Category Archives: Patristiblogging

St. Augustine of Hippo preached various sermons on St. Lawrence. Here is one the bishop preached in about the year 401.  It might not be quite what you expected, however!  It sure wasn’t what Augustine himself expected, you can bet … Read More →

In his work De officiis ministrorum, echoing Cicero, St. Ambrose of Milan (+397) spoke about martyrs. He lingers a bit over the conversation between St. Pope Sixtus II (whose feast we had the other day) and his great deacon, the … Read More →

Over at The Way of the Fathers, patristiblogger Mike has a post about his barber. That got me thinking, …. Did you know that in ancient Rome a way to say that something was known by "every Tom, Dick, and … Read More →

St. Augustine has something to say about the Gospel reading for today’s Holy Mass. The Apostles are in a small boat being tossed on the waters and they see Jesus walking toward them and are terrified. Let’s listen to the … Read More →

Hail to you, O patristibloggers! I am back on rain again, with St. Augustine, who in his Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount (De sermone Domini in monte libri duo in CCL 35) has a very nice riff on … Read More →

Over at the Shrine, a question was asked about the term homo viator, which descibes "the wanderer" (which is the name of a paper I write for), the Christian as a pilgrim or "wayfarer" en route. In this life we … Read More →

The second reading for today’s Holy Mass (with the Novus Ordo) is from Ephesians 4:1-6. Let us hear what St. John Chrysostom says about it. Again [Paul] uses the metaphor of bonding. We have lft it behind, and now it … Read More →

Let’s start off with the Collect for today, briefly. COLLECTOmnipotens sempiterne Deus, cuius Filius in domo beatae Marthae dignatus est hospitari, da, quaesumus, ut, eiusdem intercessione, Christo in fratribus nostris fideliter ministrantes, in aede caelesti a te recepi mereamur. LITERAL … Read More →

Today is the feast of St. James the Apostle.  I am sure other blogs will tell you about the great Apostle.  I will give you the perspective of a patristiblogger. The Gospel for today’s feast is from Matthew 20:20-28, when … Read More →

Today’s first reading for Mass (in the Novus Ordo) is from Hosea 11. The reading ends… My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For … Read More →