This late seventh century Doctor of the Church was a monk of St Sabbas’ monastery, Jerusalem. His defence of the Faith was robust; he had also a strong devotion to Our Lady.

Of the Holy Trinity, he said: ‘Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son, like a river and the Holy Spirit like a sea, for the spring and the river and sea are all one nature. Think of the Father as a root and of the Son as a branch and the Spirit as a fruit, for the substance in these three is one. The Father is a sun with the Son as rays and the Holy Spirit as heat’.

May he pray for us, in the challenges of our time, and may God bless you this day.