Gregory of Nyssa on the famous statement of Ecclesiastes "there is a time to be born and a time to die." He interprets this as a reference to the death and new birth of salvation, dying and rising with Christ through faith and baptism....
Athanasius here writes of the only begotten Son as the eternal Word, his perfect image, God's creative Wisdom Incarnate through whom the Father made the universe and all its creatures and in whom he takes delight. Athanasius is anxious to show that...
Procopius of Gaza on Proverbs declaration that wisdom has built herself a house. His explanation touches on many topics-- the divinity and humanity of Christ, the seven gifts of the holy Spirit, the value of prudence, and the gift of Christ's body and blood...
Ambrose on the experience of the absence of God expressed by the psalmist who asks "Why do you turn your face away?" (Psalm 43). In the midst of suffering, it is hard to believe that God is indeed present to us....
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']A[/dropcaps]s long as we are sheep, we overcome and, though surrounded by countless wolves, we emerge victorious; but if we turn into wolves, we are overcome, for we love the shepherd’s help. He, after all, feeds the sheep not wolves,...
This excerpt from an anonymous fourth century homily (Hom. 18, 7-11; PG 34, 639-642) is used in the Roman office of readings for Friday of the 4th week in ordinary time. It beautifully describes the various ways the Holy Spirit leads a soul on the...
Diadochus of Photice, an early Church Father, discusses the link between humility and love of God. To be humble is not so much to look down on yourself as to look away from yourself and focus on the beauty and glory of the Lord....
A strong affirmation, by Athanasius, of the full Divinity of Christ in an age when that doctrine was under attack. The heresy of Arianism, which taught that Jesus was inferior to the Father, originated in Alexandria, Egypt, the native place of St. Athanasius....
This excerpt from Eusebius of Caesarea's commentary on Isaiah 40 focuses on the role of St. John the Baptist, one of the key figures of Advent. John, the voice crying out in the wilderness, comes to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ....
It is not absolutely certain that it was St Ephraem who wrote this lyrical praise of Christmas, but the piece is sufficiently beautiful to be attributed to the poetic theologian and father of the church who is known as "the Harp of the Holy Spirit"...