St. Vincent was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa, Spain in the first years of the fourth century. In the course of the brutal persecution of the emperor Diocletian, Vincent was apprehended and ordered to surrender the sacred books. When he refused, he was...
The Feast of the Epiphany occurs soon after Christmas. Epiphany means revelation, appearance, or manifestation of a king. In this case it refers to the visit of the wise men to the cradle of a baby who was revealed to them as the King of...
Thomas Aquinas here examines the final article of the Apostle's Creed reflecting on what eternal life in heaven will be like - the beatific vision, the satisfaction of every desire and the fullness of everlasting joy in a community of supreme delight. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color=''...
Gregory of Nazianzen here provides us a wonderful guide to meditating on the Passion of Christ in a way that will make Holy Week and the Triduum a life-changing experience. We are enter into the paschal sacrifice by finding ourselves in the various actors...
This excellent reflection on one of the three pillars of Lenten penance, almsgiving or generosity, is an excerpt from a sermon on the love of poverty by Saint Gregory of Nazianzen. It is also a very clear statement on stewardship -- that we are stewards,...
Here John Chrysostom praises the zeal of Paul to win the crown of glory and calls us to imitate his example of virtue. It is most appropriate reading for the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus on January 26 since they were among the...
Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians in the history of the church, here focuses on the passion of Jesus Christ not only to redeem us but also to teach us. Indeed, the cross exemplifies every virtue and teaches us all we have to know...
St. Sebastian is is often depicted as tied to a tree and pierced by many arrows. Ambrose says Sebastian was from Milan and was venerated there during Ambrose's episcopate in the latter part of the 4th century. It appears Sebastian died in the great persecution...
This prayer is an excerpt from a sermon On the Trinity by Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a bishop and early Church Father of the fourth century who struggled valiantly against the Arian heresy, defending the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity....
Here Gregory Nazianzen points out that Christ was baptized not for his sake but for ours. Sanctifying the waters of baptism for all generations to come, he manifested the the Trinity through the Spirit who comes to rest on him in the form of...