in Corinth
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Commentary:
1-3. The Apostle had come to Corinth from Athens, as we know from the Acts
of the Apostles (17:16-34); in that city he had not made many converts, despite
his brilliant discourse in the Areopagus. This fact, and the moral corruption of
Corinthian society, may explain his arriving “in much fear and trembling” (v. 3);
he must have felt that he had a difficult task ahead of him. As it turned out, he
must have met many difficulties: our Lord appeared to him at night in a vision to
comfort and encourage him: “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;
for I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10). St Paul, therefore, putting no reliance on care-
fully argued speeches, proclaims Christ crucified, to make sure that faith is
grounded on God alone.
St Paul sums up his entire message here “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. The
Church, on whom it devolves to continue the mission of the Apostles, does no-
thing but make Jesus Christ known: “Our spirit is set in one direction,” Bl. John
Paul II reminds us; “the only direction for our intellect, will and heart is towards
Christ our Redeemer, towards Christ, the Redeemer of man. We wish to look
towards him because there is salvation in no one else but him, the Son of God
— repeating what Peter said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life’ (Jn 6:68) [...]. The Church lives his mystery, draws unwearyingly from
it and continually seeks ways of bringing this mystery of her Master and Lord to
mankind — to the peoples, the nations, the succeeding generations, and every in-
dividual human being—as if she were ever repeating, as the Apostle did, ‘For I de-
cided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (1 Cor
2:2). The Church stays within the sphere of the mystery of the Redemption,
which has become the fundamental principle of her life and mission” (”Redemp-
tor Hominis”, 7).
Every Christian, for his part, should try to see that those around him “desire to
know Jesus Christ and him crucified and that they be firmly convinced and with
the most heartfelt piety and devotion believe that no other name under heaven
has been given to men by which we may be saved (cf. Acts 4:12), since he is
the expiation for our sins (cf. 1 Jn 2:2)” (”St Pius V Catechism”, Introduction,
10).
4-5. Just as Paul’s preaching did not rely on eloquence, so too faith must not be
based on human wisdom (cf. note on 1 Cor 1:20-25). He says that he based his
message on “demonstration of the Spirit and power” — probably a reference to
the powerful action of divine grace on those who listened to his preaching, with
grace manifesting itself in conversions and extraordinary charisms. This power
of God explains how they came to believe.
God continues to act through the Christian message, which “is unique. It cannot
be replaced. It does not permit either indifference, syncretism or accommodation.
It is a question of people’s salvation. It is the beauty of the Revelation that it re-
presents. It brings with it a wisdom that is not of this world. It is able to stir up by
itself faith—faith that rests on the power of God (cf. 1 Cor 2:5). It is truth. It merits
having the apostle consecrate to it all his time and all his energies, and to sacri-
fice for it, if necessary, his own life” (Paul VI “Evangelic Nuntiandi”, 5).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 5:13-16
Salt of the Earth and Light of the World
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. [15] Nor
do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light
to all in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.”
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Commentary:
13-16. These verses are a calling to that apostolate which is part and parcel of
being a Christian. Every Christian has to strive for personal sanctification, but he
also has to seek the sanctification of others. Jesus teaches us this, using the
very expressive simile of salt and light. Salt preserves food from corruption; it al-
so brings out its flavor and makes it more pleasant; and it disappears into the
food; the Christian should do the same among the people around him.
“You are salt, apostolic soul. ‘Bonum est sal’: salt is a useful thing’, we read in
the holy Gospel; ‘si autem sal evanuerit’: but if the salt loses its taste’, it is good
for nothing, neither for the land nor for the manure heap; it is thrown out as use-
less. You are salt, apostolic soul. But if you lose your taste...” (St. J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 921).
Good works are the fruit of charity, which consists in loving others as God loves
us (cf. John 15:12). “I see now”, St. Therese of Lisieux writes, “that true charity
consists in bearing with the faults of those about us, never being surprised at
their weaknesses, but edified at the least sign of virtue. I see above all that cha-
rity must not remain hidden in the bottom of our hearts: ‘nor do men light a lamp
and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.’ It
seems to me that this lamp is the symbol of charity; it must shine out not only
to cheer those we love best but all in the house” (”The Autobiography of a Saint”,
Chapter 9).
Apostolate is one of the clearest expressions of charity. The Second Vatican
Council emphasized the Christian’s duty to be apostolic. Baptism and Confirma-
tion confer this duty, which is also a right (cf. “Lumen Gentium”, 33), so much
so that, because the Christian is part of the mystical body, “a member who does
not work at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must be con-
sidered useless both to the Church and to himself” (”Apostolicam Actuositatem”,
2). “Laymen have countless opportunities for exercising the apostolate of evange-
lization and sanctification. The very witness of a Christian life, and good works
done in a supernatural spirit, are effective in drawing men to the faith and to God;
and that is what the Lord has said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven” (”Apo-
stolicam Actuositatem”, 6).
“The Church must be present to these groups [those who do not even believe
in God] through those of its members who live among them or have been sent to
them. All Christians by the example of their lives and witness of their word, wher-
ever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man which they put on in
Baptism, and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were streng-
thened at Confirmation, so that others, seeing their good works, might glorify the
Father and more perfectly perceive the true meaning of human life and the univer-
sal solidarity of mankind” (”Ad Gentes”, 11; cf. 36).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Thanks.