St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, & the Blessed Mother – Video
In this brief video by Sherwood Fellows the key themes of Lent are explored - th...
Dr. Italy
In this brief video by Sherwood Fellows the key themes of Lent are explored - th...
In this 8 minute video, Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D. (Dr. Italy) shares so...
Saint Andrew of Crete on the nativity of Mary as a turning point between old and new covenant, the frontier where types and symbols give way to realit...
The parable of the merciless servant illustrates the meaning of "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," a petition i...
September 11th is the anniversary of one of most brutal acts of terrorism of all time. Three days later, on September 14, the Catholic and Eastern Or...
A 17 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show host Anna Mitchell asks Dr. Italy questions about the amazing 2nd Century bishop and martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, the subject of one of the chapters of his book When the Church Was Young: Voices of the...
Baldwin on Canterbury, noting that the Lord sees the thoughts and intention of our hearts, teaches us how to grow in the discernment of spirits which he calls the mother of all the virtues....
Mother Teresa was invited to address the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development on September 9, 1994. What follows is the text of her remarks which centered on the violence of abortion and an appeal to accept the humanity and the precious gift of...
Jesus did not arrive on the scene to patch up an old system. He is the bridegroom who turns water into wine and makes all things new....
St. Francis is sometimes regarded as patron saint of the environment. But to tell the truth, Francis love for the cosmos was something quite different than the attitude of some today who would call themselves environmentalists. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']Y[/dropcaps]ou often see a garden...
Here St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, tells of the experience of her First Holy Communion which took place on 8th May 1884....
Jerome insists that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. A strong exhortation from a Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church urging all Christians to recognize that serious Bible study is a necessity, not an optional luxury. Read on Jerome's feast September...
In this podcast, Sonrise Morning Show host Anna Mitchell interviews Dr. Italy on the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Church and asks him for practical tips on how best to deal with it....
This essay opens up the depth of the teaching of Saint Therese on the "little way"! Hans Urs von Balthsar shows just how radical, innovative this little saint is, and yet how traditional and how rooted in the Catholic vision. This book on Therese, just...
7 minute podcast describing the Dead Sea and the mysterious ruins of Qumran on its western shore where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered....
In this 14 minute Podcast, Dr. Italy discusses the hidden meaning of the wedding feast of Cana and tells us how the miracle of the transformation of water into wine is a sign of an even greater transformation. Cana is a small village not far from...
Augustine, reflecting on the death of the martyrs who did not shrink back from drinking the same cup of suffering that Christ himself drank. Read on September 26, the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian,...
In this 7 minute podcast, excerpted from a national radio interview, Dr. Italy describes what the town of Nazareth was like in the time of Jesus and what it is like to visit it today on pilgrimage. Marcellino D'Ambrosio here discusses the implications of the Incarnation. ...
Leo the Great here comments on the right use of earthly treasure to store up heavenly riches. True wealth consists in the possession of God, the source of all delight. We store it up through mercy and compassion. ...
7 Minute Podcast in which Dr. Italy vividly describes Israel's coastal jewel, Caesarea Maritima or Caesar's town by the sea. A place made famous by its builder, Herod the Great along with Pontius Pilate, St. Paul and early Church fathers Origen and Eusebius....
An excerpt from St. Augustine's sermon 46 on the rigorous accountability required of pastors. However, it is a moving reflection on the nature of Christian leadership that is also relevant for anyone entrusted with the care and development of others including Christian parents, teachers, and...
In this excerpt from his homily on Psalm 100 Augustine explains the line "we are his sheep, the flock he shepherds."...
Augustine, commenting on Ezekiel and St. Paul to call out pastors and shepherds who feed themselves instead of the flock....
September 11th is the anniversary of one of most brutal acts of terrorism of all time. Three days later, on September 14, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation, and triumph of the cross of Jesus Christ. This reflection...
This is a homily given by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger a month prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI (March 18, 2005) at St. Peter's Basilica. It address the meaning and importance of Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the...
Leo the Great on the seventh of the Beatitudes, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Those who have inner peace due to submission to the will of God are the ones who can create true harmony in the...
Leo's exegesis of these important verses of St. Matthew's Gospel is one of the most important patristic commentaries on the Beatitudes. Christ, the New Moses chooses to give his Sermon on a Mount to show that he is the new Moses, teaching the newRegarding...
Augustine shows that even if some pastors are wicked, seeking their own interests rather than Christ's, the Catholic Church herself is Mother and Shepherd who seeks out the straying sheep, cares for the sick and strengthens the weak. She is also like a vine which...
Augustine, in his sermon 46 to Pastors, reflects upon the mandate from the Lord, found in Ezekiel, for shepherds to seek out the lost sheep, even if those sheep seem to want to be lost....
The Filioque: A Church Dividing Issue? An Agreed Statement by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation 2003 that uncovers a misunderstanding that is thought by many to lie at the root of the schism between the Orthodox east and the Roman Catholic West commonly thought...
Gregory the Great here notes the obligation of a pastor to preach with courage, boldness, and fortitude warning his people when they are on the wrong path and need to repent. To fail to speak out and reproach people for their faults is cowardice...
St. Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit who came to the New World in the early 17th century and dedicated his life as an evangelist and pastor to black slaves and worked at the same time as a tireless advocate on their behalf. His...
Gregory the Great comments on the famous passage in Ezekiel 33 in which God calls the prophet to be a watchman for the house of Israel. Saint Gregory reflects on how this applies to himself as bishop of Rome and protests his inadequacy for the...
Here Leo the Great comments on the fourth, fifth and sixth of the Beatitudes, explaining why those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed as well as the merciful and the pure of heart....
9 min video episode of EWTN's Early Church Fathers series on the dramatic story of the conversion of Augustine, from Marcellino D'Ambrosio, "Dr. Italy."...
An account of the death of St. Monica, mother of Augustine, written about 10 years afterwards, in her son's famous book The Confessions. Read on August 27, feast day of Monica, model of Christian Motherhood. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']B[/dropcaps]ecause the day when she was...
This excerpt from a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, read by the Church on August 22, Feast of the Queenship of Mary, extolls the virtue of the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Peace. ...
Who are the Cardinals of the Catholic Church? Where does the word and idea of Cardinal come from, and what role do they play as electors of the Pope in the papal conclave where the election takes place? [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he Pope, like...
The Second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII in the Fall of 1962 and was concluded in December of that same year. While the Council was in recess, John XXIII died. The task of carrying on with the council fell to his successor,...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']I[/dropcaps] n July 2005, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, stirred a controversy by writing an Op-Ed article for the New York Times entitled, "Finding Design in Nature" (New York Times, July 7, 2005). His article, submitted to the...
The veneration of saints is a feature o Catholic and Orthodox Christianity that fascinates some and bewilders others. In this article, Dr. Italy explains the process of the Making of a canonized Saint or Canonization in the Catholic Church: How it works, what it means...
A brief overview of what happens from the time of the death or resignation of a pope to the public announcement of his successor, elected by the cardinals. The papal election takes place in a secret conclave held in the Sistine chapel. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color=''...
Development of Doctrine - Vincent of Lerins, a church father of the 5th century, distinguishes the legitimate growth in understanding of divine revelation from the false alteration of religion and Catholic orthodox dogma in the Church of Jesus Christ....
Commenting on the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mt. Tabor, Leo contrasts the law, symbolized by Moses, with the grace of the gospel brought by Jesus Christ. He notes how this glimpse of the glory of his divinity and risen humanity was given to...
St. Anastasius of Sinai on the experience of Peter, James and John atop Mt. Tabor. Read on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. We too are called to behold his radiance and say "it is good for us...
Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, presided over the 3rd great Ecumenical Council of the Church which met in 431 AD in Ephesus and which proclaimed Mary as the Theotokos ("God-bearer" or "Mother of God"). Following this proclamation, many churches were dedicated to the Blessed...
Mary Magdalene has been universally honored as a saint from the earliest days, as shown by this excerpt from Gregory the Great on Mary's encounter with Christ at the tomb. The feast of this "apostle to the apostles" is July 22....
Leo the Great on Mary, the Royal Virgin of the house of David, mother of the Messiah and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, was associated with the Virgin Mary since Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus would have crossed...
Addressed to those who have just received the sacrament of baptism, this sermon by St. Ambrose of Milan explains to them that that they've not simply been baptized in ordinary water, but in the sacred waters that transmit the invisible fire of the Holy Spirit....
St. Ambrose explains how the sacrament of baptism was prefigured in the story of the flood and Noah's Ark in the Book of Genesis. The wood of the Ark, the flood waters and the dove which returns with the olive branch all prefigure different...
Ambrose here addresses those who have just received the sacrament of baptism, showing them the many types or prefigurations of the waters of baptism to be found in the Old Testament Scriptures. This a wonderful meditation for those participating in RCIA....
St. Ambrose of Milan tells newly baptized Christians the meaning of the post-baptismal rites: the clothing with a white garment and the anointing with sacred chrism which we call the sacrament of confirmation or, in the Eastern churches, chrismation....
One of the greatest Fathers and Doctors of the early Church here explains how the descent of the Holy Spirit transforms us, making us sharers in the Divine Nature of the Word. The Holy Ghost changes us and empowers us to live a new...
This third in a series on Understanding the Mass focuses on the way the Lord Jesus is really present in his body, the church, as well as his real presence in the priest. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='65' color='' background_color='' border_color='']W[/dropcaps]hether they’re Catholic or not, whether they understand...
The Feast of Corpus Christi, the body and blood of Christ, was instituted during the lifetime of Thomas Aquinas as a proclamation of faith in the real presence (aka transubstantiation) of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament. This selection, read annually on...
While the word "transubstantiation" is not employed here, the substance of this doctrine of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist is evident in this passage from St. Ambrose's treatise On the Mysteries, dating to AD 380. This excerpt explains the power of the words of...
"The force be with you." No, God is far from an impersonal force. The doctrine of the Trinity shows us just how personal, even interpersonal, God really is....
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]his day, in which for the first time I may sit in the chair of the Bishop of Rome, as Successor of Peter, is the day in which the Church in Italy celebrates the feast of the Lord's Ascension. At...
Ambrose here treats of the Holy Spirit as the abundant river of grace that flows from Jesus, the Font of life, in the form of seven channels which are the seven gifts that overflow the banks of our minds leading us to supernatural knowledge of...
This sermon by Augustine, originally delivered on the Solemnity of the Ascension, notes that we, the members of Christ's body, ascended to heaven with the Lord through love....
6 minute podcast providing an overview of the strategic and spiritual importance of Jerusalem, and why it is called the city of David...
A collection of useful information on Coronavirus COVID-19 especially as it relates to pilgrimage travel with the Crossroads Initiative. What is the status of the upcoming pilgrimages sponsored by the Crossroads Initiative? From Dr. Italy, a veteran international traveler and pilgrimage tour leader. We encourage...
“It must be stated that Vatican II is upheld by the same authority as Vatican I and the Council of Trent, namely, the Pope and the College of Bishops in communion with him, and that also with regard to its contents, Vatican II is in...
Augustine on the divine love, known as charity, caritas, agape, that Jesus commanded us to have for one another in the last supper discourse of the Gospel of John. This sort of love is impossible for human beings without the help of grace -- it...
Written by St. Irenaeus about 185 AD, this excerpt makes clear the Church's realistic interpretation of the eucharist as the risen body of Christ which serves as the medicine of immortality, the pledge of our own future resurrection. The real presence of the body...
In this brief video, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. ("Dr. Italy") explains what Fundamental Theology is and why it is not just important, but pivotal and even decisive for determining what we believe about God, ourselves, and how we are to live. Christians and non-believers alike are often...
The Solemn Intercessions for the liturgy of Good Friday according to the Roman Rite....
In his Urbi et orbi blessing amidst the Coronavirus Crisis, Pope Francis shared a meditation on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark. The prayer service over which he presided on the steps of St Peter's Basilica took place on Friday evening,...
The COVID-19 quarantine has left many of us with more time at home than usual. Here's a video challenge to fix your eyes on Jesus by reading one or more of the gospels from beginning to end. Start with the gospel of Mark. During COVID-19, we...
Amidst the storm of COVID-19, we need to keep our focus on the Lord, not the waves and wind. It was when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, looking at the problem, that he sank. The same mistake can sink us. In the midst of the...
Palm Sunday marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But he entered in humily, not in pomp and power. To humble ourselves and make our souls the garments that we spread before him, this is the greeting he desires says St. Andrew of...
Excerpts from two ancient Holy Week homilies followed by a special Holy Week thanksgiving prayer appropriate for either personal or corporate use. Super devotions for the sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday....
This post on the sufferings and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is focuses on Palm Sunday but makes for a great read anytime during the Lenten Season or Holy Week. Frequent meditation on the Passion of Christ is important because the Passion is...
5 min video on Building spiritual muscle fighting coronavirus. Growing prudence in justice by battling the storm together. Muscles are only developed through resistance. The fight against Coronavirus can be an occasion for developing spiritual muscle! Holiness is measured by the strength of the three spiritual...
A 5 min video from Dr. Italy to help give you inspiration in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. There is an opportunity in the midst of every crisis - practical tips on how to make the most of it. The COVID-19 coronavirus is unprecedented...
Hold fast to God, our one true good, counsels Ambrose. In the following words, he explains the essence of the great commandment of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Loving God with your whole heart, soul, and strength means holding on to him, seeking him and pursuing him with...
\[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']D[/dropcaps]ear friends, If any of you have told many friends and family that you are going to the Holy Land, you probably have been told "you've got to be crazy!" For those following TV news over the years, this reaction is quite...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']S[/dropcaps]ome people give in when confronted with temptation in their lives. Some just do the best they can. In this week’s Gospel reading [the first Sunday in Lent] we have an inside look at how Jesus overcame temptation with God’s...
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) here makes clear that Satan, aka the devil, cannot be reduced to a mere symbol of evil. He is a personal being, a fallen angel, who is at the same time not an evil god, but a creature...
While preaching on the occasion of the Dedication of a Church, St. Caesarius of Arles points out that baptism makes of us temples of God, sanctuaries of the Holy Spirit....
This excerpt from a catechetical instruction by St. Cyril of Jerusalem dates from the mid 4th Century, just a generation after the Council of Nicaea. At that time, the bishop of Jerusalem himself instructed the catechumens before baptism (today's RCIA), and this is a record...
7 minute podcast discussing Capernaum, the central town in the Galilean ministry of Jesus and the disciples. Home of Andrew and Peter, Capernaum was the site of some of the most powerful stories in the four gospels....
In this 7 minute podcast, Sonrise Morning Show Host Anna Mitchell interviews Marcellino D'Ambrosio about the groundbreaking study from Ascension Press: Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Dr. Italy spend most of 2019 writing and filming a ground-breaking Bible study on the life and...
2 minute trailer for the new video Bible Study series from Ascension Press, Jesus: the Way, the Truth and the Life, by Jeff Cavins, Marcellino D'Ambrosio ("Dr. Italy"). A virtual tour of the Holy Land that will help you make Jesus more the center of...
John Chrysostom here comments on the famous lines in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus calls his disciples the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World (Matt. 5: 15-16). [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']Y[/dropcaps]ou are the salt of the earth....
In this 20 minute podcast from Ascension Roundtable, Dr Italy and Marisa D'Ambrosio discuss three very important tools of prayer that you may not know about . . . but should! Why you need to know about these tools to enrich and empower your spiritual...
The New Evangelization is all about testimony. Each is called to be a witness in both deed and word says Pope John Paul II and Vatican II....
Christians don't leave home to "go to Church" - the family, says Vatican II, St. John Paul II, and Pope Francis, is the "domestic church," the smallest pastoral unit of the Church where much of the life of the church takes place....
The list of the titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most comprehensive that we've seen. We hope you find it helpful. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']A[/dropcaps]m I the only one who wants to have in one handy location all the titles ascribed to...
An excerpt from the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII Munificentissimus Deus defining the Assumption of Mary, long taught by the ordinary magisterium of the Church, as a dogma of faith....
The publication of The Da Vinci Code in 2003 and the New Age movement both rekindled interest in an ancient religious movement known as Gnosticism. A second century bishop named Irenaeus wrote a massive rebuttal of the claims of the gnostics which we do well...
Where did December 25 come from as the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of Jesus? What are the origins of the feast of Christ's Navity?...
The Second Vatican Council is often called a pastoral council since it issued so many practical directives for the renewal of the day to day life of the church. Many of the objectives of the council fathers have been implemented since Vatican II's close in...
People often think of the Catholic Church primarily in terms of being an institution. While the Church does have an institutional dimension, it is entirely at the service of proclaiming the word of God. It is a prophetic institution....
The Marian devotion of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, is beautifully manifest in his previously articulated "six reasons for not forgetting" Mary. In a 1984 interview with Vittorio Messori, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, identified Our...
Advent reminds us to be vigilant and awake. We should be watchful, longing and yearning for the coming of Christ says St. Ephrem the Syrian....
This Advent reading on the two comings of Christ is an excerpt from Cyril of Jerusalem's famous catechetical instruction of adults getting ready for baptism around AD 360. Cyril contrasts Christ's first coming in humility with Jesus' second coming in glory....
In 1969, then Fr. Josef Ratzinger, theologian and peritus (theological advisor to the bishops) at the Second Vatican Council, predicted that the Church of the future would be much smaller than it was in the sixties, at least in the western, developed world. But, the...
Augustine, commenting on the psalms command to sing to God songs of joy, notes that the jubilation in our hearts sometimes overflows the capacity of all words, yet we cannot remain silent. The Church recalls such songs of joy on the feast of St....
This excerpt from an Eastertide sermon by Saint Augustine was addressed to the newly baptized, who Augustine considers as the chosen, holy seed who have been born again in Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of baptism. These new men and women are now sharers...
Is the method of interpreting scripture used by the Fathers of the Church and the Medieval monks now obsolete because of the coming of scientific, historical-critical exegesis? Henri de Lubac, following the teaching of Pope Leo XIII through Pius XII and the Second Vatican...
Augustine comments on the Last Judgment scene found in Matthew 25 and speaks about the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and how to be properly prepared for it by showing the same mercy to others by which we wish to be...
This doctoral dissertation abstract on "Henri de Lubac and the Recovery of the Traditional Hermeneutic" was submitted to the theology department of the Catholic University of America by Marcellino D'Ambrosio for completion of the requirements of a Ph.D. in historical theology. The abstract was submitted...
The second Council of Orange was a small synod of only 14 bishops, presided over by St. Caesarius, bishop of Arles, held in what is now south-eastern France. It confronted issues of faith, grace, free-will and predestination in order to solve lingering debates over Pelagianism...
An excerpt from the Letter of Ignatius of Antioch to the Romans, written while on his way to Rome to be martyred in the arena where he expects to become God's wheat, food for the wild beasts, a willing sacrifice with and for Jesus Christ....
It is fitting that Pope John XXIII be canonized a saint by Pope Francis -- they share a focus on humility, prayer, the surprises of the Holy Spirit and breaking papal protocol to draw near to the simple people, Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and non-believers....
This excerpt on prayer from Ambrose's treatise on Cain and Abel highlights the value of thanksgiving, forgiveness of others, and praying with and for the whole body of Christ, the Church, rather than simply praying by oneself for oneself....
{1} This essay is dedicated to the memory of cardinal Henri de Lubac, S.J., who died on September 4, 1991. {2} "Take . . . the success from a religious point of view of such authors as Péguy or Claudel. Is it not extremely significant?" H. de Lubac, Catholicisme (1st...
This article, "Ressourcement theology, aggiornamento, and the hermeneutics of tradition" by Marcellino D'Ambrosio is reprinted from Communio 18 (Winter 1991). The theological movement the set the stage for the Second Vatican Council shows that the Christian tradition is a vital and dynamic force that is not retrograde, but...
The writings of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and one of the most inspiring of the Early Church Fathers, provide a revealing glimpse into the heart of an early Christian martyr as well as into the life and teaching of the Church just after the close...
The twelve apostles of Jesus of Nazareth -- 12 fishermen and tax collectors who were selected from the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to be official eyewitnesses of his public ministry, death, and resurrection, priests of the new covenant, stewards of the mysteries of...
Brief video by Dr. Italy that provides an overview of the Life and teaching of St. John Chrysostom, early Church Father, Doctor of the Church, and one of the greatest preachers of all time. The story of this courageous hero will inspire you....
St. John Chrysostom proclaimed the Gospel fearlessly despite the jealousy and hatred directed at him by the supposedly Christian Empress and Imperial Court of Constantinople around AD 400. In the face of government threats he proclaims "If Christ is with me, whom shall I...
When asked what the four cardinal or hinge virtues were, St. Bernard of Clairvaux replied "humility, humility, humility, and humility." This article explains what humility is and why it is so central to Christian life, in light of Jesus' conversation with James & John, the...
St. John Eudes on living in Christ in intimate union, as body is united to head. Jesus, who is the source of our life, wants to live in and through us. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']I[/dropcaps] ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is...
John Damascene, early Church Father, on the Dormition and bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the end of her earthly life. This homily is cited by Pope Pius XII in his definition of the Assumption as a Dogma of faith....
Gregory of Nyssa says we are not true Christians unless we reject emnity & become peacemakers, promoting unity, reconciliation, harmony & peace in Christ...
Augustine, in the conclusion of his commentary on John, speaks of our future hope - the vision of God in heaven following the coming of Christ. The Gospel of John and every book of the Scriptures will no longer be needed since we will see...
This reading on the mean of Christ's sufferings Savior's passion reflects on the Lord's passion by means of several key bible passages including of the piercing of Christ's side in John 19. Theodoret interprets the blood and water flowing from that wound as signs of...
Ignatius of Antioch, in chains on his way to martyrdom in Rome, writes advice to his fellow bishop Polycarp. Married and celibate members of the community should live their marriage or celibacy as offering in God's honor. And the entire Church must offer to God...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']I[/dropcaps]t is right for you to give glory in every way to Jesus Christ who has given glory to you; you must be made holy in all things by being united in perfect obedience, in submission to the bishop and...
St. Clare is remembered in the liturgy of the Church on August 11. Inspired by her neighbor, Francis of Assisi and under his direction, she founded an order of nuns commonly called the “Poor Clares.” Though she lived a cloistered, contemplative life in the...
All Christians, even the busiest among us, are called to contemplative, even mystical, prayer. Here are a few tips on how to experience contemplation even in the midst of action....
Bruno of Segni considers Jesus' visit to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany (Luke 10) as a lesson on the difference between the contemplative and active life....
What makes a particular Church Council Ecumenical? How many have fit this definition down through history, and what is their importance and authority? The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have related but somewhat different answers to these questions....
The first in a 4 part series on the Magisterium, or sacred teaching office, of the Catholic Church, explaining the relation between Church authority and biblical authority, and how written documents, even inspired writings of the BIble, require authentic, authoritative interpretation....
Ambrose, speaking to newly baptized Christians in the fourth century, shows how the reality of the eucharist is the true bread from heaven of which manna was only the symbol and shadow. It is the heavenly banquet set before us on the abundant table...
Speaking to new Christians, about to be baptized, Cyril of Jerusalem urges them to acknowledge their sins and wash themselves clean, to empty themselves so as to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the supernatural seal conveyed through the anointing with sacred chrism following baptism....
Clement of Rome here speaks out against schisms and division in the Church of Corinth at the end of the first century. He makes clear that every effort must be made to restore and preserve unity and brotherly love in the body of Christ....
Clement's letter to the Corinthians, one of the earliest Christian documents after the New Testament writings, is focused on restoring unity and harmony in the church following rebellion against the presbyters of the Corinthian Church. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']L[/dropcaps]et the man truly possessed by...
St. Augustine explains how King Solomon was a prototype or symbol of Jesus Christ and how the Jerusalem Temple was likewise an image or figure of the Church. Only those who build with the Lord build up the church effectively. This passage is...
This excerpt from the Didache, provides a fascinating glimpse into how the Eucharist was celebrated by Christians of the late first or early second century....
Augustine shows how, inasmuch as Jesus Christ, the son of God, became man, he himself was the subject of predestination. By divine grace, not by human merits, Jesus was predestined to be of the line of David according to his sacred humanity....
Jerome shows that the living waters & springs for which the deer longs in Psalm 42, is in fact the Trinity. In so doing, he also provides an explanation of what Jesus meant by calling the apostles "fishers of men." ...
Was the divinity of Jesus Christ and the dogma of the Trinity invented by the Roman Emperor Constantine? Here is extensive evidence from the Early Church Fathers before AD 312 for the belief that Jesus was divine,...
An intro to Hippolytus of Rome whose work, the Apostolic Tradition, reveals intimate details of the life of prayer and worship of the Roman Church in the late second century....
Here are some quotes from John Paul II demonstrating that Catholic Christianity is a matter of a personal, living relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – a relationship that is meant to grow ever deeper...
St. Peter Chrysologus contrasts the first, earthly Adam with our Lord Jesus Christ, viewed as the second, last Adam, the man from heaven....
Here Irenaeus comments on Jesus statement in Matthew 11:27 that "no one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son has revealed him." The full revelation of God comes in and...
Pope Paul VI was the first Pope we know of since Peter to return to the Holy Land on pilgrimage. While in Nazareth in 1964, he spoke these words about the lessons we can learn from the everyday life of the Holy Family during the...
Here, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council II praise Christ as the Perfect Man, like us in all things but sin. A moving tribute to the true humanity of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh....
Augustine discusses the true sacrifice of repentance God desires as he explores Psalm 51, David's expression of sorrow for sin. It is a contrite heart and a humble spirit over our own sin rather than indignation over the sins of others that pleases the...
Maximus the Confessor on the Mystery of the Divine Incarnation. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he Word of God, born once in the flesh (such is his kindness and his goodness), is always willing to be born spiritually in those who desire him. In them he...
A lyrical tribute to the wonder and mystery of the Incarnation by Gregory of Nazianzen. He shows that the first step in the work of atonement between God and man is taken when the Divine Word, the eternal Son of God, unites his divinity...
[dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']D[/dropcaps]estroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. It seems to me that Jesus meant the Jews in this episode to stand for sensual men and those desirous of carnal and sensual things. These Jews were angry...
The Messianic Secret -- why does Jesus not want the word to get out that he is the Messiah?? Could it have something to do with the cross and the enigma that the only way to find yourself is to lose yourself?...
Gregory of Nyssa on St. Paul's intimate knowledge of his Lord, Jesus Christ, expressed in a multitude of descriptive titles for him that provides great food for Christian Meditation. The honor of sharing in Jesus' primary title, Christ, should impel Christians to imitate him...
Aelred, a medieval abbot, here discusses the nature of true spiritual friendship as modeled by Jonathan's loyalty to his friend David, despite his father Saul's attempt to use jealousy and envy to divide them. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]hat outstanding youth, Jonathan, son of King...
Henri de Lubac, one of the great Catholic theologians of the 20th Century, made great contributions to the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Here is an essay by him on the Church as a paradox and mystery. [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']I[/dropcaps]n his journeying...
Augustine show that those who are drawn by desire to Christ are attracted by their spiritual palate, by delight in the wisdom, justice, truth and eternal life to be found fully in Jesus....
In this excerpt from his work On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius says that the Word of God entered our world and assumed a body so that he could die for us, so great is his loving kindness. It is read by the Church on the...
This Letter was written by St. Thomas More to his daughter Margaret (Meg) from his cell in the Tower of London where he had been imprisoned by King Henry VIII. Soon after writing this Letter, Thomas was condemned to death on trumped up charges....
In this third and final episode of Ascension Rountable's Podcast Series on the New Evangelization, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka Dr. Italy) provides further practical suggestions on a key feature of successful evangelization - hospitality....
The Mass . . . the Eucharist . . . the Lord's Supper . . . the Blessed Sacrament . . . holy communion . . . transubstantiation -- what Catholics have believed and taught about this awesome reality, by whatever name it is called,...
The letter of Pope Leo to Flavian, bishop of Constantinople, about Eutyches Commonly known as the "Tome of Leo" In the first half of the 5th century, the great doctrinal controversies in the Christian world all revolved around the divinity and humanity of Christ and how these...