Saint of the Day - St. John Chrysostom (September 13th)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 2023-09-12

Saint John Chrysostom is considered one of the greatest preachers in the history of the Church and the most prominent Greek father of the Church. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates his feast day every September 13th.

Early Life

John was born in Antioch in 347. His father was a high-ranking military officer who died soon after his birth and was raised by his mother. As a result of his mother's influential connections in the city, John began his education under the pagan preacher Libanius where he acquired the skills for rhetoric, as well as a love of the Greek language and literature. 

As he grew older, John became deeply committed to Christianity and went on to study theology. Later, John lived in extreme asceticism and became a hermit in about 375; he spent the next two years continually standing, scarcely sleeping, and committing the Bible to memory. As a consequence of these practices, his stomach and kidneys were permanently damaged and poor health forced him to return to Antioch.

Reconciliation of Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome

John was ordained as a deacon in 381 by the Holy bishop Meletius of Antioch, who was not then in communion with Alexandria and Rome. It is important to note that this will have a big impact on his legacy years later.

After the death of Meletius, John separated himself from the followers of Meletius, without joining Paulinus, the rival of Meletius for the bishopric of Antioch. But after the death of Paulinus, he was ordained a presbyter in 386 by Flavian, the successor of Paulinus. 

John later brought about reconciliation between Flavian I of Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome, through his great oratorical homilies (thus the name Chrysostom which means "golden-mouthed" in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence), thus bringing those three sees into communion for the first time in nearly seventy years.

Great Preacher

Over the course of twelve years (from 386 to 397), John gained popularity because of the eloquence of his public speaking. On one occasion, John intervened with emperor Theodosius I on behalf of citizens who had gone on a rampage mutilating statues of the emperor and his family. During the weeks of Lent in 387, John preached more than twenty homilies in which he entreated the people to see the error of their ways. Many pagans converted to Christianity as a result of his homilies.

Archbishop of Constantinople

In the autumn of 397, John was appointed archbishop of Constantinople, after having been nominated without his knowledge by the eunuch Eutropius.

As archbishop, he refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people but unpopular with wealthy citizens and the clergy. His wonderful works have made a couple of powerful enemies, such as Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria, and Aelia Eudoxia, wife of emperor Arcadius. This led to the synod in 403 to condemn John on different false charges which resulted in his deposition and banishment. 

However, as the people became tumultuous over his banishment, even threatening to burn the imperial palace, John was called back by Arcadius almost immediately.

Peace was short-lived as later, John denounced the dedication of a silver statue of Eudoxia near the Cathedral of Constantinian Hagia Sophia. This led to his banishment again, this time to the Caucasus in Abkhazia. 

His banishment sparked riots among his supporters in the capital, and in the fighting, the cathedral built by Constantius II was burnt down, necessitating the construction of the second cathedral on the site, the Theodosian Hagia Sophia.

Exile and Death

Faced with exile, John Chrysostom wrote an appeal for help to three churchmen: Pope Innocent I; Venerius, the bishop of Mediolanum (Milan); and Chromatius, the bishop of Aquileia.

John wrote letters that still held great influence in Constantinople. As a result of this, he was further exiled from the Caucasus (where he stayed from 404 to 407) to Pitiunt (Pityus) (in modern Georgia) where his tomb is a shrine for pilgrims. 

However, John never reached this destination, as he died at Comana Pontica (modern-day Gümenek, Tokat, Turkey) on September 14, 407, his ill health unable to endure the rigors of his journey. 

He died in the Presbyterium or community of the clergy belonging to the church of Saint Basiliscus of Comana. His last words are said to have been "Glory be to God for all things".

Images attributed to the following:
- By Didier Descouens - Own work, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
- By Byzantinian graphic from 10th century - http://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.gr.1613/0200?sid=a7590df9b8aca22111c8359533716419, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
- By Anonymous - Chatzidakis. Byzantine Art in Greece, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
- By Byzantinian graphic from 10th century - http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Images/ii978&amp;3987.htm, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons