Hebrews 11 is a famous Bible chapter where everyone from Abel and Enoch to first century martyrs are described as examples of faith. In the following chapter, the author of Hebrews moves these people from their historical setting to an athletic stadium where runners enter to the roar of the crowd of faith-heroes cheering them on.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NRSV)

The church fathers, though they lived after Hebrews was written, are part of this crowd. They lived remarkable lives, hammering out the shape of the faith passed down from the apostles in the face of persecution and political intrigue.

Pope Benedict XVI held a series of general audiences in 2007 and 2008 where he gave short synopses of the lives of the church fathers. These inspiring vignettes give contemporary believers a glimpse into the lives of people like Clement, Ignatius, Origen, Tertullian, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine, to name a few. In all, Benedict XVI shares the lives of twenty-six church fathers from both the Eastern and Western traditions.

As we run the race that these church fathers completed centuries ago, these short chapters will help us to visualize the crowd in the stands urging us to complete the race.

Benedict XVI, Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine. Ignatius, 2008.