Tuesday, July 23, 2024

30 July 2024 - Tuesday of the 17th week of Ordinary Time - St Peter Chrysologus - Psalm 79 - Jeremiah 14:17-22

Our saint of the day is also a Doctor of the Church – St Peter Chrysologus. His name may seem a little odd to us, but the word “Chrysologus” means “golden-tongued” or “golden-worded.”. He was given that name due to the brief and eloquent homilies he used to give.  Chrysologus was the bishop in Ravena, Italy from the year 433 until his death in 450. He was made a Doctor of the Church in 1729. He was known for giving concise advice and concise explanations of Bible passages that resonated with the faithful. In one quote, he asserted that there are three things that we need to practice in our lives of faith that will help our faith remain constant and that will help our virtue and our values to endure. Those three things are prayer, fasting, and mercy. These are also the three holy practices that we are called to in the season of Lent in preparation for Easter each year.

In our psalm today, the psalmist asks God to deliver us for the glory of his name. We, God’s people, are to give thanks to God and to praise him from generation to generation. In the prophet Jeremiah, today, the people look out at the destruction of their nation, bring them to tears, but they recognize their wickedness and sinfulness, the reason for this destruction. If we give glory and praise to God’s name, perhaps we will recognize the consequences that our actions bring. Perhaps it will help us to look at our actions and our lives of faith and the calling God is giving us. 

No comments:

Post a Comment