By their fruits you will know them – Saint John Damascene, bishop
Joachim and Ann, how blessed a couple! All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother,…
Sharers in the suffering of Christ – Saint John Chrysostom, bishop
The sons of Zebedee press Christ: Promise that one may sit at your right side and the other at your left. What does he do? He wants to show them that it…
You have Christ within you – Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
Let us not be insensible of Christ’s loving kindness. For if he had acted as we do, we would have been lost indeed. Therefore let us become his disciples and…
A prayer to Christ our Savior – Saint Bridget
Eternal praise be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for the time you endured on the cross the greatest torments and sufferings for us sinners. The sharp pain of your…
From a letter to the Magnesians – Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
We should then really live as Christians and not merely have the name; for many invoke the bishop’s name but do everything apart from him. Such men, I think, do…
The sacrament that you receive is effected by the words of Christ – Saint Ambrose, bishop
We see that grace can accomplish more than nature, yet so far we have been considering instances of what grace can do through a prophet’s blessing. If the blessing of…
To the newly baptized on the Eucharist – Saint Ambrose, bishop
Consider now which is the more excellent: the bread of angels or the flesh of Christ, which is indeed the body that gives life. The first was manna from heaven,…
Instruction on the postbaptismal rites – Saint Ambros
After this you went up to the priest. Consider what followed. Was it not what David spoke of when he said: Like oil on the head, running down on the beard,…
From the life of Saint Camillus by his companion
Let me begin with holy charity. It is the root of all the virtues and Camillus’ most characteristic trait. I can attest that he was on fire with this holy…