Readings:
2 Timothy 4:1–8
Matthew 5:13–19
Liturgical Context: Feria Secunda infra Hebdomadam V post Octavam Pentecostes
Theme: Perseverance in preaching and fidelity to the fullness of the Law
As we enter this quiet Feria Monday after the splendor of Pentecost, the Church gives us two powerful texts to meditate upon: St. Paul’s final exhortation to Timothy and Our Lord’s solemn charge to His disciples concerning the Law. In these readings, we find a complementary call: to preach the Word in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2), and to be the salt of the earth who preserves not only the world from corruption, but also the wholeness of the Gospel without diminution (Matt 5:13–19).
“Preach the Word: Be Instant In Season, Out of Season”
In his final epistle before martyrdom, St. Paul charges his beloved son Timothy to remain steadfast in preaching the faith. These are the words of a soldier of Christ preparing for his own death. He has fought the good fight, kept the faith, and now speaks as one passing on the torch of apostolic zeal.
St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on this passage, observes the weight of this command:
“He does not say simply, ‘Preach,’ but he adds, ‘Be instant in season, out of season.’ That is, whether the hearers are willing or unwilling, speak to them. This is the mark of a teacher who is prepared for the struggle.”
This echoes the vigilance demanded of every bishop, priest, and indeed every lay apostle in a time of widespread indifference or even hostility. When people “will not endure sound doctrine” (v. 3), the temptation arises to soften the message, to preach “smooth things,” as the Prophet Isaiah laments (cf. Isa 30:10). But Paul exhorts us to reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.
There is a quiet martyrdom in fidelity to the truth when it is unpopular. Today, the liturgical calm of this feria Monday allows us to meditate on the quieter forms of witness: the catechist teaching children the whole of the Creed; the father leading evening prayer in his home; the layman resisting error gently but firmly in conversation. These are echoes of St. Paul’s own endurance.
“Salt of the Earth and Light of the World”
The Gospel from St. Matthew takes us to the mount where Christ’s Sermon, like a new Sinai, begins to unfold the beatitudes and the new law. Yet immediately, Our Lord warns us not to think He came to abolish the Law. Rather, He fulfills and perfects it (Matt 5:17).
St. Augustine teaches:
“He therefore who breaks one of these commandments, not through contempt, but through ignorance or weakness, is called least; but he who does so through contempt, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven at all.”
In this, Christ anticipates all forms of antinomianism — the idea that the moral law has passed away or is irrelevant. Instead, He insists that even the jot and tittle of the Law remains until all is fulfilled.
The Christian, therefore, must be as salt to the earth — not merely flavoring the world with piety, but preserving it from moral corruption. St. Hilary of Poitiers writes:
“The Apostles are the salt of the earth — they preserve mankind from decay. But if the salt loses its savor — that is, if the doctrine loses its strength — it is good for nothing.”
This is especially poignant in our times, when even among those professing the faith, we find those who would loosen the moral teachings of Christ under the guise of mercy. Christ’s own words contradict such sentiment: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments… shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”
The faithful preacher, then, is both salt and watchman. He must not dilute the Gospel to suit the whims of the age. Like St. Paul, he must be willing to endure rejection, opposition, even abandonment — as Paul did at his first defense (2 Tim 4:16) — trusting that the Lord will stand by him.
Final Exhortation
This Monday in the fifth week after Pentecost, let us not miss the wisdom in this liturgical pairing. St. Paul’s call to endure for the Gospel finds its practical expression in Christ’s call to preserve and teach even the least of His commandments. Both reject compromise. Both demand a full-hearted fidelity.
The Roman Liturgy in her ancient rhythm does not hasten us along but invites us to ponder. Today, in the quietness of this feria, let us ask:
- Have I diluted the Gospel in my words or witness?
- Do I know the fullness of Christ’s teachings well enough to guard them?
- Am I willing to suffer rejection rather than betray even a “jot or tittle” of the Law?
Let us pray with St. Paul:
“I have fought a good fight: I have finished my course: I have kept the faith.”
And may we receive, with joy, the crown that awaits those who long for His appearing.