St. Peter Chrysologus

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Wednesday, 30 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that God has given each and every one of us truly great blessings and graces, all the wonders that He had done for us, all the great things that He had prepared and intended for us. That is why we should never take them for granted and ignore what God has provided to us, or to settle for things that are less in value, in worldly ambitions and pursuits that can distract and keep us away from following the Lord wholeheartedly. We should always remember that each and every one of us as God’s holy and beloved people are meant for greatness in life, and we are all expected to seek our true treasures in life that we can find in the Lord alone.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard of the account of Moses descending down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets with his whole face and countenance transformed from his encounter with God, as his face reflects the bright radiance of God. Moses was one of the very few in the Old Testament who had encountered God and lived, as it was believed that God’s glory and righteousness would have destroyed a person should he or she be in the presence of God and look upon His holy and glorious face. But Moses looked upon God in the face and was there atop Mount Sinai where God descended and wrote on the tablets of the Ten Commandments, while revealing to him His Law and commandments to be passed to the Israelites.

In this case, God has given His people, all the Law and commandments by which He wanted to teach all of them how they could obey and follow Him faithfully and wholeheartedly, and not be distracted by worldly temptations and vices. Through Moses He had shown the people that His path and His ways are truly holy and worthy, while the path of worldliness, all of the people’s disobedience and wickedness, all sorts of licentiousness and evils are truly wicked, just as how prior to this occasion depicted today from the Book of Exodus, the Israelites rebelled against the Lord by erecting for themselves a golden calf idol and treating it as their ‘god’, instead of trusting in the same Lord and God Who had saved them and led them all out from the land of their slavery in Egypt.

The Israelites were reminded of the Covenant which God had made with all of them, and how God had been so kind in extending to all of them His mercy and love, all the compassion that He has shown them so generously despite the disobedience and rebelliousness that His people has shown Him. He has always been loving and forgiving to all of them, and He wanted all of them to return to Him and to be reconciled fully with Him. That is why He has also never given up on any one of us, loving us all generously and wonderfully in the same way. Just as the Israelites were God’s first chosen people, now all of us Christians, who have become parts of God’s Church, are also God’s holy, beloved and chosen people, and we are all equally beloved in the same way. 

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist,
we heard of the parables which the Lord Jesus used to highlight what the Kingdom of Heaven is like to His disciples and followers and to all others who were listening to Him. The Lord used the parables to help His audience to understand better what He wanted to tell them, comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to that of a great treasure hidden in the field, or to a pearl of great value. Through those parables, it is indeed clear that the Lord wanted to highlight the great importance of being part of the Kingdom of God, and for us all, it is being part of God’s Church, His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, together with all the Law and commandments that God had given to us all.

Through His gift of His beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, God Himself had made His Kingdom and Dominion tangible in this world, establishing His Church in our midst, gathering all of us, the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock, scattered all over the whole world in darkness with His light and hope, so that all of us may once again be together as one flock of Christ, our One and True Good Shepherd, the One through Whom we have received the assurance and hope of God’s salvation and eternal life. Through Christ Himself we have also received the true revelation of God’s Law and commandments, of their meaning and purpose, and how we all can truly obey the Lord faithfully and wholeheartedly in the manner that He wants from us, to be truly loving and committed to Him at all times.

As Christians, all of us should always seek the Lord and aim to make our lives truly worthy of Him by living our faith with sincerity and commitment, in the manner of how we love ourselves and our fellow brothers and sisters, in how we interact with each other, with our loved ones and even with all those whom we encounter daily in life. Through God’s Law and commandments, including the Ten Commandments that are at the core of our beliefs, we are all expected to love the Lord our God in the same manner that He has shown and given to us, in His infinite and ever enduring love, in how we love everyone around us, from those whom we loved and also to all those whom we encounter, even strangers and even to those who persecuted and hated us. That is what Christ Himself has shown us by Him loving and forgiving even those who have persecuted and oppressed Him.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, a holy bishop, servant of God and a Doctor of the Church. St. Peter Chrysologus was born in the region of northern Italy during the waning years of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, in the early fifth century, and he eventually became a deacon and rose to the position of archdeacon in the Church. St. Peter Chrysologus was then appointed by the Pope as the Bishop of Ravenna, and this happened according to the Church tradition due to the vision which the Pope received by inspiration, and the man in his vision as the next Bishop of Ravenna was none other than St. Peter Chrysologus himself. He was ordained as a priest and then bishop, and became the faithful shepherd of the flock in that city and region.

He was known as ‘Chrysologus’ or the ‘Golden-worded’ because of his great and yet simple, eloquent and inspiring homilies, which touched the hearts and minds of so many among the faithful that he was known later as the ‘Doctor of Homilies’ and was made not just as a saint of the Church but also revered as one of the few honoured as Doctors of the Church. He devoted his time and effort to minister to his flock in Ravenna and to others beyond, in defending the true, orthodox Christian faith against all the heresies that were then quite rampant throughout the Christendom. He encouraged the faithful to deepen their relationship with God through daily reception of the Holy Eucharist and devotions to the Blessed Mother of God, among other spiritual activities and works. He spent the rest of his life as a faithful bishop and servant of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have heard from today’s Scripture readings and inspired by the examples and the life of St. Peter Chrysologus, let us all therefore do our very best in our own lives, in each and every moments so that we may be good role models and examples to everyone around us. Let us all be the good and worthy beacons of God’s light and hope, His love and compassion, and bring forth His truth and Good News to all those whom we encounter in our daily lives, with our loved ones and everyone else. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Matthew 13 : 44-46

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”

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Wednesday, 30 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Psalm 98 : 5, 6, 7, 9

Extol YHVH, our God; worship at His footstool. Holy is He! And mighty!

Among His priests were Moses and Aaron; and Samuel, among those who called on His Name. They called to YHVH, and He answered them.

In the pillar of cloud He spoke to them; and they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them.

Extol YHVH our God; worship at His holy mountain. Holy is YHVH our God!

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Wednesday, 30 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Exodus 34 : 29-35

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant after speaking with YHVH. Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw that Moses’ face was radiant and they were afraid to go near him.

But Moses called them, and Aaron with all the leaders of the community drew near, and Moses spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near and he told them all that YHVH had commanded him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

Whenever Moses went before YHVH to speak with Him, he took off the veil until he came out again. And when he came out and told them what he had been commanded, the Israelites saw that his face was radiant. Moses would then replace the veil over his face until he went again to speak with YHVH.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we are all beloved by God, and God has always given us the opportunities and the means for each and every one of us to return to Him with contrite hearts and repentance, ever showing us all His rich mercy and forgiveness, as well as the desire to be reunited with us. We must always remember that God has always been patient in reaching out to us, caring for us and showing us His providence and compassion at each and every moments, and we should never take this for granted, or else, we may regret it when it is too late for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the desolation and destruction that the people of God in the lands and the kingdom of Judah had been facing at that time, having endured all those because of the sins and wickedness that they had committed, and as they persecuted the prophets and messengers of God, refusing to listen to God’s words and reminders, refusing to obey the Law and commandments of God, all of which led to them being punished and chastised for all the wicked deeds which they had done. But the Lord wanted to tell His people that they are not forgotten, and that He still loved them all nonetheless, and everything that He had done, was meant to help bring them all back to Him.

That was why the prophet Jeremiah said all the words of prayer we have heard in our first reading today, calling upon the Lord to have mercy on the people, all of whom had indeed sinned against God and failed to follow His ways. But the people also realised their sinfulness and many among them wanted to return to the Lord, and thus, the prophet Jeremiah echoed and showed this sentiment and desire to the Lord through His prayers and words to Him, calling on Him to plead for the sake of the ones whom God had beloved and cared for. And through that, each and every one of us are also therefore reminded of this fact of how we are truly the holy and beloved people of God, called and chosen to do God’s will in our world today, and to reject sin and evil in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard of the Lord explaining the parable of the weeds and the wheat in a field to His disciples and the ones assembled to listen to Him. Through that parable, the Lord told them all of an enemy who plotted against the master and sower of seeds in the field by sowing weeds upon the same field, and which caused the weeds to grow in between the crops and the desired plants. The Lord explained to His disciples how that parable is a representation of the Lord and the evil one competing for the hearts and minds of the people, those in whom God and the evil one have sowed respectively, the seeds of faith, hope and love, as well as the evil one’s seeds of doubt, despair and hatred, among many others.

This parable highlighted the reality that each and every one of us have received these various ‘seeds’ planted in us, and it is therefore now up to us to cultivate the right kind of ‘seeds’ in our lives. We have been given the choice and the free will by God to decide on how we ought to live our lives, and what path we are to choose in our path going forward in life. The fact that the wheat and crops are growing together with the weeds and the other undesirable plants is a reality that every one of us living in this world are struggling with daily, as our lives are truly a tapestry of things that are good and righteous, as well as those that are sinful and unworthy of God, through our disobedience against God and sins against Him.

The choice is therefore ours whether we want to do what is right and just according to God’s will or whether we prefer to do things in our own way, in listening to the devil and all of his wicked lies and deceptions. And in that same Gospel passage today, in the Lord’s explanations, the Lord made it clear that the weeds shall be uprooted and destroyed in the fire at the time of the reaping and the harvest, reminding all of us that if we continue to embrace those sinful ways and path in life, then in the end, there will be nothing left for us but regret because we have chosen to reject the ever generous and gracious love of God. That is why we are all called and reminded to embrace God’s righteousness and grace, His love and truth, and strive our best to live our lives according to this path.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, a great and holy man of God whose life and devotion to God, great works and efforts should be great inspiration and model for all of us to follow. St. Peter Chrysologus was born in what is now part of northern Italy during the final decades of the Roman Empire in the Western Mediterranean, where he became first a deacon and then archdeacon in service to the Church, before the then Pope appointed him as the Bishop of Ravenna, which was then the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire. It was told in Church tradition that the Pope saw a vision of St. Peter the Apostle and St. Apolllinaris of Ravenna pointing to a young man who would become the new Bishop of Ravenna, and this vision referred to the then young St. Peter Chrysologus.

St. Peter Chrysologus gained his epithet of Chrysologus or ‘Golden-worded’ exactly because of his often simple yet powerful homilies which touched the lives and hearts of countless people who were under his care and listened to him. St. Peter Chrysologus explained the Scriptures and the Christian teachings well and he also made a firm and courageous stand against all the falsehoods, heresies and other evils of his time, doing his best to lead the people of God in the path towards God all throughout his whole life. St. Peter Chrysologus is truly a great example for all of us as Christians, in everything that he had done and in the efforts that he had in devoting himself completely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of St. Peter Chrysologus and the many other saints, holy men and women of God in our lives, so that we may continue to do our best to grow ever stronger in our faith in the Lord, and that we may be truly worthy and faithful in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another. Let us all be the rich and bountiful crops and not be the weeds in the Lord’s field that is this world, making best use of the opportunities and time given to us to do His will, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Matthew 13 : 36-43

At that time, Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Jesus answered them, “The One Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil; the harvest is the end of time, and the workers are the Angels.”

“Just as the weeds are pulled up and burnt in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send His Angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.”

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Psalm 78 : 8, 9, 11, 13

Do not remember against us the sins of our fathers. Let Your compassion hurry to us, for we have been brought very low.

Help us, God, our Saviour, for the glory of Your Name; forgive us for the sake of Your Name.

Listen to the groans of the prisoners; by the strength of Your arm, deliver those doomed to die.

Then we, Your people, the flock of Your pasture, will thank You forever. We will recount Your praise from generation to generation.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Jeremiah 14 : 17-22

This you will say to them : Let My eyes shed tears night and day without ceasing! For a great wound has the virgin daughter of My people been wounded, a most grievous wound. If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword. If I enter the city I see the ravages of famine. For the prophet and the priest did not understand what was happening in the land.

Have You then rejected Judah forever? Do You abhor Zion? Why have You wounded us and left us with no hope of recovery? We hoped for salvation but received nothing good; we waited for healing, but terror came! YHVH, we know our wickedness and that of our ancestors, and the times we have sinned against You.

For Your Name’s sake do not despise us; do not dishonour the throne of Your glory. Remember us. Do not break Your Covenant with us! Among the worthless idols of the nations, are there any who can bring rain, or make the skies send showers? Only in You, YHVH our God, do we hope, for it is You Who do all this.

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Saturday, 30 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are presented with the realities facing those who are faithful and committed to God, all the more so especially for those who have been called to be shepherds and ministers to the people of God, like that of the prophets and messengers of God. As we heard in our Scripture passages today, the prophets and servants of God often had to suffer a lot of rejection and even persecution unto death, as what many of faithful servants of God had experienced in the past, as well as many other holy men and women of God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah of the confrontation between the priests and the false prophets of Judah with Jeremiah, who was at that time, the only faithful prophet and servant of God left in Judah, during the last days of that kingdom. Jeremiah had been delivering the words of God to His people in Judah, warning all of them that the city of Jerusalem and the whole of Judah would soon be destroyed because of the continued sins and the wickedness of the people who refused to listen to God or to repent from their sins and evil ways.

As such, Jeremiah was seen as a troublemaker and even a traitor by some among the people, and his messages contradicted those so called false prophets who conveyed their own messages and rhetoric of glory for the kingdom of Judah. Those false prophets told the king of Judah and the people that they would be able to overcome their enemies and they would triumph, when in truth, those words did not come from God. What Jeremiah spoke about would eventually come true when later on the Babylonians came, besieged and destroyed the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, and brought the people to exile.

When the priests and the false prophets confronted Jeremiah as we heard in our first reading today, we heard the bitter animosity that existed between them, and how Jeremiah was really alone in his struggle against them, and he was cornered and even had threats against him, as he was accused as a doomsayer and even traitor to the people and the kingdom, with people calling out for his death. But as we heard in our first reading today, Jeremiah made a firm stand before the people, and stating that everything he had said came from the Lord Himself, and saying that the people all needed to repent and turn away from their sins before it was too late for them.

That made some of the people to come to believe in Jeremiah and sided with him, including some of those who would eventually help him in his dire hours of need, and rescued him from his troubles later on. The Lord showed His providence for His faithful servants in this case, while making His will and words known to all. In our Gospel passage today, we also heard yet another one of His servants standing up for the truth, and admonishing those who had been disobedient against God, as was told in the case of St. John the Baptist and him admonishing king Herod and his unlawful, adulterous relationship with Herodias, his own brother’s wife.

St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned because of what he did and said, but that did not dampen his spirit or stop him from continuing to rebuke the king for his continued lack of morality and his disobedience against God. And eventually as we heard in our Gospel passage today, Herodias, who held a deep grudge against St. John the Baptist, plotted his death by making use of her own daughter to seduce Herod during a celebratory party, and ended up in tricking him into ordering the execution of the faithful servant of God. St. John the Baptist was martyred for his commitment and faith in the Lord, for his desire to bring God’s salvation to His people.

Today, we also have yet another example of faith by one of our holy predecessors, namely that of St. Peter Chrysologus, a great priest, preacher and later on named as a Doctor of the Church. He was the Bishop of Ravenna during the heyday of the Roman Empire in the western parts of Europe, and was remembered for his great and very concise homilies and sermons, his great oratorical skills and ability to connect with the people which earned him the epithet, Chrysologus, which literally means, ‘golden-tongued’. St. Peter Chrysologus made such simple yet moving sermons which moved many of the people and turned many into the faith.

St. Peter Chrysologus devoted his life and effort to care for his flock and he was also very committed in combatting and opposing heresies and all false teachings that were rampant back then, guarding his flock against the corrupting forces of those who sought to mislead the people of God. His courage and determination in standing up for the true faith, for God and for his flock of the faithful was just like that of the prophet Jeremiah and that of St. John the Baptist, mentioned earlier today. All of these great saints and servants of God truly showed us what it means for us to be faithful Christians and committed disciples and followers of our God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard all of these wonderful and inspiring stories, let us all ourselves be motivated and inspired to live our lives faithfully from now on as Christians, not just in name only, but also through real deeds and actions. Let us all be inspired to walk down the path that God has set before us, to be faithful to Him, and for us to dedicate our time and effort, to glorify Him in all things. May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey, now and evermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 14 : 1-12

At that time, the reports about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This Man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.”

Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist, here, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but because he had made his promise under oath, in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.

Then John’s disciple came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.