Monday, January 27 : Saint Augustine
With what meaning do we suppose the words, “to put it under a bushel basket” were said? To express concealment simply, or that the bushel basket has a special signification? The putting the lamp under the bushel basket means the preferring bodily ease and enjoyment to the duty of preaching the Gospel, and hiding the light of good teaching under temporal gratification. The bushel basket aptly denotes the things of the body, whether because our reward shall be measured out to us, [2 Cor 5:10] as each one shall receive the things done in the body; or because worldly goods which pertain to the body come and go within a certain measure of time, which is signified by the basket, whereas things eternal and spiritual are contained within no such limit. He places his lamp upon a stand, who subdues his body to the ministry of the word, setting the preaching of the truth highest, and subjecting the body beneath it. For the body itself serves to make doctrine shine more clear, while the voice and other motions of the body in good works serve to recommend it to them that learn. Christ Himself has lighted this lamp, when He filled the earthen vessel of human nature with the fire of His Divinity, which He would not either hide from them that believe, nor put under a bushel that is shut up under the measure of the Law, or confine within the limits of any one oration. It is not absurd if any one will understand the house to be the Church. Or, the house may be the world itself, according to what He said above, Ye are the light of the world. And therefore it follows, “and they shall glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Had He said, only “That they may see your good works,” He would have seemed to have set up as an end in itself the praises of men; but by adding, “and glorify your Father”, he teaches that we should not seek as an end to please men with our good works, but referring all to the glory of God, therefore seek to please men, that God may be glorified.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
