St. Augustine here clearly disguishes between devotion to and veration of the martyrs and saints, and the worship (Latreia) due to God alone. This distinction was clear to the early Christians, but abuses and misunderstandings certainly existed, as noted by this bishop of the late...
In Advent 2011, the English Translation of the Mass was changed. One of the most noticeable changes was in the Penitential prayer in the beginning of the service known as the Confiteor. Why all of a sudden did we begin beating our breast and saying...
Here Maximus the Confessor comments on the famous phrase from the gospels "no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house" (Matthew 5:15 and Luke 8:16 and 11:33). ...
Columban. also known as Columbanus, here shows passionate fire of his Celtic monastic spirituality. Commenting on Luke 12:37-38 where Jesus praises those servants who stay awake, their lamps brightly burning in expectation of the master's return, Columban asks that his lamp would burn brighly...
Cyril of Alexandria, commenting on the book of Haggai, speaks of the Church, the Body of Christ, as the new temple that we must busy ourselves with building and the peace that passes understanding as the reward given to those who rebuild it....
Pope Francis has often made comments about capitalism and money that have caused some people to label him as a socialist who believes government redistribution of wealth is the answer to economic injustice. Does a careful examination of his words justify the interpretation that he...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']Y[/dropcaps]ou have already been told about the wicked things shepherds desire. Let us now consider what they neglect. You have failed to strengthen what was weak, to heal what was sick, and to bind up what was injured (that is,...
On February 3, 1994, Mother Teresa was invited to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast sponsored by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. President Clinton and his wife Hillary along with Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper were also in attendance....
Gregory the Great's point of departure is Jesus' statement "the harvest is great but the laborers are few." He notes that while priests, bishops, and preachers abound, there are few who have the zeal and courage to speak the truth even when it offends and...
This excerpt from the Confessions of Saint Augustine helps us understand what the author means by the title of his book: his goal is to confess his own weakness and at the same time to confess God's goodness - the mercy of one who sees...