Light And Salt

Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.. Πάλιν τοῦ κόσμου, οὐκ ἔθνους ἑνὸς, οὐδὲ εἴκοσι πόλεων, ἀλλὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπάσης· καὶ φῶς νοητὸν, καὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος πολὺ βέλτιον· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἅλας πνευματικὸν, καὶ πρότερον ἅλας, καὶ τότε φῶς· ἵνα μάθῃς ἠλίκον τῶν καταστυφόντων τὸ κέρδος, καὶ τῆς σεμνῆς διδασκαλίας τὸ ὄφελος· καὶ γὰρ στύφει, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησι διαῥῥεῦσαι, καὶ διαβλέψαι ποιεῖ πρὸς ἀρετὴν χειραγωγοῦσα. Τὸ δὲ, Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι, καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς, τοῦτο δηλοῖ, ὅτι Οὕτω ἔσεσθε, φησὶν, πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ καταφανεῖς, ὥσπερ πόλις ὑπεράνω κορυφῆς ὅρους κειμένη, καὶ ὥσπερ λύχνος ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας φαίνων. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Εὐάγγελιον Source: Migne PG 72.373c-d

You are the light of the world... 1 Again of the world, not of a nation, or of so many cities, but of the whole world. And the light is intellectual, which is much superior to the rays of the sun. Salt is also to be understood spiritually, for salt was mentioned first 2 and then light, that you might understand how there may be great profit in difficulties, and the benefit of sacred teaching. For it preserves, and does not allow dissolution, by which it is seen to act to bring to virtue. And the words 'it is not possible to hide a city' and the rest, make this clear, that you shall be manifest to the whole world, as a city set on a mountain, and as lamp blazing on a lamp stand. 3 Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 5.14 2 Mt 5.13 3 Mt 5.14-15