by Peter James | Apr 24, 2025 | Melito of Sardis
Archeologists made a fascinating discovery in 1940 while digging through ancient manuscripts in an Egyptian monastery. Hidden among these forgotten parchments was a sermon dating to AD 160-170. Outside of the New Testament, it’s the oldest Easter homily on...
by Peter James | Apr 23, 2025 | Hippolytus
While I continue to pray about the war in Ukraine, I wrestle with the efficacy of my personal prayers in the face of such monstrous evil. There is a story told about a political meeting in Kiev that correlates to this Easter season. The powerful Russian communist...
by Peter James | Apr 22, 2025 | Gregory of Nazianzus
The year was AD 379 during the Easter season. A mob broke into a church, attacked the congregation, wounded the preacher and killed a bishop. No, they were not terrorists. They were followers of Arius, who had previously served the church as priest and who opposed any...
by Peter James | Apr 21, 2025 | Gregory the Great
There have been good popes and bad popes. Gregory the Great (540-604) was a good pope, one of the best. The sixteenth century Protestant reformer John Calvin overstated matters to call Gregory “the last good pope.” There are three popes from history who...
by Peter James | Apr 20, 2025 | John Chrysostom
It was Easter morning AD 400. John of Antioch (347-407) preached an Easter message in a Constantinople church. His sermon, “Paschal Homily,” is one of the earliest and most famous Easter sermons on record. It’s still read Easter Sunday in Eastern...
