From an inquiry addressed to Thalassius by Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot
This word is most unwilling to be kept under a bushel; it wills to be set in a high place, upon the sublime beauty of the Church. For while the…
From a work by Saint Teresa of Avila, virgin
If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as his friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He…
From a treatise against Fabianus by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop
In our offering of the holy sacrifice we fulfill the command of our Savior, as recorded by the apostle Paul: The Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed,…
From a commentary on Haggai by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop
When our Savior came, he appeared as a divine temple, glorious beyond any comparison, far more splendid and excellent than the older temple. He exceeded the old as much as…
From a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
Let us listen to what the Lord says as he sends the preachers forth: The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to…
From the first instruction by Saint Vincent of Lerins, priest
Is there to be no development of religion in the Church of Christ? Certainly, there is to be development and on the largest scale. Who can be so grudging to…
From a letter to the Philadelphians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
For all who belong to God and Jesus Christ are with the bishop; all who repent and return to the unity of the Church will also belong to God, that…
From a letter to the Trallians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
Make yourselves gentle, and be born again in the faith which is the body of the Lord and in the love which is the blood of Jesus Christ. No one…
From the beginning of a letter to the Trallians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
By God’s grace there are many things I understand, but I keep well within my limitations for fear that boasting should be my undoing. At the moment, then, I must…