Saint Peter Chrysologus is a 5th-century bishop. Chrysologus means “golden-worded,” and it was for his excellent preaching that he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1729. So explains William Bloomfield, pictured above, General Counsel for the Diocese of Lansing and a devotee of the writings of Peter Chrysologus. Will continues:
Each Lent in the Church’s Office of Readings, Saint Peter offers an inspiring homily on prayer, fasting, and mercy (or almsgiving) and on the importance of not separating them: “Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing.”
He continues just as powerfully and as beautifully: “So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself.”
This homily is one of roughly 180 by Saint Peter that survive today. He preached them to ordinary Christians of the 5th century and yet, nearly 1600 years later, they remain just as relevant, inspiring their readers to holiness.
Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop of Ravenna, pray for us!
