St. Peter Chrysologus: Selected Sermons, Volume 3 (Fathers of the Church)

This volume is the third in the Fathers of the Church series to make available selected sermons of St. Peter Chrysologus (ca. 406-50), Archbishop of Ravenna and Doctor of the Church. With its publication, all of the authentic sermons of Chrysologus are now available in English. A gifted homilist, Chrysologus manifested great reverence for the Scriptures as divine communication and made them accessible to his congregation. Making use of imagery drawn from Ravenna's natural surroundings as well as from some of the professions occupied by members of his flock, Chrysologus explained orthodox doctrine and promoted spiritual development. The Gospels occupy the foreground in most of his sermons, yet Chrysologus allows the reader a glimpse of the daily life, religious debates, political milieu, and Christian belief and practice in mid-fifth-century Ravenna. In this volume are several expositions of St. Paul's letters and some sermons delivered on the feast days of saints and at the consecrations of new bishops. Most of the selections, however, are homilies on texts from the four Gospels that Chrysologus interpreted throughout the year. Of particular note is his preaching on specific liturgical seasons--the end of Lent, Easter, Pentecost, the period immediately prior to Christmas, and the Christmas and Epiphany cycle. ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR William B. Palardy is Professor of Patristics at St. John's Seminary School of Theology in Brighton, Massachusetts. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK "This volume represents all of Chrysologus's sermons now available in the English language. . . . Throughout this volume Palardy provides the reader with first rate insight . . . making this final collection of sermons by Chrysologus truly an important addition to the study of Patristics." -- Jonathan Ignatius von Kodar, Laval Theologique et Philosophique CONTENTS 8 Preface 12 Abbreviations 14 Select Bibliography 16 72a A First on the Lord’s Passion 22 72b A Second on the Lord’s Passion 27 73 On the Holy Day of Easter 33 75 A Second on the Lord’s Resurrection 36 76 A Third on the Lord’s Resurrection 41 77 A Fourth on the Lord’s Resurrection 46 78 A Fifth on the Lord’s Resurrection 52 79 A Sixth on the Lord’s Resurrection 56 81 An Eighth on the Lord’s Resurrection 60 82 A Ninth on the Lord’s Resurrection 65 84 An Eleventh on the Lord’s Resurrection 70 85 On the Middle of the Fifty Days 76 85a [A Second] On the Middle of the Fifty Days 79 85b On the Day of Pentecost 81 86 Sermon on Zechariah, After the Most Blessed Bishop Peter of Ravenna Was Silent 84 87 A Second 89 89 A Fourth 94 90 A Fifth 100 91 A Sixth 106 92 A Seventh 112 94 A Second 116 97 A Second on the Tares 121 99 A Fourth on the Same 126 99a Against the Pharisees; On the Gospel Text:A Certain Pharisee Asked Jesus to Dine with Him, and Jesus Cured the Man with Dropsy 131 100 On the Syrophoenician Woman 135 102 On the Centurion’s Servant 138 103 When He Raised the Widow’s Son from the Dead 144 104 On the Rich Man Whose Field Yielded a Fruitful Harvest 149 105 On the Infirmity the Woman Had for Eighteen Years 153 106 On the Fig Tree to Be Chopped Down 158 110 A Third 163 113 A Sixth 167 118 An Eleventh 171 121 On Lazarus and the Rich Man 176 123 A Third on the Same 182 124 A Fourth on the Same 190 125 On the Unjust Steward 196 126 A Second on the Same 202 127 On the Birth of St. John the Baptist 208 128 On the Birth of St. Apollinaris 213 130 On the Birth of a Bishop 216 130a On the Ordination of a Bishop 219 131 On the Gospel Where It Says: “If anyone keeps my word, he will not see death forever” 221 136 In Praise of the Holy Bishop Adelphius 227 137 When John Flees to the Desert 230 139 On the Gospel Where It Says: “If mybrother sins against me” 237 140a On the Nativity of the Lord 242 140b on the Birth of the Lord 246 142 on the Annunciation of the Lord 250 143 on the Annunciation of the Lord 257 144 on the Annunciation of the Lord 263 148a 269 150 On the Lord’s Flight into Egypt 272 151 A Second on the Same 278 153 A Second on Herod and the Infants 282 155a on January First 285 157 A Second on Epiphany 288 158 A Third on Epiphany 293 160 A Fourth on Epiphany 298 161 On the Servant Who Came in from the Field 303 162 Where It Says: “Teacher, tell my brotherto divide the in heritance with me” 309 163 Where It Says: “Do not be anxious about your life, about what you are to eat” 313 164 Where It Says: “I have come to light a fire on the earth” 318 167 A Second on Fasting 324 168 Where It Says: “Tax collectors and sinners drew near to the Lord to listen to him” 329 169 On the Woman Who Lost the Silver Coin 333 171 Where It Is Said by the Pharisees that the Lord’s Disciples Ate with Unwashed Hands 337 172 Where It Says: “Woe to you lawyers, youtake away the key of knowledge, have not gained entrance yourselves, and have hindered others from entering” 341 173 On John the Baptist and Herod 345 174 A Second on the Same 351 175 When Marcellinus Was Made Bishop of Voghenza on the First of November 356 176 On the Man Born Blind 360 177 On the Anger of Brothers 365 178 On Loving One’s Enemies 370 179 375 Indices 380 General Index 382 Index of Holy Scripture 387 AFTER THE HEAVENLY MIRACLE of the Virgin birth shone throughout the whole world, the joyful festivities marking the Lord's birth were completed, and the venerable feast of Epiphany also has been celebrated, the Lord foretells the sequence of the events surrounding his Passion to his disciples when he speaks as follows: Behold, we are now going up to Jerusalem, he says, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests, and they will condemn him to death, and they will hand him over to the gentiles, and they will mock him and spit at him, and after three days he will rise (Mt 20.18-19). Translated By William B. Palardy. Vol. 1 Published In 1953, By Fathers Of The Church, New York, Under Title: Saint Peter Chrysologus : Selected Sermons; And Saint Valerian : Homilies. Vol. 2 Published In 2004, By The Catholic University America Press, Washington D.c., Under Title: Saint Peter Chrysologus: Selected Sermons; Volume 2. Includes Bibliographical References (p. Xiii-xvi) And Indexes. Maximos the Confessor's penetrating theological vision found expression in an unparalleled synthesis of biblical exegesis, ascetic spirituality, patristic theology, and Greek philosophy. On Difficulties in Sacred Scripture, presented here in a complete English translation, contains Maximos's theological interpretations of sixty-five difficult passages from the Old and New Testaments. Vol. 1 published in 1953, by Fathers of the Church, New York, under title: Saint Peter Chrysologus : selected sermons; and Saint Valerian : homilies. Vol. 2 published 2004, by The Catholic Univeristy America Press, Washington D.C., under title: Saint Peter Chrysologus: selected sermons; volume 2. Includes bibliographical references (p. xiii-xvi) and indexes With this third volume, all of the authentic sermons of St Peter Chrysologus (c.406-50) are now available in new translations. Over one hundred sermons by the Archbishop of Ravenna are published here, the majority homilies on texts from the Gospels, including his preaching on the liturgical seasons.