Saint John Chrysostom
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses the life of Saint John Chrysostom, explaining that he spent the final part of his life as Patriarch of Constantinople and was known for his powerful preaching and biblical exegesis.
1. Preaching Patriarchs and John’s Standing:
John Chrysostom is considered one of the greatest preachers of the fourth and fifth centuries; he gained great fame in Antioch before his elevation, and he represents the type of patriarchs famous for preaching rather than purely theological style.
2. His Literary Output and Commentaries:
Most of his sermons were turned into books; he interpreted the entire Gospels of Matthew and John, explained the Acts of the Apostles, and commented on fourteen of Paul’s epistles. He is also attributed a book on the “six days” of creation (Hexameron) and many essays on spiritual and moral topics.
3. Practical Spiritual Essays:
The saint wrote on humility of mind, on the weakness of demons, on repentance and remorse; he sent writings addressed to individuals (such as a young widow or Theodorus) calling them to repentance and true contrition.
4. His Personal Life and Upbringing:
He was born into a noble family; his father died in his childhood and his mother was widowed at twenty, so her care and upbringing became the center of his life. He studied under famous philosophers and orators such as Libanius, excelled in philosophy, logic, and rhetoric, was baptized in 372, and began a life of asceticism and devotion.
5. His Asceticism, Service and Ecclesiastical Career:
He spent years in seclusion with his mother, then as a disciple of a travelling elder, and later lived in a mountain cave. Though he desired to avoid honors, failing health forced him back into ministry; he was ordained deacon, priest, and then bishop, and became a fervent preacher before enthusiastic crowds.
6. His Courage and Clash with Authority:
He was bold in truth and reproving error; he once confronted the empress to defend an oppressed widow, refused her entry into the church, and thus provoked the court’s animosity which led to plots against him and attempts to exile him.
7. His Exile and Death:
He was exiled as a result of his clashes with authority; during his removal, difficult roads and failing health hindered his journey to exile, and he died during the transfer or while in exile and was buried in Constantinople.
Spiritual Conclusion:
Despite sufferings and exile, John Chrysostom’s sermons and theological writings remain from the fourth century to our day and will continue to aid the Church in teaching and piety. He calls us to courage in truth, humility, and service with both tongue and heart.
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