Words to Live by – from Catholic Tradition

 

St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, quotes this phrase from Colossians, 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom”.

 

From this verse, St. John Chrysostom teaches how the priceless treasure of wisdom, helps us in our time of tribulation:

 

As the rich in money can bear fines and damages, so he that is rich in the doctrines of philosophy will bear not poverty only, but all calamities also easily, yea, more easily than that one [viz., those “rich in money”].

 

For as for him, by discharging the fine, the man who is rich [in money] must needs be impoverished, and found wanting, and if he should often suffer in that way, will no longer be able to bear it, but in this case [viz., the man rich in this philosophy] it is not so; for we do not even expend our wholesome thoughts when it is necessary for us to bear aught [i.e., anything] we would not choose, but they abide with us continually.

 

And mark the wisdom of this blessed man [viz., St. Paul].  He said not, “Let the word of Christ” be in you, simply, but what? “dwell in you”, and “richly”.

 

St. John Chrysostom, Sermon 9 on Colossians, 3:16 (bracketed words added to show context).