Thought for the Day -30 July – The Memorial of St Peter Chrysologus “Golden Words” (c 400-450) Father & Doctor
Saint Peter’s great gift to the Church are the words he left behind and the impact those words have upon those who hear them—both while he was alive and in the present day.
His name, meaning “Golden Words” in Greek, comes not from long and intricate homilies given on complex theological issues but rather his humility and the hope that he would not “bore” the faithful.
His teachings on the Annunciation, Prayer, Fasting and Mercy, the Holy Eucharist, the Incarnation and Human Dignity, the Priesthood of All Catholic Believers, the Epiphany, the Love of God and more—as well as around 180 other sermons—survive today, inspiring us and reminding us of the core tenets of our faith.
He is credited as the first to deliver the “short sermon”—morally rich, Gospel-driven, doctrinally sound brief reflections on the Catholic way of being in the world, of living what Christ taught us.
St Peter was called “Golden Words” because his eloquence ‘enriched’ those who listened, though the words themselves have immense value.
The wonder of Gold is that it does not tarnish or lose its value, in fact gold constantly increases in value. Reading today his golden words, we can certainly agree with his nickname, for they are even more valuable in our time possibly, than in his. And, let us not forget that ‘good listening’ is as important as good preaching.
