St. Andrew of Crete (8th Century) proclaims the victory, glory, and triumph of Christ crucified forr the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, the day that the stolen relics of the true cross were returned to Jerusalem in the early...
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 reality. This reading shows that September 8th was celebrated as the birthday of Mary, daughter of Joachim and...
In this video, Dr. Italy discusses Augustine's fight against both Manicheans and Pelagians defending free will on the one hand and the utter necessity of grace on the other in light of original sin....
St. John Damascene extolls Sts. Joachim & Ann, parents of Mary, grandparents of Jesus. They have been honored at least since the 2nd century and their feast is July 26. ...
Ambrose reflects on the Virgin Mary's Visitation of her cousin Elizabeth as recounted by the evangelist Luke in the first chapter of his Gospel. The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the second joyful mystery of the rosary....
Gregory the Great here reflects on Jesus words in John 10 that he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep....
"Exultet"is the opening word in Latin of The Easter Proclamation, an ancient hymn sung by the deacon over the Easter candle which is lit at the start of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening which celebrates the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The...
This excerpt on the Easter Alleluia from St. Augustine is a wonderful explanation of the joy of the Easter Season. Just as Lent was a season of penance, so the fifty days of Easter is a season of praise, an anticipation for the age to...
The Creed proclaims "He descended into Hell". This homily for Holy Saturday from the 4th Century treats of the "harrowing of hell" and the rescue of Adam and Eve. This was a popular theme in early and medieval Christian poetry, liturgy and song....
Here Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem in the mid-4th century, urges catechumens to prepare themselves to receive the Holy Spirit at the Easter Vigil. He speaks of the sacrament of baptism in nuptial terms, describing it as a wedding feast at which the bridegroom will...