“He shall open his mouth in the church, and shall be filled with the spirit of wisdom, and shall pour out the words of his wisdom.” (Ecclus. 39:9)
The Friday following the Octave of Easter retains the sweet fragrance of the Resurrection’s glory, but also begins to turn our attention toward the life of the disciple shaped by the Risen Lord. Today’s readings bring us to the core of this discipleship: the relationship between the wise man of God and the law of divine truth—how he receives, speaks, and lives it.
In Ecclesiasticus 39:6–14, we are presented with the image of a man who applies his soul to seek the wisdom of the ancients, and who is rewarded with a flood of understanding. This is no idle or speculative wisdom—it is a wisdom that “shall show forth the discipline of his doctrine,” one that fills the Church and does not remain in silence. Such a man contemplates, but also praises; he studies, but also teaches; he searches, but also serves.
This figure finds its perfect fulfillment in the saint, especially the Doctor Ecclesiæ—the Doctor of the Church—who, like St. Thomas Aquinas or St. Augustine, illumines the faithful not by his own light, but by that light received from on high. St. Ambrose writes: “The wise man speaks, not from the ingenuity of his own invention, but from the fountain of divine wisdom.” The sacred author tells us that such a man “shall be filled with the spirit of understanding” and “shall show forth his wisdom in the odor of sweet smelling sacrifice.” These are priestly terms, echoing the very language of liturgy and offering.
The Gospel appointed today, Matthew 5:13–19, places before us Our Lord’s majestic words on the role of the disciple in the world: “Vos estis sal terræ”—“You are the salt of the earth.” Salt preserves and flavors; it stings in wounds, but heals. So it is with doctrine and truth. As St. Hilary of Poitiers teaches, “The Apostles are the preachers of eternal life, and they are the salt which is to be poured forth over the whole world to preserve it from corruption.”
Yet Our Lord adds a solemn warning: “But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?” This is no mere rhetorical flourish—it is a lament over the corruption of sacred teaching when truth is compromised. As St. John Chrysostom boldly states: “When the teacher fails in life and doctrine, he is fit neither for the temple nor for the field.” Salt that has lost its savor becomes a scandal, trampled underfoot.
Christ continues: “You are the light of the world.” Here the metaphor rises. Light is not only for preservation, but for revelation—for guiding others. But again, this light is not our own: “Let your light shine before men… that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The Christian, like the wise man of Ecclesiasticus, is called to radiate the divine wisdom he has received in prayer, study, and contemplation. As St. Gregory the Great teaches, “He who has tasted the sweetness of heavenly wisdom cannot keep silent.”
Lastly, Our Lord solemnly confirms the continuity and sanctity of the Law: “Do not think that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” In this season of Paschaltide, we do well to meditate on this truth: the Resurrection is not a rupture with the old, but its fulfillment in glory. Christ is the Law incarnate, risen now in His glorified Body, yet ever calling men to the narrow path. He who teaches others to break even the least commandment is least in the kingdom; but he who teaches and keeps the commandments shall be great.
A Paschal Application
During this blessed season, as the Church continues to celebrate the glory of the Resurrection, today’s readings summon us to fidelity in doctrine and integrity in life. The saint, the preacher, the teacher—whether ordained or lay—is to be both salt and light: preserving the faith uncorrupted and illuminating others with its radiance.
Let us, then, in the manner of the wise man of Ecclesiasticus, seek wisdom in the morning, meditate on it in silence, and proclaim it boldly. Let us be mindful, with trembling joy, of the words of the Risen Lord: “He that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
As a closing exhortation, let us recall the words of St. Bede the Venerable, commenting on this Gospel:
“He who teaches rightly and lives rightly shines with a double light, and he who does not live rightly, though he may teach rightly, puts his lamp under a bushel.”
May we, by the grace of the Risen Christ, keep our lamps alight and our salt savory.