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...
Caesarius of Arles' point of departure in this meditation on divine mercy is one of the beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." He exhorts us to become "mercy's slaves" who receive divine mercy & give...
Gregory of Nyssa continues his reflections on the Beatitude "blessed are the pure for they shall see God" (Mat. 5:8) by showing how purity of heart is the key the opens the way to seeing, to the hope of the vision of God....
Gregory of Nyssa, commenting on the beatitude "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God," compares God to an inaccessible rock, a mountain peak impossible to climb except to those lifted up, as Peter was, by the strong hand of Jesus....
Paul tells us we are justified by faith, not works. The story from Luke 7 about Jesus, the Pharisee, and woman with the alabaster jar helps us to understand what Paul means and why many debates between salvation by faith vs. works entirely misses...
Cyril of Alexandria discusses the words of Jesus "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5)l; how the Holy Spirit is the bond uniting us with Christ & one another, making us bear fruit....
Gregory of Nyssa urges us here to follow Paul's command to keep your eyes fixed on Christ rather than be preoccupied with earthly trivialities. The wise man heeds this advice. The fool preoccupies himself with things destined to pass away....
Here St. Basil asks if boasting is ever appropriate and answers yes -- we are to boast only of the Jesus Christ crucified, finding our righteousness in Jesus. In his cross, human pride is laid low....