Today we celebrate Saint Peter Crisologo, "the man of golden words"
Every July 30, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Peter Chrysologus, Father and Doctor of the Church, who occupied the archiepiscopal seat of Ravenna (Italy) between the years 433 and 450.
He is called "Crisologo" (golden word) in recognition of his great eloquence, embodied in numerous beautiful sermons.
Saint Peter Chrysologus was a tireless preacher, very given to encourage the faithful in the exercise of virtue, love for Christ and the desire for holiness. It is enough to remember a fragment of his sermons for that to be evident:
"Let us bear the image of our Creator in its entirety and with full resemblance: not by imitating him in his sovereignty, which corresponds only to him, but by being his image through our innocence, simplicity, meekness, patience, humility, mercy and concord."
“He said to him: Feed my sheep” (Jn 21, 15)
Saint Peter Chrysologus was born in Imola (Italy), around the year 400, without the exact date of his birth having been accurately established.
He studied sacred Theology and was trained by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola, who helped him understand that true greatness lies in mastering oneself and one's passions. In this joint effort with Grace, human beings are able to approach and embrace the spirit of Christ. Cornelius himself ordained him a deacon at the end of his preparation.
According to a very old tradition, on the death of the Archbishop of Ravenna, the local clergy and the people began to choose his successor. Once the candidate was chosen, they asked Bishop Cornelius to lead the delegation that would present the name of the chosen one to Pope Saint Sixtus III, in the city of Rome, waiting for him to confirm the successor.
Pedro -who was not the chosen candidate- was part of the entourage.
The night before the reception of the procession, the Pontiff had a dream vision in which Saint Peter the Apostle and Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna, appeared. They ordered him not to confirm the candidate proposed by the entourage.
Reject target
Following the instructions from heaven, the Holy Father did not accept the proposed candidate, and instead pointed to none other than one of the members of the group that had come from Ravenna: Pedro, the deacon who already stood out for his good nature and eloquence. .
The Pope, immediately afterwards, ordered the pertinent arrangements for his consecration. Once consecrated bishop, Pedro Chrysologus moved back to Ravenna, where he would be coldly received.
God's ways will always be the best
However, over time, the faithful began to see in Peter a magnificent shepherd. His simplicity, closeness and clarity for his speech earned him the respect of many of those who had turned their backs on him.
Furthermore, his successes in combating the forms of paganism present in his flock and his authority to correct abuses or deviations from doctrine endeared him to the community. He faced Arianism, Monophysitism and Pelagianism; although he always balanced his apologetic task with the work towards the moral improvement of the faithful.
The man of the golden words, to whom reference is made, because Saint Peter was one of those who knew how to listen with equal attention and charity to the humble and the powerful; and he always had a precise word for all his spiritual children.
None of this was an easy task, but the saint knew how to cling to the Eucharist and encourage the people to approach God in prayer and the sacraments -among other teachings and good examples, embodied in his sermons-. The archbishop had become the “man of the golden words”.
At the end of his days, Saint Peter Chrysologus returned to Imola, where he died on July 31, 451 (other versions point to December 3, 450 as the date of his transit). He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII.