Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Thursday of Holy Week our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (4:14---5:10) entitled "Jesus Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop. Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia (in modern-day Turkey), which continued as an important trade, administrative, and cultural center for over...

On Wednesday of Holy Week our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (12:14-29) entitled "You have come to the mountain of the living God". Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise on John by Saint Augustine, bishop. Saint Augustine was born at Tagaste in Africa in 354. He was unsettled and restlessly searched for the truth until he was conve...

On Tuesday of Holy Week our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (12; 1-13) entitled "Let us go forth to our struggle with Christ as our leader". Our treasure, which follows, is from a book On the Holy Spirit by Saint Basil, bishop. Saint Basil the Great was a fourth century Church Father and a Doctor of the Church. Because of the majesty and keen...

On Monday of Holy Week our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (10:19-39) entitled "Perseverance in faith. Awaiting God's judgement". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop. 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 f...

On Passion Sunday of Holy Week our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (10:1-18) entitled "We are sanctified by through the offering of Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop. Saint Andrew of Crete, also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was an eighth century bishop, theologian, homilist, and hymnograp...

On Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (8;1-13) entitled "The priesthood of Christ in the New Covenant". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, often called Gregory the "theologian", was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who...

   On Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (7:11-28) entitled "The eternal priesthood of Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise on faith addressed to Peter by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop. Saint Fulgentius was a follower of Saint Augustine's ideal of life and a student of Saint Augustine'...

On Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (7:1-10) entitled "Melchizedek is a type of a perfect priest". Our treasure, which follows, is from the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council. Lumen gentium , the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the ...

Today, March 25, as our Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation we are first invited to read and reflect on a passage from the first book of Chronicles (17:1-15) entitled "A prophecy about the Son of David." Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter by Saint Leo the Great, Pope. The Solemnity of the Annunciation commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, du...

On Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (3:1-19) entitled "Jesus, the apostle of our faith". 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...

On Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (2:5-18) entitled "Jesus, the author of salvation, has become like us in every way". Our treasure, which follows, is from the commentary on the psalms by Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr. Saint John Fisher was an English Catholic bishop, Cardinal, and theologian. St....

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the beginning of the letter to the Hebrews (20:1-13; 21:4-9) entitled "The Son and heir of all things is exalted above the angels". Our treasure, which follows, is from an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop. Saint Athanasius was born at Alexandria in 295. He served as  Patriarch of Alexandria  for...

On Saturday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Numbers (20:1-13; 21:4-9) entitled "The waters of Meribah. The bronze serpent". Our treasure, which follows, is from the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council. Gaudium et spes  ("Joys and Hopes"), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church i...

On Friday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Numbers (14:1-25) entitled "The murmuring of the people and the intervention of Moses". Our treasure, which follows, is from an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop. Saint Athanasius was born at Alexandria in 295. He served as  Patriarch of Alexandria  for a period of his life, lead...

Today, March 19, as our Church celebrates the Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary, we are first invited to read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (11:1-6) entitled "The faith of the ancients." Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest.   The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a "just" man. The quality meant a lot more th...

On Wednesday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Numbers (11:4-6, 10-30) entitled "The spirit poured out over Joshua and the elders". Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter by Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot. Saint Maximus was a Christian monk and scholar. In his early life he was a civil servant and an aid to the Byzantin...

On Tuesday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Leviticus (19:1-18, 31-37) entitled "Right conduct towards one's neighbor". 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...

On Monday the Fourth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Leviticus (16:2-28) entitled "The day of atonement". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily on Leviticus by Origen, priest. Origen of Alexandria was a second century priest also known as Origen Adamitius. He was an early Christian scholar, aesthetic, and theologian. He was also a...

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Leviticus (8:1-17; 9:22-24) entitled "The ordination of the priests". Our treasure, which follows, is from a treatise on John by Saint Augustine, bishop. 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...

The Book of Exodus , the second book of the Pentateuch, takes its name from a Greek word meaning "departure," highlighting the defining event of Israel's history: the Lord's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. Its Hebrew title, Shemoth — "Names" — comes from its opening line, reminding us that God's saving work unfolds within real history, among real persons whom He knows and calls. E...

On Friday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (35:30---36:1; 37:19) entitled "The making of the sanctuary and the arch". Our treasure, which follows, is from the Moral Reflections on Job by Saint Gregory the Great, pope. Doctor of the Church ; born at  Rome  about 540; died 12 March 604. Saint Gregory is certainly one of th...

On Thursday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (34:10-28) entitled "The second version of the Book of the Covenant". Our treasure, which follows, is from the treatise On Prayer by Tertullian, priest. Tertullian was a priest and a prolific second century Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He was...

On Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (33:7-11, 18-23; 34:5-9, 29-35) entitled "The full revelation of God to Moses". Our treasure, which follows, is from a book addressed to Autolycus by Saint Theophilus of Antioch, bishop. Saint Theophilus lived in the second century and was the seventh bishop of Antioch. His w...

On Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (32: 1-20) entitled "The golden calf". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop. Saint Peter Chrysologus, also known as the "Doctor of Homilies," was a 5th-century Italian bishop and Doctor of the Church, celebrated for his eloquent and c...

On Monday of the Third Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (24:1-18) entitled "The ratification of the covenant on Mount Sanai". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily by Saint Basil the Great, bishop. Saint Basil the Great was a fourth century Church Father and a Doctor of the Church. Because of the majesty and keenness of his e...