A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it. “Behold, saith the Lord, I will take away from these, that is, from those whom the Spirit of the Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and I will put hearts of flesh within them,” because He was to be manifested in flesh, and to sojourn among […]
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Ignatius of Antioch
The Harp of God Wherefore it is fitting that ye should run together in accordance with the will of your bishop, which thing also ye do. For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore in your concord and harmonious love, Jesus Christ is sung. And do ye, man by man, become a choir, that being […]
Read moreThe Martyrdom of Polycarp
Gracing His Captors He might have escaped into another place; but he refused, saying, “The will of God be done.” So when he heard that they were come, he went down and spake with them. And as those that were present marvelled at his age and constancy, some of them said. “Was so much effort made to capture such a venerable man?” Immediately then, in that very hour, he ordered […]
Read moreIrenaeus: Against Heresies
Conscience in Sacrifice For at the beginning God had respect to the gifts of Abel, because he offered with single-mindedness and righteousness; but He had no respect unto the offering of Cain, because his heart was divided with envy and malice, which he cherished against his brother, as God says when reproving his hidden [thoughts], “Though you offer rightly, yet, if you do not divide rightly, have you not sinned? […]
Read moreClement of Rome: First Epistle to the Corinthians
Compassion and Confidence in Prayer Ye were inwardly filled with His doctrine, and His sufferings were before your eyes. Thus a profound and abundant peace was given to you all, and ye had an insatiable desire for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you all. …Ye did, with true earnestness of mind and a godly confidence, stretch forth your hands to God Almighty, beseeching […]
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“City of God” by Saint Augustine
[Original Latin title: De Civitate Dei] A Masterpiece of Christian Apologetics St. Augustine started the book to address a pressing crisis and the practical problem of suffering, and then gradually rose to the height of Christian philosophy and theology that has rarely, if ever, been surpassed since. He gave a sweeping overview of ancient history, the history of the Jewish people intertwined with the history of the worldly empires (Roman […]
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“Confessions” by Saint Augustine
A combination of autobiography, philosophical and theological treatise, and confession of love for God. One of the, if not the, best I’ve ever read. A book that renews the mind, warms the heart and uplifts the spirit. Saint Augustine was an Early Church Father and one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity, and yet his Confessions relate to ordinary people in so many ways. A precocious […]
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