Patristic Quote of the Day

Being at once God and man, he both gives the Spirit to the creation in his divine nature and receives it from God the Father in his human nature. It is he who sanctifies the whole creation, both by shining forth from the Holy Father and by bestowing the Spirit.—St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 12 on St. Luke

Catechesis: Sixth Petition

Although we have received forgiveness and a good conscience and are entirely acquitted, yet our life is of such a nature that we stand today, and tomorrow we fall.—LC III:100

Luther

Out of love, Christ, with all His saints, takes on our form and fights with us against sin, death, and all evil, so that we, being kindled with love, take His form, trust ourselves to His righteousness, His life and blessedness, and so through the fellowship of the good that belongs to Him and the wretchedness that belongs to us, we become one loaf, one bread, one body, one drink, and all is common.—Sermon on the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, 1519

Patristic Quote of the Day

What clearer evidence is there of divine generation than that before speaking of Jesus’ generation, Luke has the Father himself saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”?—St. Ambrose, Exposition of Luke

Catechesis: Fifth Petition

In short, if God does not forgive without stopping, we are lost.—LC III:91

Luther

To them [the Christian people] is given the Gospel, Baptism, and the Sacrament to convert the people, to win souls from the devil, to snatch them out of hell and death, and take them up to heaven; and again to strengthen, comfort, and uphold the poor and instruct and advise afflicted consciences in their sore temptations; and again to teach all people in all occupations how to do their work as good Christians.—Exposition Jn xiv, xv

Patristic Quote of the Day

Adam brought death through the tree. Christ brought life through the cross.—St. Ambrose, Exposition of Luke 4.7

Catechesis: Marriage

Yet we do not make virginity and marriage equal. For just as one gift excels another…so virginity is a more excellent gift than marriage.—Ap. XXIII:38

Luther

The mysteries of God are those hidden things which God gives and which dwell in God.—Gaudete, 1522

I love Sundays…

…and I’m only missing like nine others…

Lunch was bacon, sausage on the smoker, scramble eggs, minced ground beef, carrots and ranch dip, grapes, and an apple-peanutbutter-oats bake. 

Weimarishsche Bibel-Werk, Matthew 11:13-15

Because all the prophets and the law have prophesied (that Christ should come) until John (who declared Christ to be present).

And if you can receive (and believe) it, he (that is, John the Baptist) is Elijah who is to come (he it is of whom Malachi prophesied that he should come in the spirit and power of Elijah, before the great and terrible day of the Lord—Mal. 4:5; Matt 17:12; Mark 9:13; Luke 1:17)

He who has ears to hear, let him hear (that is, note and hold it in his heart and so not wait like the Pharisees for Elijah the Tishbite to return in his own person to the earth or for the Kingdom of heaven to show up with worldly glory—Luke 17:20)

Patristic Quote of the Day

The fruit of repentance is, in the highest degree, faith in Christ. Next to it is the evangelic mode of life, and in general terms the works of righteousness as opposed to sin, which the penitent must bring forth as fruits worthy of repentance.—St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 7

Catechesis: Two Kinds

It should not be immediately judged that the Church decides or approves whatever the pontiffs decide, especially since Scripture prophesies about the bishops and pastors in this regard, as Ezekiel 7:26 says, ‘The law perishes from the mouth of the priest.’—Ap XXII:17

Luther

And thus the Christian Church has held her own from the beginning until now among innumerable false spirits which have been from the beginning and may still come. And yet she goes on standing firmly by her Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Gospel, Christ, and Ten Commandments, and true and pure prayer, and thus she judges and separates herself from all false teaching which is opposed to her—yes, even though the devil should become an angel of light and as a beautiful and radiant figure should present himself as God.—Exposition of Jn xiv, xv

Matthew 11:12 from Weimarische Bibel-Werk

But from the days of John the Baptist (from the time when he began to fulfill his office) until now the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence (the Kingdom of God will be preached through the Gospel and everyone attempt to force an entry to it, Luke 16:16. Men seize the Gospel with determination like men taking a city. Luther: The consciences which have taken the Gospel to heart will allow no one to wrest it from them!) and the violent (the repentant sinners who in true faith stand against temptations by the power of the Spirit, and crucify and bring to nothing the evil desires of their sinful flesh) take it by force (press into the kingdom of heaven, from which it is apparent that John’s teaching and baptism have had a great effect).

Patristic Quote of the Day

It is apparent to all who read that John not only preached a baptism of repentance but also bestowed it on some. Yet he was not able to bestow forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins is granted us only in the baptism of Christ. We must note the words that he “preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” He preached a baptism that would take away sins, but he was not able to give it by himself.—Pope St. Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies 6.

Catechesis: Both Kinds

There is no doubt that using both parts of the Lord’s Supper is godly and in agreement with Christ’s institution and Paul’s words. For Christ instituted both parts, not for a portion of the Church, but for the whole Church. Not only the presbyters, but the entire Church uses the Sacrament by Christ’s authority, not by human authority.—Ap XXII:1

Luther

God speaks through the holy prophets and men of God, as St. Peter says in his Epistle: ‘Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’. God and man must not be separated and severed from each other according to understanding and judgment of human reason; but we must immediately say, ‘Whatever this man, Prophet, Apostles, or sound preacher and teachers says and does by the command and Word of God, God Himself says and does, for he is God’s mouthpiece and instrument.’—Table-talk

Patristic Quote of the Day

And without a doubt we believe and hope that the one who saves us from sins is not failing to save us also from the corruptions which happen because of sins, and from death itself, as the psalmist testifies when he says, ‘Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.’ Indeed, with the pardoning of all our iniquities, all our diseases will be completely healed when, with the appearance of the glory of the resurrection, our last enemy, death, will be destroyed.—The Venerable Bede, Homily on the Gospels

Catechesis: On the Scholastics

We ourselves have heard that excellent theologians desire moderation in the scholastic teaching. It contains much more for philosophical quarrels than for piety. Nevertheless, the older theologians are generally closer to Scripture than more recent theologians. Their theology has worsened more and more.—Ap XXI:41