Medieval Preachers Podcast

Our culture often treats faith as a private journey. St. John Chrysostom offers a very different vision. In this brief but powerful sermon, he reminds us that God has woven our lives together so that we help one another toward holiness. Patient correction, encouragement, and loving concern for another's soul are not optional—they are part of the Christian calling. Chrysostom even says that those w...

What would happen if everything you rely upon suddenly felt uncertain? In this remarkable sermon, preached during a time of public panic and political crisis, St. John Chrysostom uses the fear gripping an entire city to expose the fragility of worldly security and to remind us of the realities that truly matter. Yet his message is not one of despair. He argues that God has already surrounded every...

What happens when truth stands calmly before power, and weakness collapses under pressure? In this sermon on Christ before Annas and Peter’s threefold denial, Jean Gerson contrasts the serene courage of Jesus with the impatience, self-justification, and fear that so often govern our own hearts. Yet the focus is not Peter’s failure but Christ’s mercy. Gerson shows how God permitted Peter’s fall to...

In this sermon on Luke 6:36 — “Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful” — Jean de Saint-Gilles leads us into a searching meditation on the mercy of God. He reminds us that God has withheld nothing from us: He has given us His Son, His creation, the care of angels, His own image, and the promise of eternal life. And because we have been so richly shown mercy, every excuse for hardness of heart b...

In a world that often feels harsh and unrelenting, Christ’s words still stand: “Be merciful.” But what does that actually mean—and how is it even possible? Bonaventura reminds us that this command is not a burden, but a response. God Himself continually shows mercy—meeting us in our weakness, restoring us in grace, and caring for us with a tenderness deeper than we often notice. We are not asked t...

This sermonic exhortation from Francis of Assisi calls the listener back to the beating heart of Christian faith: receiving Christ with humility, purity, and genuine repentance. It offers a bracing but hope-filled reminder that true joy begins when we embrace Christ’s way of self-giving love, rather than merely admiring it from afar. Free Study Questions and donations links can be found at sermonp...

Guarric presents Christ as the perfect Servant—equal with the Father, yet freely humbling Himself to serve humanity in every possible way: healing, feeding, ransoming, bearing, and dying for us. In contrast, human pride refuses the service we owe to God, making Christ’s voluntary servanthood both our salvation and our rebuke. The sermon concludes by urging believers to embrace Christ’s humility, i...

As Lent begins, it’s time for brutal honesty. Inspired by the searing words of Girolamo Savonarola (1452-98) and Jesus’ urgent call—"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 4:17)—this message exposes the emptiness of wealth, the hypocrisy of religious pretense, and the danger of delaying repentance. This is not a comforting sermon—it’s a wake-up call. Are you willing to face hard...

Though not a Medieval Sermon, this was The Sermon Project's foundational production. An original version of The Sermon on the Mount that celebrates the Jewish roots of Jesus. Using the Jewish New Testament interspersed with a creative dialogue amongst his disciples allow us a unique window in to the greatest sermon ever told. Re-released with Study questions. Study Questions Here Disciples were vo...

Receive the Gift – A Timeless Invitation What does it mean to "Receive the Holy Spirit"? In this sermon from Low Sunday, Bonaventure (1221-74) invites us to reflect on four extraordinary gifts Jesus offers: The Cross – to discipline our desires, His Body – to receive in purity, The Holy Spirit – to anoint our souls, The Denarius – to reward us eternally. Through vivid imagery and deep wisdom, Bona...

Embrace the Hope of Advent: A Timeless Reflection As we step into Advent, I invite you to explore a short yet profound sermon by Ivo of Chartres (c. 1040-1116) that beautifully contrasts Christ’s first coming in humility with His second in majesty. This timeless message calls us to prepare our hearts with reverent anticipation and to live with renewed hope. Take a few moments to reflect on the mea...

In his 13th-century sermon, Berthold of Regensburg condemns dishonesty, exploitation, and the moral decay he saw in everyday trades. His words, surprisingly relevant today, invite us to reflect on our own integrity, our frustration with corruption, and our roles as Christians in a troubled world. As we confront modern injustices, Berthold’s passionate message offers a powerful lens through which t...

What does it mean to truly follow Christ? In Sermon XLVI, Augustine challenges us to embrace self-denial as the path to a deeper, more genuine faith. Join us as we explore this powerful teaching and uncover what it means to live out our faith with renewed purpose and conviction. Consider using these sermons for group study. Free, downloadable study questions available at https://sermonproject.com/...

Bernardine of Sienna (1380-1444) explores the nature of justice and specifically what it means in the context of being and becoming a pastor/priest/minister/rector.

In honour of Labour Day, consider Bernardine’s words in the powerful argument against clergy taking on secular responsibilities. This discourse challenges the blurring of lines between sacred and civic duties, urging that pastors, priests and friars focus solely on their divine missions. From the dangers of greed to unethical business practices, it’s a call to respect the boundaries between the re...

BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX – The Soul Seeking God 1090-1153 Song of Songs Cant. 3:1   In this 3rd and final sermon from Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) he passionately asserts that, “The soul that loves has nothing to fear.”  For Bernard, grace precedes grace, and we love because we are first loved. Be comforted by The Soul Seeking God as you also continue to seek the inexhaustible riches of God.   Gro...

BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX - Three Ways In Which We Love God 1090-1153 Song of Songs Cant. 8:6   In the following sermon, Three Ways In Which We Love God, we continue listening to Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) and hear him cry out to the Lord, pleading for him to take his remaining years and use them. If anyone struggles with failures of the past and strives to move forward in their life of faith, th...

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was a French abbot, theologian, and leader of the Cistercian reform who mediated between church and state, and whose theology of divine love influenced Reformation leaders and Dante's portrayal of mystical union with God in The Divine Comedy. In his work On Loving God, Bernard describes the ecstasy of divine love as surpassing all earthly joy. The following sermon,...

Augustine – Feed my sheep – 354-430 AD John 21:16 In this short sermon to the newly baptised, Augustine Bishop of Hippo, reveals what it means to follow the shepherd, and how beautiful it is to love the Lord.

In this sermon – Listen and Do Good, Augustine of Hippo says it is safer to hear the Word of God than to preach it. If you have ever had a pastor (or heard of one) that preached one thing but did another, what was your responsibility to them? Based on James 1:19-22 The Sermon Project’s Medieval Preachers Podcast features sermons from the 4th to the 15th century with preachers from Augustine and Ae...

The Creed is a summary of what the Church teaches, what Christians together believe, and what binds Christians together as a believing community across different traditions and practices. In this sermon - On the Tradition of the Creed - Augustine of Hippo, refers to the creed as The Symbol.

Are we in the End-times? It is an undeniable truth that we are closer to the end-times than we have ever been. Listen to Anslem of Canterbury in the 11thC discuss what this means for us today. “Each person's recurring sin is like a tempest. When you love God, you walk on water, with the world's upheavals beneath your feet. But if you love the world, it engulfs you, as it tends to devour, not suppo...

Does God’s love abide in you? Atto of Vercelli throws down the gauntlet when quoting John and suggests if we’re not materially helping our brethren, we don’t actually have the love of God in us. In this very short, but challenging sermon for Palm Sunday about love, charity, justice and the spiritual disciplines, Atto of Vercelli, preaches big ideas with a lot of love.

Let your light shine...but don't! Are there paradoxes and contradictions within the Bible, and even within the words of Jesus himself? The Bible is undeniably a complex collection of diverse writings and styles, but what do we do when Jesus, the very One we follow, instructs us to do seemingly opposite things? Join us on a profound journey as Augustine, the great Bishop of Hippo, guides us through...

Pastoral Virtues Explore the essence of pastoral virtues in this episode. What defines the genuine role of a bishop, pastor, or teacher? Are you searching for a framework to evaluate your own ministry or analyze your pastor? Aelfric, with humility and love, provides a guide to the essentials of these roles. Join us as we delve into the art of measurement in fulfilling these significant responsibil...