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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
Next, lest thou think that he is speaking of money, he adds, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one." That it may not be full of hypocrisy, for this is not "grace," nor "a seasoning with salt." For instance, if it be needful to pay court to any one without incurring danger, refuse not [to do so]; if the occasion require that thou discourse civilly, think not the doing so flattery, do everything that pertaineth to honor, so that piety be not injured. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Let your word, he says, be pleasant; however, let it not fall into indiscriminateness and licentiousness, but let it also be restrained. For this is what "salt" means. Let it be neither excessively cheerful nor excessively severe. Just as food, if unsalted, is unpleasant, and if over-salted, one cannot even put it in one's mouth, and in both cases it is inedible, so it is with speech. Do you not remember how Daniel healed with his word an ungodly man? …
Desert Fathers
A hermit said to a brother, 'Do not measure yourself against your brother, saying that you are more serious or more chaste or more understanding than he is. But be obedient to the grace of God, in the spirit of poverty, and in love unfeigned. The efforts of a man swollen with vanity are futile. It is written, "Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12); "let your speech be seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6) and so you will be dependent upon Christ.'
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
Paul also instructs them as to their speech. First, it should be gracious; and so he says, let your speech always be gracious; "A gracious tongue multiplies courtesies" (Sir 6:5). Secondly, it should be considerate; and so he says, seasoned with salt. Salt signifies considerateness or discretion, because just as salt makes food savory, so every inconsiderate action is bitter and irregular: "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another" (Mk 9:50). …
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