"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men."You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16 (RSVCE)
Our Lord tells His disciples that they are the salt of the world, since by their teaching and example they are to preserve the world from corruption. They are moreover the light of the world, and must let their light shine before men, with the motive of thereby promoting the glory of God.
As salt without savour is fit only for the dung hill, so Christians who give bad example are not only useless, but fit only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men and beasts. This is what has often happened when Catholics have lost their faith and fervour. They have been trodden down by the foot of the persecutor. Pray that you may always spread a savour of good works around.
The disciples are, moreover, the light of the world, and from the fact of being Christians, draw the eyes of men upon them. They must not hide their light under a bushel, since God requires of them that they should forward His cause in the world, and promote the love of Him by the brightness of their good example. Ask yourselves if you are in any sense a source of light and happiness to those around you.
The Christians are warned by our Lord that in letting their light shine before men, their aim must be to gain glory not for themselves, but for Him. This is the real test of the value of our work. For whom do we do it? If for ourselves, then there is laid up for us not a reward, but the anger of God; if for God, then it will be a source of glory to Him, of good to others, of everlasting joy to ourselves.
- taken from The Ministry of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations on the Public Life of Our Lord, by Father Richard Frederick Clarke, SJ