As I mentioned previously, the treatise from St. Ambrose that we are currently discussing, On the Mysteries, originally was a sermon that he delivered to new Catholics just baptized at the Easter Vigil. After their baptism, which took place in a baptistry in a building separate from the church, they were led in solemn procession into the church, ( Read more... )

Though I suppose this is true of any generation, particularly in the early Church we get a sense of what the controversies were by what was being written. I don't know anything in particular about any serious Eucharistic controversies in the early Church, but the pains that St. Ambrose takes to argue for the reality of the transformation of the ( Read more... )

If anyone is interested, I've started a new blog devoted primarily to the Fathers of the Church. I'm currently working through some of the ascetical writings of St. Basil the Great. The blog can be found here: Enchiridion Patristicum.

Here is an intro post describing the mission of the blog.

Peace,
Michael

ETA: The good amergina has created a ( Read more... )

In continuation with the present series on the early Church and the parallel postings from the catechesis on the origins of the Church given by Pope Benedict XVI, following is the audience from April 5, 2006:

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Wednesday, 5 April 2006

'Safeguarding the gift'

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the new series of ( Read more... )

In these next two installments in the present examination of the nascent Church I am going to look at two related topics: apostolic succession and the liturgy of the early Christians, a liturgy that focused on the celebration of the Eucharist. In this first post I will look at apostolic succession and how it relates to the doctrine of the ( Read more... )

One of the great challenges in ecumenical discussions is how to appropriately translate particular biblical texts. Some of the biggest issues affected by this problem of correct interpretation include: apostolic succession, celebration of the Eucharist, authority of ordained ministry, the nature of the Church, and the respective roles of ( Read more... )

Today most of the Church is celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany, moved to Sunday so as to make it easier for people to attend Mass. I think this is unfortunate, and that we should celebrate it on its fixed date of January 6, but that's another discussion for another time. Following is an Epiphany homily delivered by Pope St. Leo the Great. ( Read more... )

There is only one God, brethren, and we learn about him only from sacred Scripture. It is therefore our duty to become acquainted with what Scripture proclaims and to investigate its teachings thoroughly. We should believe them in the sense that the Father wills, thinking of the Son in the way the Father wills, and accepting the teaching he wills ( Read more... )

This is the final section of the epistle of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians. In this last part, he refers to the Eucharist as integrally tied in to the reasons for obeying the bishops and presbyters: "...obey the bishop and the presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and ( Read more... )

In this penultimate section of St. Ignatius's letter to the Ephesians, there are several things: the end of the exhortationary portion, a warning against heresy, and a brief discussion of baptism, as the beginning of a short section on the Incarnation, and its effects. The Baptism of Christ is here described as the sanctification of the waters, ( Read more... )