In the Spirit of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church
Commemoration: Thursday in the First Week of Advent (Feria V infra Hebdomadam I Adventus)
As Holy Mother Church enters the quiet expectation of Advent, the sacred liturgy draws our attention to the solemn charge of St. Paul to his disciple Timothy, and to the divine exhortation of Our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. When read together—2 Timothy 4:1–8 and Matthew 5:13–19—these passages form a harmony of doctrine and duty, calling the faithful, especially the clergy, to courage, clarity, and constancy in their witness to the Gospel.
I. “Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2)
In this final chapter of his Second Epistle to Timothy, St. Paul stands like a soldier on the battlefield of the faith, his departure imminent, his heart aflame with apostolic urgency. He exhorts the bishop Timothy to preach the Word with unwavering zeal, regardless of whether the times are favorable or hostile. “For the time will come,” he warns, “when they will not endure sound doctrine” (v. 3). Are these words not prophetic of every age, especially our own?
St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of Homilies, whose feast we commemorate today, embodied this very spirit. Preaching in Ravenna amidst the crumbling ruins of imperial Rome, he wielded his tongue like a sword—not to wound, but to illuminate, instruct, and convert. “He who wants to preach rightly,” he taught, “must be the first to listen to Christ.” He reminds us that the preacher is not an innovator, but a herald—echoing the voice of the Eternal Word.
St. John Chrysostom concurs: “The priest must be both soldier and shepherd… for the preacher’s role is more arduous than the warrior’s. He must defend the truth without anger, refute error without pride, and correct with both firmness and compassion.”
How vital, then, is this apostolic charge in our times, when truth is often buried under sentiment, and doctrine diluted for the sake of appeasement. The preacher must resist the temptation to “tickle the ears” (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3) and instead proclaim Christ crucified, the Judge of the living and the dead (v.1).
II. “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13–14)
Our Lord’s words in the Gospel according to St. Matthew resonate with the same evangelical fervor. The disciple, and particularly the pastor, is not called to silent observance, but to transformative presence. Salt preserves from corruption; light dispels darkness. But salt that loses its savor, and light hidden under a bushel—these are useless and subject to judgment.
Origen, writing in the 3rd century, reminds us that “salt is the symbol of wisdom and doctrine. If the teacher loses his doctrine or teaches error, he becomes worse than useless—he becomes harmful.” Thus, the preacher must preserve and convey the deposit of faith in its purity, as handed down from the Apostles.
St. Augustine, ever the father and teacher of right belief, writes: “What is this light, but the light of good works and sound teaching? The Christian’s life must shine so brightly that it gives glory to the Father.” The faithful Christian—whether bishop, priest, or layman—must shine with the integrity of a life lived in accordance with the Beatitudes.
St. Peter Chrysologus, too, saw preaching not merely as public speaking, but as a liturgical act—bringing Christ to the people through the sacred power of the Word. His sermons, concise yet profound, often returned to this theme: that the Christian must be conformed to Christ, not only in belief but in deed, illuminating the world with divine charity.
III. Advent and the Judgment of the Word
In Advent, we await the coming of the Lord—not only in commemorating His Nativity in Bethlehem, but in looking forward to His coming in glory to judge the living and the dead. Paul speaks of this Judgment as imminent: “I have fought the good fight… henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:7–8). And Christ Himself speaks of the Law, warning us: “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19).
Here is a grave warning against doctrinal laxity. The law of Christ is not abolished but fulfilled, and woe to him who, under the guise of false mercy, leads others astray. The Fathers are unanimous: doctrine and life are one. St. Leo the Great said, “What was visible in our Savior has passed into His sacraments.” Thus, the preacher who distorts the doctrine undermines the sacramental economy itself.
IV. Conclusion: The Crown and the Lamp
In the life of St. Peter Chrysologus, we see the ideal harmony of 2 Timothy 4 and Matthew 5: the bishop who guards the deposit of faith, who preaches in season and out, whose words are salted with divine wisdom, and whose life is a lamp burning before the people. “He spoke with such clarity and brevity,” says the Roman Breviary, “that he merited the name Chrysologus—‘golden-worded.’”
As we continue through this Advent season, may we, too, hear the call to fidelity in doctrine, courage in witness, and sanctity in life. Whether our vocation is to preach, to teach, or simply to live as salt and light in a darkened world, may the Lord, when He comes, find us faithful.
“May your works shine before men, that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
Collect (from the Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus):
O God, who madest the blessed Peter Chrysologus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, an illustrious preacher of Thine incarnate Word: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may merit to be made sharers of his heavenly doctrine, who was found worthy to be partaker of the same.
Domine Iesu Christe, veni—et noli tardare.