"... Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea..." Matthew 2.1 That the King of all creation should enter creation, in the same way all those who are made in his image are born into the world, is a matter of wonder in itself. That he should grow up, as he did, and complete his mission to live a perfect life in order to offer it as a sacrifice for sin, so that we could all go free without losing our free will, is doubly amazing. And now we have the promise that he will return and f

"One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27.4 The insight which activated, transformed and sustained Gregory the Great was that, through deliberate consecration of one's heart as an inner sanctuary, one might maintain a busy public life without losing the contemplative spirit, which is so essential to faith in God and integrity

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14.28 By any measure in any age, Gregory the Great (540-604) would emerge as an outstanding individual. Of noble birth, he enjoyed a classical education and worked his way quickly through the ranks to become Prefect of Rome in his early 30s. By this time Roman society was Christian, at least in name, and Gregory was surrounded by powerful role models, which must have impacted him because he sud

My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.” Psalm 35.10 Church historian, Paul Burns, draws attention to the importance of the Psalms in Augustine of Hippo's development as a person and as a leader in the early western church. Two themes in particular emerge: pilgrimage and confession. To the extent that Augustine appreciates the progressive nature of the journey of faith

One of the towing figures - perhaps the towering figure among the early western church fathers - is Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Best known for his Confessions (about his conversion to Christianity) and City of God (in which he refutes allegations blaming Christians for the decline of Rome), he wrote about much else including his magisterial Expositions of the Psalms. His writings continue to entertain and inspire. "When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ru

"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." Matthew 7.17 John Chrysostom shared the view of his fellow Early Church Fathers that a person was composed of two parts: body (soma) and soul (physis), both of which were intrinsically good, having been made by God. In order to maintain its virtue, the body must be subordinate to the soul in the same way that a rider controls their horse. This would depend on the person's mindset (gnome) operating i

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1.27 Possibly the most prolific of the Eastern Church Fathers is John Chrysostom (c.347-407). Raised in Syrian Antioch, he was star pupil of the famous rhetorician, Libanius, whose successor it was assumed he would become - until his conversion to Christianity. An earlier fellow-convert was the Emperor, Constantine, in October 312. Overnight, this changed t

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7.38 In his treatise De Isaac Ambrose never refers to baptism explicitly but instead through a series of images. The amorous language of the Song of Solomon suggests the desire of the soul for intimate union with Christ. The kisses which the lovers in that poem exchange are passionate "kisses of the lips", as if pouring themselves into each other. This anticipates Jesus' p

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth..." Song of Solomon 1.2 In De Isaac Ambrose, 4th century Bishop of Milan and mentor of St Augustine, addresses candidates for baptism. Interpreting the courtship of Isaac and Rebecca as an allegory for the union of Christ to both the church and the human soul, Ambrose develops his theme through further reflection on the wooing of bride and groom in the Song of Solomon. It all amounts to what British-American academic, Gerald Boers

"My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice." Songs of Solomon 2.9 To explore further the notion that seeing God (the beatific vision) is the true and only path to fulfilment, Gregory of Nyssa wrote 12 homilies on the Old Testament poem 'Song of Solomon'. In each he traces the groom's pursuit by his bride and demonstrates how each gain fuels further desire, transporting the bride