In the Sermon on the Mount, our divine Savior says to His Apostles, “You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.” We are the salt of the earth in proportion to our holiness; but “if the salt lose its savor,” of what use is it? It is only fit to be cast out into the way and trampled upon.
But the pious apostle is truly the salt of the earth, a real agent of preservation from the corruption of human society. He is a shining light in the night of error, for the brightness of his example, more than his preaching, will dispel the darkness accumulated by the spirit of the world, and cause the ideal of true happiness, which Jesus Christ traced in the Eight Beatitudes, to reign in the hearts of the objects of his labor. That which is most capable of inducing the faithful to lead a truly Christian life is precisely the virtue of him who has to teach it. On the other hand, his weaknesses turn men away from God. “Through you the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles.” Wherefore, the apostle should on every occasion show the lighted torch of his good example rather than regale men with fine speeches; that is, he should take great care to practice what he preaches.
It has been aptly remarked that a physician can take proper care of the health of his patients, and cure them, even if he is ill himself; but to succeed in curing souls, we should have a healthy soul, for in this matter, the spiritual physician must impart something of himself, at least by his example. Men have the right to be exacting from him who pretends to reform them, and they soon discern whether the reformer’s actions agree with his teaching, or if his preaching is only deceptive speech.
How powerful, for instance, is the priest’s preaching on prayer if the people often witness him communing with our divine Savior in the tabernacle! How persuasive he will be when preaching on avoiding idleness, on doing penance, if he is always usefully employed and mortified! And if he is ever kind, charitable to all, even to the poor and to children, as a true imitator of Jesus Christ, how deeply will his exhortations sink into the hearts of his hearers, “whose pattern he is”!
The teacher who is not an interior man considers that he has done his duty if he merely hears and explains the lessons of his pupils. If he were an interior man, a saying escaping from his heart, an expressive gesture or look, his very demeanor, his very manner of making the Sign of the Cross, of reciting the prayers before and at the end of class or school, might produce as good an impression as a good sermon!
A Sister in a hospital or in another institution possesses a power and an efficacious means of doing much good without transgressing the limits of duty, for she can inspire in the hearts of those entrusted to her care the love of Jesus Christ and His Church.
The Christian religion has been propagated, not so much by long and frequent discussions and learned explanations, as by the works of a truly Christian life of the apostolic men and of the faithful, a life so contrary to the worldly spirit of selfishness and sensuality. If now the Catholics, or at least all the apostles, were as holy as the early Christians, how irresistible would their apostolate be among our modern pagans and the sects that are so prejudiced against our holy Church and her doctrine!
O external radiation of an interior soul united to God, how powerful art thou! It was the sight of the Venerable Father Passerat, saying Mass so devoutly that drew Father Desurmont to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, which he was destined to illustrate and benefit so greatly. The faithful possess an intuition of holiness that nothing can deceive, for they flock from all sides to obscure men of God, as we see in the case of St. Clement Hof-bauer, the Curé d’Ars, and many others.
It is to the apostles especially that Jesus Christ says, “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven,” by imitating them. St. Paul addresses this admonition to them also: “In all things, show thyself an example of good works.” “Be thou an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.” “The things which you have. . . seen in me, these do ye.” “Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ.” We should be able to challenge our adversaries as Christ did the Pharisees: “Which of you shall convince me of sin?”113 for we are called to imitate Him: “Jesus began to do and to teach.” Therefore it behooves the apostle to follow St. Paul’s admonition: “Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed.”
Pope Leo XIII says, “Above all, very dear sons, bear in mind that the indispensable condition of true zeal and the best pledge of success is purity and holiness of life.” And Pope Pius X says likewise, “All who are devoted to Catholic works should be men of such a spotless life, as to be fit to serve as an efficacious example to all men.”
Editor’s note: This article is from a chapter in Spiritual Handbook for Catholic Evangelists, which is available from Sophia Institute Press.