#saint john chrysostom

[orthodoxadventure]

No one can describe in words the high value of prayer, for it transcends even the mystery of the angels

Saint John Chrysostom

[probablyasocialecologist]

Now don’t tell me that you actually work hard. If you call earning money, making business deals, and caring for your possessions “work”, I say, “No, that is not work. But alms, prayers, the protection of the injured and the like – these are genuine work.” You charge the poor with idleness; I charge you with corrupt behavior.

John Chrysostom

[koredzas]

Second Master of Carpi - Legend of Saint John Chrysostom. Detail. 1430

[eelhound]

"If a poor man comes to you asking for bread, there is no end of complaints and reproaches and charges of idleness; you upbraid him, insult him, jeer at him. You fail to realize that you too are idle and yet God grants you gifts.

Now don’t tell me that you actually work hard. If you call earning money, making business deals, and caring for your possessions 'work', I say, 'No, that is not work. But alms, prayers, the protection of the injured and the like – these are genuine work.' You charge the poor with idleness; I charge you with corrupt behavior.

Don’t you realize that, as the poor man withdraws silently, sighing and in tears, you actually thrust a sword into yourself, that it is you who received the more serious wound?

Let us learn that as often as we have not given alms, we shall be punished like those who have plundered. For what we possess is not personal property; it belongs to all.

God generously gives all things that are much more necessary than money, such as air, water, fire, the sun – all such things. All these things are to be distributed equally to all.

'Mine' and 'thine' – these chilling words which introduce innumerable wars into the world – should be eliminated from the church. Then the poor would not envy the rich, because there would be no rich. Neither would the poor be despised by the rich, for there would be no poor. All things would be in common."

- Saint John Chrysostom, as quoted by Charles Avila from Ownership: Early Christian Teaching, 1983.

[guiltywisdom]

When we speak of the wife obeying the husband, we normally think of obedience in military or political terms: the husband giving orders and the wife obeying them. But while this type of obedience may be appropriate in the army, it is ridiculous in the intimate relationship of marriage. The obedient wife does not wait for orders. Rather, she tries to discern her husband’s needs and feelings, and responds in love. When she sees her husband is weary, she soothes him; when he is ill, she nurses and comforts him; when he is happy and elated, she shares his joy. Yet such obedience should not be confined to the wife. The husband should be obedient in the same way. When she is weary, he should relieve her of her work; when she is sad, he should cherish her, holding her gently in his arms; when she is filled with good cheer, he should also share her good cheer. Thus a good marriage is not a matter of one partner obeying the other, but of both partners obeying each other.

Saint John Chrysostom

[discoveringorthodoxy]

“Let us not make ourselves unworthy of entrance into His Kingdom, for as long as we are in this world, even if we commit countless sins, it is possible to wash them all away by manifesting repentance for our offenses; but when we have departed to the other world, even if we display the most earnest repentance it will be of no avail. Let us then, I beg of you, recover our senses here & let us recognize our Master as He ought to be recognized.”

- St. John Chrysostom -

[catholicsaintquotes33ad]

[tabernacleheart]

Every time that we sin, we are born of the devil. But every time that we do good, we are born of God.

Saint John Chrysostom

[chicagocatholicman]

Prayers of St John Chrysostom for each hour of the day and night.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (September 13)

“If the Lord should give you power to raise the dead, He would give much less than He does when he bestows suffering.

By miracles, you would make yourself debtor to Him, while by suffering He may become debtor to you.

And even if sufferings had no other reward than being able to bear something for that God who loves you, is not this a great reward and a sufficient remuneration? Whoever loves, understands what I say.”

-St. John Chrysostom

Born in Antioch, c. 347, Saint John Chrysostom (Golden-mouthed) was perhaps the greatest preacher in the history of the Church, thus the name given him and the most prominent Greek father of the Church.

He grew up in Antioch, received an excellent classical Greek education, and upon meeting the holy bishop Meletus, he decided to devote his time to the study of religious works and the Sacred Scriptures.

He received Baptism after three years of study and set out for the desert to live the ascetic life of a hermit.

His extreme mortifications left him in fragile health. He thus returned to Antioch after two years of recovery and devoted himself to studying for the priesthood.

He was ordained in 386 and served in the Cathedral of Antioch for 12 years, winning widespread fame for his sublime preaching.

In 398, he was forcefully appointed Patriarch of Constantinople.

He became very popular with his flock through his example of preaching and courage in front of the imperial power, whose corruption and decadence he never shirked from criticizing in public.

This attitude naturally made an enemy of Empress Eudoxia, as well as Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, who had him condemned on false charges in 403.

He was exiled to Armenia where he continued to be a great presence in the Church of the East through his many letters.

He was exiled from Armenia to an isolated place along the Black Sea. He died during the journey in 407 in Pontus, his ill health unable to endure its rigors.

In 438, the Emperor Theodosius II of Constantinople had John’s body returned to Constantinople and did penance for the sins of his mother Eudoxia.

Chrysostom's many writings, especially homilies and commentaries on the Gospels, are still extant and have exerted great influence over the centuries.

“When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer to think that you are amongst men;

But believe that there are troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth.

Therefore, when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration.”

- St. John Chrysostom

[daily-praise]

Today’s Reflection:

Jesus in our gospel today reveals, through a series of parallels of blessings and woes, that within the world there is a distinct tension, for the poor hunger for the Kingdom, which they will eventually receive, while the rich already feel entitled to the kingdom, which they will never have unless they change their ways. Therefore, one must navigate this tension throughout life, for it is real and Saint Paul in our first reading tells us rather clearly that to enter the kingdom of God we must put the world of vice behind us as we follow the virtues that bring to us life. This is not easy, but it is possible and Saint Benedict in his rule suggests that we keep death always before our eyes, (RB4.47) so that we may look forward to the kingdom of heaven were a Holy Easter eternally exists with the joy of a spiritual longing filled with God. (RB49.7)

Today’s Spiritual Links for September 13, 2023

Join the National Eucharistic Revival Today’s Mass Readings Today’s Reflection The Holy Rosary Liturgy of the Hours New American Bible Non-Scriptural Reading Prime Matters ACTS XXIX

[orthodoxadventure]

For the Church is a spiritual bath, which wipes away not filth of body, but stains of soul by its many methods of repentance

Saint John Chrysostom

[theologyforthelayman]

“He Who has broken the bonds of sinners is now bound by an infant’s bands”

What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, […]“He Who has broken the bonds of sinners is now bound by an infant’s bands”

[orthodoxsoul]

Laughter has been implanted in our soul that the soul may sometimes be refreshed

-St. John Chrysostom

[dramoor]

“I implore you, brethren, never to break or despise the rule of this prayer: A Christian when he eats, drinks, walks, sits, travels or does any other thing must continually cry: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me.’ So that the name of the Lord Jesus descending into the depths of the heart, should subdue the serpent ruling over the inner pastures and bring life and salvation to the soul. He should always live with the name of the Lord Jesus, so that the heart swallows the Lord and the Lord the heart, and the two become one. And again: do not estrange your heart from God, but abide in Him, and always guard your heart by remembering our Lord Jesus Christ, until the name of the Lord becomes rooted in the heart and it ceases to think anything else.”

~St. John Chrysostom

[guiltywisdom]

O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom. On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them, that in reading the lives and sayings of the Saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance of life everlasting; For Thou art the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen.

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom before reading spiritual texts