St. Gregory the Great on Adversity Within and Without

The Moral Reflections on Job by Pope St GregoryThe Great
Fights without and fears within
The saints are caught up in a turbulent war of troubles, attacked at the same time by force and by persuasion. Patience is their shield against force, and doctrine makes the arrows that they shoot against persuasion.
See the skill with [...]

Psychological Interpretation of Psalm 1

The religious life, explained in detail throughout the Bible, is summarized in a single, short passage, namely Psalm 1. Further, the essential message is conveyed in just the first two or three verses. Noting this and studying the psalm will therefore greatly assist ones spiritual progress, in a very direct way, and with comparatively little [...]

Brief Rule of St. Romuald

Brief Rule of St. Romuald
(b. 953 – d. June 19, 1027; founder of Camaldolese order of Benedctines )

Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good [...]

Origen – Scripture is sealed; the analogy of rooms and keys

Origen – Scripture is sealed; the analogy of rooms and keys
From Commentary on the 1st Psalm as cited in The Philocalia of Origen
CHAP. II. — That the Divine Scripture is closed up and sealed. From the Commentary on the 1st Psalm.
1. The Divine words say that the Divine Scriptures have been closed up and sealed [...]

The ‘Strange Woman’ of Proverbs

The ‘Strange Woman’ of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs refers to the strange woman. For example, Chapter 5 says:
[1] My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
[2] That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
[3] For the lips of a strange woman drop as an [...]

St Athanasius on Psalm 1

From an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop
The Paschal sacrament brings together in unity of faith those who are far away
Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new [...]

Saint Ambrose – Psalms: The Music of Heaven

From the Explanations of 12 Psalms of St. Ambrose of Milan  (Ps 1, 9-12: CSEL, 64, 7, 9-10).
What is more  pleasing than a psalm? David expresses it well: Praise the Lord, for a song of praise is good: let there be praise of our God with gladness and grace. Yes, a psalm is a blessing on the [...]

St. Ambrose – On Wisdom

From the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose, bishop
Open your lips, and let God’s word be heard
We must always meditate on God’s wisdom, keeping it in our hearts and on our lips. Your tongue must speak justice, the law of God must be in your heart. Hence Scripture tells you: You shall speak [...]

Psalm 17 (18)

Psalm 17 [18] Thanksgiving for salvation and victory
I will love you, Lord, my strength: Lord, you are my foundation and my refuge, you set me free.
My God is my help: I will put my hope in him, my protector, my sign of salvation, the one who raises me up.
I will call on the Lord – [...]

Commentary on Psalm 71 (72)

Psalm 71 (72)
This is a magnificent psalm. Here an interpretation is offered following depth-psychological framework developed in several of these posts.
To begin, we recall a primary principle of depth-psychological exegesis: that every element in the scripture corresponds to some element of the  self, psyche, or personality.
The Messiah’s royal power
Give the king your [...]