Today, January 3, as our Church celebrates The Most holy Name of Jesus we are invited to reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Colossians (3: 5-16), entitled "The new life of man". Our treasure, which follows, is from the sermons of St. Bernardine of Sienna, priest.

Reverence for the Holy Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, arose in the apostolic times. St. Paul in his Letter to the Philippians wrote, "So that at Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: Jesus Christ is Lord". Just as a name gives identity to a person and also reflects a person's life, the name of Jesus reminds the hearer of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Keep in mind that the name Jesus means "Yahweh saves" or "Yahweh is salvation."

In invoking our Lord's name with reverential faith, one is turning to Him and imploring His divine assistance. An old spiritual manual cited four special rewards of invoking the Holy Name: First, the name of Jesus brings help in bodily needs. Jesus Himself promised at the Ascension, "…In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them, they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover". After Pentecost, St. Peter and St. John went to the Temple to preach and encountered a cripple begging; St. Peter commanded, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you! In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazorean, walk!" and the crippled began to walk. Invoking Jesus' name, St. Peter also cured Aeneas.

Second, the name of Jesus gives help in spiritual trials. Jesus forgave sins, and through the invocation of His Holy Name, sins continue to be forgiven. At Pentecost, St. Peter echoed the prophecy of Joel, "Then shall everyone be saved who calls on the name of the Lord", a teaching echoed by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans. As St. Stephen, the first martyr, was being stoned, he called upon the name of the Lord and prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit". St. Thomas More, the patron saint of our diocese, as he awaited execution wrote to his daughter Margaret, "I will not mistrust Him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to Him for help. And then I trust He shall place His holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning."

Third, the name of Jesus protects the person against Satan and his temptations. Jesus on His own authority exorcized demons (e.g. the expulsion of the demons of Gadara. Through the invocation of His Holy Name, Satan is still conquered.

Finally, we receive every grace and blessing through the Holy Name of Jesus. Jesus said, "I give you my assurance, whatever you ask the Father, He will give you in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full". In summary, St. Paul said, "Whatever you do, in whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus".

Sant Bernardine was a fourteenth century Italian Catholic priest and Franciscan missionary preacher in Italy, While most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Saint Bernardine of Siena, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following Saint Francis of Assisi's admonition to preach about "vice and virtue, punishment and glory."

Compared with Saint Paul by the pope, Saint Bernardine of Siena had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.

When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt whose parents had died when he was a child, and at her death began to fast and pray to know God's will for him.

At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Saint Bernardine of Siena devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek—in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions: for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines. The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings.

Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine's holiness, orthodoxy, and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.

General of the Friars of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Franciscan Order, Saint Bernardine of Siena strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling on May 20, 1444.

St. Bernardine of Sienna was canonized on May 24, 1450, by Pope Nickolas V.

Saint Paul's letter is addressed to a congregation at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus. At the time of writing, Paul had not visited there, the letter says. The community had apparently been established by Epaphras of Colossae. Problems, however, had arisen, brought on by teachers who emphasized Christ's relation to the universe (cosmos). Their teachings stressed angels; "principalities and powers", which related to astral powers and cultic practices and rules about food and drink and ascetical disciplines. These teachings, Paul insists, detract from the person and work of Christ for salvation as set forth magnificently in a hymnic passage and reiterated throughout the letter. Such teachings are but "shadows"; Christ is "reality".

Today, January 2, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of Bazil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Wisdom (7: 7-16, 22-30), entitled "The joy of the just united to God". Our treasure is from a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop.

Basil was born of a Christian family at Caesarea in Cappadocia in 330. Conspicuous from his learning and virtue, for a time he led the life of a hermit but in 370 was made bishop of Caesarea. He fought against the Arians and wrote many admirable works, especially his monastic rule which many Eastern monks still follow. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379.

Gregory Nazianzen was born in 330. Traveling as a youth in pursuit of learning, he first joined his friend Basil as a hermit and was later ordained the priest and bishop. In the year 381 he was elected bishop of Constantinople; however, because of factions dividing the Church, he returned to Nazianzen where he died on January 25, 389 or 390. He was called "theologus" because of his outstanding teaching and eloquence.

The Book of Wisdom was written about fifty years before the coming of Christ. Its author, whose name is not known to us, was probably a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria, in Egypt. He wrote in Greek, in a style patterned on that of Hebrew verse. At times he speaks in the person of Solomon, placing his teachings on the lips of the wise king of Hebrew tradition in order to emphasize their value. His profound knowledge of the earlier Old Testament writings is reflected in almost every line of the book, and marks him, like Ben Sira, as an outstanding representative of religious devotion and learning among the sages of postexilic Judaism.

The primary purpose of the author was the edification of his co-religionists in a time when they had experienced suffering and oppression, in part at least at the hands of apostate fellow Jews. To convey his message he made use of the most popular religious themes of his time, namely the splendor and worth of divine wisdom, the glorious events of the exodus, God's mercy, the folly of idolatry, and the manner in which God's justice operates in rewarding or punishing the individual. The first ten chapters in particular provide background for the teaching of Jesus and for some New Testament theology about Jesus. Many passages from this section of the book are used by the church in the liturgy.

Today, January 1, during the Octave of Christmas, when our Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Hebrews (2: 9-17) entitled "Christ is like his brothers in every way". Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop.

Mary's divine motherhood broadens the Christmas spotlight. Mary has an important role to play in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. She consents to God's invitation conveyed by the angel. Elizabeth proclaims: "Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Mary's role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God's redemptive plan.

Without naming Mary, Paul asserts that "God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law". Paul's further statement that "God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out 'Abba, Father!'" helps us realize that Mary is mother to all the brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Some theologians also insist that Mary's motherhood of Jesus is an important element in God's creative plan. God's "first" thought in creating was Jesus. Jesus, the incarnate Word, is the one who could give God perfect love and worship on behalf of all creation. As Jesus was "first" in God's mind, Mary was "second" insofar as she was chosen from all eternity to be his mother.

The precise title "Mother of God" goes back at least to the third or fourth century. In the Greek form Theotokos (God-bearer), it became the touchstone of the Church's teaching about the Incarnation. The Council of Ephesus in 431 insisted that the holy Fathers were right in calling the holy virgin Theotokos. At the end of this particular session, crowds of people marched through the street shouting: "Praised be the Theotokos!" The tradition reaches to our own day. In its chapter on Mary's role in the Church, Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church calls Mary "Mother of God" 12 times.

Saint Athanasius was born at Alexandria in 295. He accompanied Alexander to the Council of Nicaea and succeeded him as Bishop of Alexandria. He fought courageously against the Arian heresy. The Arian heresy taught that Jesus was not divine. For this he suffered many hardships and was exiled several times. His writings are outstanding in their explanation and defense of the true teachings of the faith. Saint Athanasius is a Doctor of the Church. He died in 373.

As early as the second century, this treatise, which is of great rhetorical power and force in its admonition to faithful pilgrimage under Christ's leadership, bore the title "To the Hebrews." It was assumed to be directed to Jewish Christians. Usually Hebrews was attached in Greek manuscripts to the collection of letters by Paul. Although no author is mentioned (for there is no address), a reference to Timothy suggested connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants. Yet the exact audience, the author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed.

The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling. The author's main theme, the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus, is not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith. Another important theme of the letter is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem. This theme is intimately connected with that of Jesus' ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.

Today, December 31, as our Church celebrates the Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the beginning of the letter of the apostle Paul to the Colossians (2: 4-15) entitled "Our faith in Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope.

Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church .His work branched into many areas of the church, indicative of his notion of the pope's total responsibility for the flock of Christ. In the 96 sermons which have come down to us, we find Leo stressing the virtues of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, and also expounding Catholic doctrine with clarity and conciseness, in particular, the dogma of the Incarnation. Leo is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and having persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.

Saint Paul's letter is addressed to a congregation at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus. At the time of writing, Paul had not visited there, the letter says. The community had apparently been established by Epaphras of Colossae. Problems, however, had arisen, brought on by teachers who emphasized Christ's relation to the universe (cosmos). Their teachings stressed angels; "principalities and powers", which were connected with astral powers and cultic practices and rules about food and drink and ascetical disciplines. These teachings, Paul insists, detract from the person and work of Christ for salvation as set forth magnificently in a hymnic passage and reiterated throughout the letter. Such teachings are but "shadows"; Christ is "reality".

Today, December 30, as our Church celebrates the Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Colossians (1: 15—2:3) entitled "Christ, the head of the Church; Paul the servant of the Church". Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise On the Refutation of All Heresies by Saint Hippolytus, priest.

Saint Hippolytus is one of the most important second–third centuries Christian theologians, whose provenance, identity and corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians. Saint Hippolytus is accorded special recognition in Church history: Not only is he the first antipope but he is also the only antipope ever canonized! In its first several centuries, the Church dealt with crises both external and internal. Externally, the Church suffered for nearly 250 years under the violent persecutions of Roman emperors, begun under mad Nero in A.D. 64 and finally stopped under Constantine in 313. Internally, the Church wrestled with heresies, schism, and matters of discipline. One of the main issues of disagreement in those early centuries concerned the treatment of the faithful who committed serious sins or who apostatized during the persecutions.

Saint Hippolytus did not suffer from indecision, and he looked to the Roman pontiff to make a quick and authoritative decision concerning the heresy known as Modalism. Hippolytus wanted Pope Zephyrinus and later his successor, Callistus 1. to rebuke and condemn the Modalists, and grew upset when they failed to do so. Hippolytus was so angered by the election of Callistus as pope that he decided to embark on a path that would impact the Church throughout its history. He claimed that Callistus was unworthy and gathered a group of followers who elected him pope. In so doing Hippolytus opened the door to the concept of the antipope, which would rear its ugly head throughout Church history but most devastatingly during the Great Western Schism of the fourteenth century.

Hippolytus's schism lasted for nineteen years and through three pontificates. As a rigorist who did not believe that serious sinners should be re-admitted to communion in the Church, he refused to accept the more-merciful approach of Callistus and his successors.

In 235, Thrax was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Germany. Shortly afterwards, he turned his attention to the Church and a persecution erupted that targeted the clergy. The reigning pope, St. Pontian, and the "anti-pope" Hippolytus, were arrested and sent to the mines on the island of Sardinia. Amidst the suffering and hardship of the mines, Hippolytus renounced his schism and papal claim and was reconciled to the Church by Pontian. Both men later succumbed to the harsh conditions, and their remains were transported for burial in Rome, where they were recognized as martyrs and saints of the Church. Hippolytus is considered a martyr of Rome and was given the rank of a priest, not of a bishop, an indication that He was reconciled to the Church before his martyrdom. His unique case provides an example of repentance and reconciliation for those who have separated themselves from the Church.

The Refutation of All Heresies is a precise Christian controversial work of the early third century, whose attribution to Hippolytus of Rome. It catalogues both pagan beliefs and 33 gnostic Christian systems deemed heretical by the author/s and/or compiler/s, making it a major source of information on contemporary opponents of Christian orthodoxy as understood today.

Saint Paul's letter is addressed to a congregation at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus. At the time of writing, Paul had not visited there, the letter says. The community had apparently been established by Epaphras of Colossae. Problems, however, had arisen, brought on by teachers who emphasized Christ's relation to the universe (cosmos). Their teachings stressed angels; "principalities and powers", which were connected with astral powers and cultic practices and rules about food and drink and ascetical disciplines. These teachings, Paul insists, detract from the person and work of Christ for salvation as set forth magnificently in a hymnic passage and reiterated throughout the letter. Such teachings are but "shadows"; Christ is "reality".

Today, December 29, as our Church celebrates the Commemoration of Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr, we are encouraged to first read and reflect on a passage from the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (4:7—5:8), entitled "The power of Christ is made manifest in our sufferings". Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter by Saint Thomas Becket, bishop.

Saint Thomas Becket was born in London on December 21, 1118. He was strong man who wavered for a moment, but then learned one cannot come to terms with evil, and so became a strong churchman, a martyr, and a saint—that was Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, murdered in his cathedral on December 29, 1170. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III two years after his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

His career had been a stormy one. While archdeacon of Canterbury, he was made chancellor of England at the age of 36 by his friend King Henry II. When Henry felt it advantageous to make his chancellor the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas gave him fair warning: he might not accept all of Henry's intrusions into Church affairs. Nevertheless, in 1162 he was made archbishop, resigned his chancellorship, and reformed his whole way of life!

Troubles began. Henry insisted upon usurping Church rights. At one time, supposing some conciliatory action possible, Thomas came close to compromise. He momentarily approved the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have denied the clergy the right of trial by a Church court and prevented them from making direct appeal to Rome. But Thomas rejected the Constitutions, fled to France for safety, and remained in exile for seven years.

When he returned to England he suspected it would mean certain death. Because Thomas refused to remit censures he had placed upon bishops favored by the king, Henry cried out in a rage, "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest!" Four knights, taking his words as his wish, slew Thomas in the Canterbury cathedral.

Thomas Becket remains a hero-saint down to our own times.

The Second Letter to the Corinthians is the most personal of all of Paul's extant writings, and it reveals much about his character. In it he deals with one or more crises that have arisen in the Corinthian church. The confrontation with these problems caused him to reflect deeply on his relationship with the community and to speak about it frankly. One moment he is venting his feelings of frustration and uncertainty, the next he is pouring out his relief and affection. The importance of the issues at stake between them calls forth from him an enormous effort of personal persuasion, as well as doctrinal considerations that are of great value for us. Paul's ability to produce profound theological foundations for what may at first sight appear to be rather commonplace circumstances is perhaps nowhere better exemplified than in Second Corinthians. The emotional tone of the letter, its lack of order, and our ignorance of some of its background do not make it easy to follow, but it amply repays the effort required of the reader.

Today, on the Sunday during the Octave of Christmas (the eight days beginning with Christmas Day and ending on New Year's Day, January 1), when our Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family, we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians (5: 21---6: 4) entitled " Christian life in the family and in society". Our treasure, which follows, is from an address by Pope Paul VI.

Known for his diplomatic leadership during a time of major transition for the Church, Pope Paul VI reigned from 1963 to 1978. Throughout his time in office, Pope Paul VI worked to enact the decisions made during Vatican II, ensuring the Church continued to be effective in a changing world. Born on September 26, 1897, in Concescio, Italy, Giovanni Battista Montini was raised in a middle-class family of five. Although Giovanni's father was a lawyer and journalist, Giovanni suffered from ill health growing up, and was educated at home for much of his youth. After completing his initial studies at a school in Brescia, he was ordained at the age of 23, and sent by the bishop to Rome for further studies in literature, philosophy, and canon law.

Upon completion of his graduate studies, he became part of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Giovanni worked there for 30 years, using his position to support Jews and refugees during World War II, as well as serving as chaplain to the Federation of Italian Catholic University students. He worked as papal undersecretary of state and became acting secretary for ordinary (nondiplomatic) affairs in 1944, and 10 years later was appointed archbishop of Milan. During his time as archbishop, Giovanni made it a personal mission to visit factories and reach out to laborers who had grown indifferent in their faith, calling himself "archbishop of the workers". Four years later, Pope John XXII made him a cardinal, and he served in that role until he was elected pope on June 21, 1963, when he took the name Paul VI. After just over 15 years in office, Pope Paul VI passed away at Castel Gandolfo on August 6, 1978. He was beatified on October 19, 2014, and canonized on October 14, 2018. He left behind a legacy of ecumenicism and caring for workers and the poor.

Ephesians is the great Pauline letter about the church. It deals, however, not so much with a congregation in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor as with the worldwide church, the head of which is Christ, the purpose of which is to be the instrument for making God's plan of salvation known throughout the universe. Yet this ecclesiology is anchored in God's saving love, shown in Jesus Christ, and the whole of redemption is rooted in the plan and accomplishment of the triune God. The language is often that of doxology and prayer, indeed of liturgy and hymns.

The majestic chapters of Ephesians emphasize the unity in the church of Christ that has come about for both Jews and Gentiles within God's household, and indeed the "seven unities" of church, Spirit, hope; one Lord, faith, and baptism; and the one God. Yet the concern is not with the church for its own sake but rather as the means for mission in the world. The gifts Christ gives its members are to lead to growth and renewal. Ethical admonition is not lacking either; all aspects of human life and relationships are illumined by the light of Christ.

Today, December 27, as our church celebrates the Feast of John, Apostle and Evangelist, our Church invites us to read and reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle John (1: 1-2:3), entitled "Word of life and light of God". Our treasure, which follows, is from a tractates on the first letter of John by Saint Augustine, bishop.

St. John the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and traditionally believed to be the author of the three Letters of John, the Fourth Gospel, and possibly the Revelation to John in the New Testament.

Saint John first met Jesus when he was fishing with his brother James on the Sea of Galilee. After an entire night of fruitless efforts, they were dubious when Jesus told them to lower their nets into the water once more. Yet they complied and caught more fish than they could keep in their boat. After this miracle, Jesus asked them to follow him, saying he would make them fishers of men. Immediately, they cast aside their nets to follow him, and did not look back. What is striking about this account is that there was no hesitation on their part. James and John's response to the call to follow Christ was immediate, unquestioning, and complete.

John is known as the disciple "whom Jesus loved." John was one of Jesus' closest disciples and was present for some of the critical moments of Jesus' time on earth – witnessing the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus' daughter, and accompanying Jesus the night before His crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane. He was also the only disciple to be present at Jesus' crucifixion. During the Last Supper, John is described as having his head resting on Jesus, in a posture customary of the Eastern dining tradition and indicative of their close friendship.

John and his brother James were the only people to receive nicknames from Jesus. John and his brother James' fiery evangelical zeal and extreme reactions inspired Jesus to – rather humorously – dub them "the Sons of Thunder". When James and John heard a man casting out devils in Jesus' name, they forbade him from doing it. Later in that same chapter, when Jesus set out for Jerusalem and the Samaritans refused to receive him on his journey, James and John were incensed. "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" they asked. In both instances, Jesus rebuked them for their extreme reactions and unnecessary hostility.

Throughout his Gospel account and epistles, John emphasizes the significance of love. In John's telling of the Last Supper, Jesus' final lesson centers on love: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." – John 15:9-12

John's Gospel includes numerous minor details that are not seen in other Gospel accounts. John's Gospel is also unique because John's principal purpose is to account for Jesus' divinity, beginning with, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John was the only disciple to pass away peacefully rather than in martyrdom. His zeal for evangelism and heart of love continue to inspire the faithful and strengthen the devotion of believers throughout generations.

Saint Augustine was born at Tagaste in Africa in 354. He was unsettled and restlessly searched for the truth until he was converted to the faith at Milan and baptized by Ambrose. Returning to his homeland, he embraced an ascetic life and subsequently was elected bishop of Hippo. For thirty-four years he guided his flock, instructing it with sermons and many writings. He fought bravely against the errors of his time and explained the Faith carefully and cogently through his writings. He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church. His writings influenced the development of western philosophy and western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. He died in 430.

The "Tractates on the Gospel of John" are actually 124 pieces of writing. Augustine used the word "tractate" for any prepared spoken communication. Many of these tractates he delivered as homilies or sermons from the pulpit, and they were copied by stenographers in the congregation; others he dictated directly to stenographers in private, but in a way that they could later be read aloud in a church as a homily by others. His commentary on the Gospel of John is primarily pastoral rather than consciously being highly theological. Augustine's focus in these tractates is on Incarnation, or the Word made flesh. This is not only a distinctive and important theme in the Gospel of John; it was a significant part of Augustine's own conversion, as mentioned in the Confessions.

The First letter of John is identified in early Christian tradition as work of John the apostle. The purpose of the letter is to combat certain false ideas, especially about Jesus, and to deepen the spiritual and social awareness of the Christian community. Some former members of the community refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and denied that he was a true man. The specific heresy described in this letter cannot be identified exactly, but it is a form of Docetism or Gnosticism; the former doctrine denied the humanity of Christ to insure that his divinity was untainted, and the latter viewed the appearance of Christ as a mere stepping-stone to higher knowledge of God. These theological errors are rejected by an appeal to the reality and continuity of the apostolic witness to Jesus. The author affirms that authentic Christian love, ethics, and faith take place only within the historical revelation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fullness of Christian life as fellowship with the Father must be based on true belief and result in charitable living; knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable, and error in one area inevitably affects the other. Although the author recognizes that Christian doctrine presents intangible mysteries of faith about Christ, he insists that the concrete Christian life brings to light the deeper realities of the gospel.

Today, December 26, as our church celebrates the Feast of Stephen First Martyr, during the Octave of Christmas, we are encouraged to read and reflect on a passage from the Acts of the Apostles (6: 8---7, 2a, 44-59), entitled "The martyrdom of Stephen". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop.

Stephen is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen was stoned to death by the Jewish council in Jerusalem after he denounced them for murdering the Messiah. His martyrdom is described as a natural and supernatural sign of his love for the poor. Stephen was one of the first seven men chosen as deacons in the Jerusalem community. He was also responsible for caring for the poor.

Saint Fulgentius was a follower of Saint Augustine's ideal of life and a student of Saint Augustine's theological teachings. Saint Fulgentius was a north African Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Ruspe and was a theological writer in modern-day, Tunisia, during the fifth and sixth century who defended orthodoxy against Arianism. He is known for his "heroic sanctity".

The Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of Luke's two-volume work, continues Luke's presentation of biblical history, describing how the salvation promised to Israel in the Old Testament and accomplished by Jesus has now under the guidance of the holy Spirit been extended to the Gentiles. This was accomplished through the divinely chosen representatives whom Jesus prepared during his historical ministry and commissioned after his resurrection as witnesses to all that he taught. Luke's preoccupation with the Christian community as the Spirit-guided bearer of the word of salvation rules out of his book detailed histories of the activity of most of the preachers. Only the main lines of the roles of Peter and Paul serve Luke's interest.

Today, Christmas Day, as our Church celebrates The Nativity of the Lord we are invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah (11: 1-10) entitled "The root of Jesse". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope.

The announcement of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord from the Roman Martyrology draws upon Sacred Scripture to declare in a formal way the birth of Christ. It begins with creation and relates the birth of the Lord to the major events and personages of sacred and secular history. The particular events contained in the announcement help pastorally to situate the birth of Jesus in the context of salvation history.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

The Twenty-fifth Day of December, when ages beyond number had run their course from the creation of the world, when God in the beginning created heaven and earth, and formed man in his own likeness; when century upon century had passed since the Almighty set his bow in the clouds after the Great Flood, as a sign of covenant and peace; in the twenty-first century since Abraham, our father in faith, came out of Ur of the Chaldees; in the thirteenth century since the People of Israel were led by Moses in the Exodus from Egypt; around the thousandth year since David was anointed King; in the sixty-fifth week of the prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; in the year seven hundred and fifty-two since the foundation of the City of Rome; in the forty-second year of the reign of Caesar Octavian Augustus, the whole world being at peace,

JESUS CHRIST, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to consecrate the world by his most loving presence, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and when nine months had passed since his conception, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judah, and was made man: The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church .His work branched into many areas of the church, indicative of his notion of the pope's total responsibility for the flock of Christ. In the 96 sermons which have come down to us, we find Leo stressing the virtues of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, and also expounding Catholic doctrine with clarity and conciseness, in particular, the dogma of the Incarnation. Leo is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and having persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.

Isaiah, one of the greatest of the prophets, appeared at a critical moment in Israel's history. The Northern Kingdom collapsed, under the hammerlike blows of Assyria, in 722/721 B.C., and in 701 Jerusalem itself saw the army of Sennacherib drawn up before its walls. In the year that Uzziah, king of Judah, died, Isaiah received his call to the prophetic office in the Temple of Jerusalem. Close attention should be given to chapter six, where this divine summons to be the ambassador of the Most High is circumstantially described.

The vision of the Lord enthroned in glory stamps an indelible character on Isaiah's ministry and provides a key to the understanding of his message. The majesty, holiness and glory of the Lord took possession of his spirit and, at the same time, he gained a new awareness of human pettiness and sinfulness. The enormous abyss between God's sovereign holiness and human sinfulness overwhelmed the prophet. Only the purifying coal of the seraphim could cleanse his lips and prepare him for acceptance of the call: "Here I am, send me!"

The ministry of Isaiah extended from the death of Uzziah in 742 B.C. to Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C., and it may have continued even longer, until after the death of Hezekiah in 687 B.C. Later legend (the Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah) claims that Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, executed Isaiah by having him sawed in two. During this long ministry, the prophet returned again and again to the same themes, and there are indications that he may have sometimes re-edited his older prophecies to fit new occasions.