Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-13-14, M, St. John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor/Church

On the Paradoxical Freedom of Poverty as Taught By St. John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom on Keeping a Fast
Blood and Water >From His Side - St. John Chrysostom(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Homilies from the Heart, St.John Chrysostom [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Chrysostom on the Poor

St. John Chrysostom: The Prophet of Charity
Benedict XVI’s Nearly Unnoticed Letter on St. John Chrysostom (Fr. Z)
On Chrysostom's Social Doctrine
On St. John Chrysostom's Antioch Years
Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom, Jan.30
The Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom (Jan 27 or Feb 9 Julian calendar)
The Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom (c. 400 AD)
The Life of Saint John Chrysostom
PASCHAL Homily of St John Chrysostom
The Golden Mouthed Preacher-St.John Chrysostom [Bishop,Doctor of Catholic and Orthodox Churches]

Information: St. John Chrysostom

Feast Day: September 13

Born: 347, Antioch

Died: Commana in Pontus, 14 September, 407

Patron of: Constantinople, education, epilepsy, lecturers, orators, preachers

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John Chrysostom

Feast Day: September 13
Born: 344 / Died: 407

St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch in Greece. His father died when he was a baby and his mother decided not to marry again. She gave all her attention to bringing up her son and daughter.

She made many sacrifices so that John could have the best teachers. He was very intelligent and could have become a great man in the world. When he gave speeches everyone loved to listen to him. In fact, his name, Chrysostom, means, "Golden-mouthed."

Yet John wanted to give himself to God. He became a priest and lived for about 12 years preaching in Syria. Later he was made bishop and then Archbishop of the great city of Constantinople.

St. John was a wonderful bishop. Although he was always sick, he did a great amount of good. He preached once or twice every day, fed the poor and took care of orphans.

He corrected sinful customs and stopped bad plays from being performed. He loved everyone, but was not afraid to tell even the empress when she did wrong.

Because he fought sin, St. John had many enemies - even the empress herself. She had him sent away from Constantinople. On the trip he suffered greatly from fever, without food and sleep. Yet, he was happy to suffer for Jesus. Just before he died, he cried out, "Glory be to God!"

When St. John died in Turkey on September 14, 407 a terrible hailstorm fell on Constantinople.

Four days later, the evil empress died too. Her son honored St. John's body and showed how sorry he was for what his mother had done.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, September 13

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of St. John
Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church.
St. John, known as the Golden Mouth, was a
very gifted speaker who gave many inspiring
homilies on the Eucharist and on Scripture.
He died in 407 A.D.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 6
43.	For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.	Non est enim arbor bona, quæ facit fructus malos : neque arbor mala, faciens fructum bonum.	ου γαρ εστιν δενδρον καλον ποιουν καρπον σαπρον ουδε δενδρον σαπρον ποιουν καρπον καλον
44.	For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.	Unaquæque enim arbor de fructu suo cognoscitur. Neque enim de spinis colligunt ficus : neque de rubo vindemiant uvam.	εκαστον γαρ δενδρον εκ του ιδιου καρπου γινωσκεται ου γαρ εξ ακανθων συλλεγουσιν συκα ουδε εκ βατου τρυγωσιν σταφυλην
45.	A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.	Bonus homo de bono thesauro cordis sui profert bonum : et malus homo de malo thesauro profert malum. Ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur.	ο αγαθος ανθρωπος εκ του αγαθου θησαυρου της καρδιας αυτου προφερει το αγαθον και ο πονηρος ανθρωπος εκ του πονηρου θησαυρου της καρδιας αυτου προφερει το πονηρον εκ γαρ του περισσευματος της καρδιας λαλει το στομα αυτου
46.	And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?	Quid autem vocatis me Domine, Domine : et non facitis quæ dico ?	τι δε με καλειτε κυριε κυριε και ου ποιειτε α λεγω
47.	Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.	Omnis qui venit ad me, et audit sermones meos, et facit eos, ostendam vobis cui similis sit :	πας ο ερχομενος προς με και ακουων μου των λογων και ποιων αυτους υποδειξω υμιν τινι εστιν ομοιος
48.	He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.	similis est homini ædificanti domum, qui fodit in altum, et posuit fundamentum super petram : inundatione autem facta, illisum est flumen domui illi, et non potuit eam movere : fundata enim erat super petram.	ομοιος εστιν ανθρωπω οικοδομουντι οικιαν ος εσκαψεν και εβαθυνεν και εθηκεν θεμελιον επι την πετραν πλημμυρας δε γενομενης προσερρηξεν ο ποταμος τη οικια εκεινη και ουκ ισχυσεν σαλευσαι αυτην τεθεμελιωτο γαρ επι την πετραν
49.	But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.	Qui autem audit, et non facit, similis est homini ædificanti domum suam super terram sine fundamento : in quam illisus est fluvius, et continuo cecidit : et facta est ruina domus illius magna.	ο δε ακουσας και μη ποιησας ομοιος εστιν ανθρωπω οικοδομησαντι οικιαν επι την γην χωρις θεμελιου η προσερρηξεν ο ποταμος και ευθεως επεσεν και εγενετο το ρηγμα της οικιας εκεινης μεγα

43. For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

THEOPHYL; Our Lord continues the words which He had begun against the hypocrites, saying, For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; i.e. as if He says, If you would have a true and unfeigned righteousness, what you set forth in words make up also in works, for the hypocrite though he pretends to be good is not good, who does evil works; and the innocent though he be blamed, is not therefore evil, who does good works.

TITUS BOS. But take not these words to thyself as an encouragement to idleness, for the tree is moved conformably to its nature but you have the exercise of free will; and every barren tree has been ordained for some good, but you were created to the good work of virtue.

ISIDORE PELEUS; He does not then exclude repentance, but a continuance in evil, which as long as it is evil cannot bring forth good fruit, but being converted to virtue, will yield abundance. But what nature is to the tree, our affections are to us. If then a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, how shall a corrupt heart?

CHRYS. But although the fruit is caused by the tree, yet, it brings to us the knowledge of the tree, because the distinctive nature of the tree is made evident by the fruit, as it follows, For every tree is know by its fruit.

CYRIL; Each man's life also will be a criterion of his character. For not by extrinsic ornaments and pretended humility is the beauty of true happiness discovered, but by those things which a man does; of which he gives an illustration, adding, For of thorns men do not gather figs.

AMBROSE; On the thorns of this world the fig cannot be found, which as being better in its second fruit, is well fitted to be a similitude of the resurrection. Either because, as you read, The fig trees have put forth their green figs, that is, the unripe and worthless fruit came first in the Synagogue. Or because our life is imperfect in the flesh, perfect in the resurrection, and therefore we ought to cast far from us worldly cares, which eat into the mind and scorch up the soul, that by diligent culture we may obtain the perfect fruits. This therefore has reference to the world and the resurrection, the next to the soul and the body, as it follows, Nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. Either because no one living in sin obtains fruit to his soul, which like the grape nearest the ground is rotten, on the higher branches becomes ripe. Or because no one can escape the condemnations of the flesh, but he whom Christ has redeemed, Who as a grape hung on the tree.

THEOPHYL; Or, I think the thorns and bramble are the cares of the world and the prickings of sin, but the figs and the grapes are the sweetness of a new life and the warmth of love, but the fig is not gathered from the thorns nor the grape from the bramble, because the mind still debased by the habits of the old man may pretend to, but cannot bring forth the fruits of the new man. But we must know, that as the fruitful palm tree is enclosed and supported by a hedge, and the thorn bearing fruit not its own, preserves it for the use of man, so the words and acts of the wicked wherein they serve the good are not done by the wicked themselves, but by the wisdom of God working upon them.

CYRIL; But having shown that the good and the bad man may be discerned by their works as a tree by its fruits, he now sets forth the same thing by another figure, saying, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil.

THEOPHYL; The treasure of the heart is the same as the root of the tree. He therefore who has in his heart the treasure of patience and perfect love, brings forth the best fruits, loving his enemy, and doing the other things which have been taught above. But he who keeps a bad treasure in his heart does the contrary to this.

BASIL; The quality of the words shows the heart from which they proceed, plainly manifesting the inclination of our thoughts. Hence it follows, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

CHRYS. For it is a natural consequence when wickedness abounds within, that wicked words are breathed as far as the mouth; and therefore when you hear of a man uttering abominable things, do not suppose that there lies only so much wickedness in him as is expressed in his words, but believe the fountain to be more copious than the stream.

THEOPHYL; By the speaking of the mouth the Lord signifies all things, which by word, or deed, or thought, we bring forth from the heart. For it is the manner of the Scripture to put words for deeds.

46. And why call you me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47. Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like:
48. He is like a man which built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth: against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

THEOPHYL; Lest any one should vainly flatter himself with the words, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, as if words only and not rather works were required of a Christian, our Lord adds the following, But why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? As if He said, Why do you boast of sending forth the leaves of a right confession, and show forth no fruit of good works.

CYRIL; But Lordship both in name and reality belongs only to the Highest Nature.

ATHAN. This is not then the word of man, but the Word of God, manifesting His own birth from the Father, for He is the Lord Who is born of the Lord alone. But fear not the duality of Persons, for they are not separate in nature.

CYRIL; But the advantage which arises from the keeping of the commandments, or the loss from disobedience, he shows as follows; Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, he is like to a man who built his house upon a rock, &c.

THEOPHYL; The rock is Christ. He digs deep; by the precepts of humility He plucks out all earthly things from the hearts of the faithful, lest they should serve God from regard to their temporal good.

BASIL; But lay your foundations upon , a rock, that is, lean upon the faith of Christ, so as to persevere immovable in adversity, whether it come from man or God.

THEOPHYL; Or the foundation of the house is the resolution to live a good life, which the perfect hearer firmly lays in fulfilling the commandments of God.

AMBROSE; Or, He teaches that the obedience to heavenly precepts is the foundation of all virtue, by means of which this our house can be moved neither by the torrent of pleasures, nor by the violence of spiritual wickedness, neither by the storms of this world, nor by the cloudy disputations of heretics; hence it follows, But the flood came, &c.

THEOPHYL; A flood comes in three ways, either by unclean spirits, or wicked men, or the very restlessness of mind or body; and as far as men trust in their own strength they fall away, but as long as they cling to the immovable rock they cannot even be shaken.

CHRYS. The Lord also shows us that faith profits a man nothing, if his manner of life be corrupt. Hence it follows, But he that hears and does not, is like a man, that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, &c.

THEOPHYL; The house of the devil is the world which lies in wickedness, which he builds upon the earth, because those who obey him he drags down from heaven to earth; he builds without foundation, for sin has no foundation, standing not by its own nature, for evil is without substance, which yet whatever it is, grows up in the nature of good. But because the foundation is called so from fundus, we may not unfitly understand that fundamentum is placed here for fundus. As then he who is fallen into a well is kept at the bottom of the well, so the soul falling away remains stationary, as it were, at the very bottom, as long as it continues in any measure of sin. But not content with the sin into which it is fallen, while daily sinking into worse, it can find no bottom, as it were, in the well to which it may fix itself. But every kind of temptation increasing, both the really bad and the feignedly good become worse, until at last they come to everlasting punishment Hence it follows, Against which the stream did beat vehemently. By the force of the stream may be understood the trial of the last judgment, when both houses being finished, the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal.

CYRIL; Or they build upon the earth without foundation, who upon the quicksand of doubt, which relates to opinion, lay the foundation of their spiritual building, which a few drops of temptation wash away.

AUG. Now this long discourse of our Lord, Luke begins in the same way as Matthew; for each says, Blessed are the poor. Then many things which follow in the narration of each are like, and finally the conclusion of the discourse is found to be altogether the same, I mean with respect to the men who build upon the rock and the sand. It might then easily be supposed that Luke has inserted the same discourse of our Lord, and yet has left out some sentences which Matthew has kept, and likewise put in others which Matthew has not; were it not that Matthew says the discourse was spoken by our Lord on the mountain, but Luke on the plain by our Lord standing. It is not however thought likely from this that these two discourses are separated by a long course of time, because both before and after both have related some things like or the same. It may however have happened that our Lord was at first on a higher part of the mountain with His disciples alone, and that then he descended with them from the mount, that is, from the summit of the mountain to the flat place, that is, to some level ground, which was on the side of the mountain, and was able to hold large multitudes, and that there He stood until the crowds were gathered together to Him, and afterwards when He sat down His disciples came nearer, and to them, and the rest of the multitude who were present, He held the same discourse.

Catena Aurea Luke 6

San Antimo
Cistercian Abbey Church

Tuscany, Italy

Day 275 - What dangers result from the media? // How does art mediate between beauty and truth?

What dangers result from the media?

Many people, especially children, think that whatever they see in the media is real. If in the name of entertainment violence is glorified, anti-social behavior is approved of, and human sexuality is trivialized, this is a sin both of those in the media who are responsible and also of those supervisory authorities that ought to put a stop to it. People who work in the media should always be aware of the fact that their productions have an educational effect. Young people must constantly examine themselves to determine whether they are able to use the media freely, with critical distance, or whether they have become addicted to particular media. Every person is responsible for his soul. Those who consume violence, hatred, and pornography in the media become spiritually deadened and do themselves harm.

How does art mediate between beauty and truth?

The true and the beautiful belong together, for God is the source of beauty and also the source of truth. Art, which is dedicated to the beautiful, is therefore a special path to the whole and to God. What cannot be said in words or expressed in thought is brought to light in art. It is "a freely given superabundance of the human being's inner riches" (CCC 2501). In a way that closely approximates God's creativity, inspiration and human skill are combined in the artist so as to give a valid form to something new, a previously unseen aspect of reality. Art is not an end in itself. It should uplift people, move them, improve them, and ultimately lead them to worship and thank God. (YOUCAT questions 460-461)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (2500-2503) and other references here.

Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)

Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)

Article 8: The Eighth Commandment (2464 - 2513)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."¹ ⇡

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.²⁵³

It was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn."²⁵⁴ ⇡

VI. TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND SACRED ART ⇡

1804
2129
341
(all)

2500

The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos — which both the child and the scientist discover — "from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator," "for the author of beauty created them."²⁹⁰ [Wisdom] is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.²⁹¹ For [wisdom] is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail.²⁹² I became enamored of her beauty.²⁹³

1.

Jn 13:34.

253.

Ex 20:16; cf. Deut 5:20.

254.

290.

291.

292.

293.

Created "in the image of God,"²⁹⁴ man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the beauty of his artistic works. Indeed, art is a distinctively human form of expression; beyond the search for the necessities of life which is common to all living creatures, art is a freely given superabundance of the human being's inner riches. Arising from talent given by the Creator and from man's own effort, art is a form of practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill,²⁹⁵ to give form to the truth of reality in a language accessible to sight or hearing. To the extent that it is inspired by truth and love of beings, art bears a certain likeness to God's activity in what he has created. Like any other human activity, art is not an absolute end in itself, but is ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man.²⁹⁶

294.

Gen 1:26.

295.

Cf. Wis 7:16-17.

296.

Cf. Pius XII, Musicae sacrae disciplina; Discourses of September 3 and December 25, 1950.

2502

Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God — the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."²⁹⁷ This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier.

297.

Heb 1:3; Col 2:9.

2503

For this reason bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art.²⁹⁸

298.

Cf. SC 122-127.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:September 13, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, strength of those who hope in you, who willed that the Bishop Saint John Chrysostom should be illustrious by his wonderful eloquence and his experience of suffering, grant us, we pray, that, instructed by his teachings, we may be strengthened through the example of his invincible patience. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Greek Salad

ACTIVITIES

o Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Difficulties in Reading

o Preschool Parent Pedagogy: Christian Use of Pictures

PRAYERS

o September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

o Prayer of St. John Chrysostom

LIBRARY

o Ex Quo (On The Euchologion) | Pope Benedict XIV

o Saint John Chrysostom | Pope Benedict XVI

o St John Chrysostom - 2 | Pope Benedict XVI

o St. John Chrysostom: The Prophet of Charity | Archpriest Georges Florovsky

o The Age of Patrology | Sal Ciresi

· Ordinary Time: September 13th

· Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor

St. John Chrysostom, born in Antioch about 347 A.D., was a great genius. His powerful eloquence earned him the surname of Chrysostom, or golden mouthed. With St. Athanasius, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, he forms the group of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. As Archbishop of Constantinople, his courageous stance against the vices of even the wealthy caused him to be exiled several times. As a result he died in 407, still in exile. In 1204 his body was brought to St. Peter's in Rome but was returned to the Orthodox on November 27, 2004 by Pope John Paul II. His silver and jewel-encrusted skull is now kept in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece, and is credited by Christians with miraculous healings. His right hand is also preserved on Mount Athos, and numerous smaller relics are scattered throughout the world. His feast in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on January 27.

St. John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom was the son of a Latin father and a Greek mother; his mother, Anthusa, was widowed at the age of twenty, soon after his birth. Putting aside all thought of remarriage, Anthusa gave all of her attention to her son: she gave him the best classical education of the day, and enrolled him as a catechumen when he was eighteen. He came under the influence of Meletius, patriarch of Antioch, who sent him to the monastic school of Diodore, then baptized him and ordained him lector.

At this time, St. John Chrysostom decided to take his future into his own hands and became a monk-hermit, living in a cave, studying the Scriptures, and putting himself under the discipline of an old hermit named Hesychius. However, his health broke under this austere regimen and he returned to Antioch, was ordained a priest, and began his remarkable career as a preacher.

During the next twelve years, he electrified Antioch with his fiery sermons, filled with a knowledge and an eloquence that were astonishing. It was during this period that he received the nickname Chrysostom, or golden mouth, for his words seemed to be pure gold. In 397, when the see of Constantinople became vacant, the Emperor Arcadius appointed John patriarch, and since it was feared that he would refuse the honor, he was lured to Constantinople and consecrated bishop of the city in 398.

John found himself in a nest of political intrigue, fraud, extravagance, and naked ambition. He curbed expenses, gave lavishly to the poor, built hospitals, reformed the clergy, and restored monastic discipline. But his program of reform made him enemies, in particular the Empress Eudoxia and the Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria. The city in turmoil, his life threatened, John was exiled by the emperor in the year 404.

The papal envoys were imprisoned, and John — defended by the pope and ordered restored to his see — was sent further into exile, six hundred miles from Constantinople, across the Black Sea. Worn out and sick, he died of his hardships at Comana in Pontus. His last words were, "Glory to God for all things."

—Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Constantinople; epilepsy; orators; preachers.

Symbols: Beehive; chalice on Bible; white dove; scroll or book; pen and inkhorn; bishop's mitre.

Things to Do:

Discuss and implement some ideas on how to follow this idea: "Family life becomes sanctified when parents carry out St. John Chrysostom's plea to make each home a family church."
Cook special foods for this feast--Greek foods or foods with a "golden" color, such as honey.
Imitate the patron of orators, learn how to give speeches, perhaps have a speech contest.
St. John was a great Scripture scholar, and we should follow his encouragement of daily Bible reading and study.
Read excerpts from St. John Chrysostom's writing to see why he was called "golden-mouthed."
Learn more about the Eastern Rite churches.
View some of the world's most famous icons.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint John Chrysostom

Also known as

Greatest of the Greek Fathers
Golden-Mouth
Giovanni Crisostomo

Memorial

13 September
formerly 14 September
13 November (Eastern Orthodox – ascension to archbishopric of Constantinople)
27 January (Eastern Orthodox – translation of relics)
30 January (Eastern Orthodox – as one of the Three Holy Heirarchs)

Profile

John’s father died when he was young, and he was raised by a very pious mother. Well educated; studied rhetoric under Libanius, one of the most famous orators of his day. Monk. Preacher and priest for a dozen years in Syria. While there he developed a stomach ailment that troubled him the rest of his life.

It was for his sermons that John earned the title Chrysostom = golden mouthed. They were always on point, they explained the Scriptures with clarity, and they sometimes went on for hours. Made a reluctant bishop of Constantinople in 398, a move that involved him in imperial politics. He criticized the rich for not sharing their wealth, fought to reform the clergy, prevented the sale of ecclesiastical offices, called for fidelity in marriage, encouraged practices of justice and charity. Archbishop and Patriarch of Constantinople. Revised the Greek Liturgy. Because John’s sermons advocated a change in their lives, some nobles and bishops worked to remove him from his diocese; he was twice exiled from his diocese. Banished to Pythius, he died on the road.

Greek Father of the Church. Proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 451.

Born

c.347 at Antioch, Asia Minor

Died

407 of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Name Meaning

God is gracious; gift of God (John)
golden-mouthed (Chrysostom)

Patronage

against epilepsy
Constantinople
epileptics
Istanbul, Turkey
lecturers
orators (proclaimed on 8 July 1908 by Pope Pius X)
preachers
speakers

Prayers

Representation

Images

Gallery of images of Saint John

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
On the Writings of Saint John Chrysostom, by Father Alban Butler
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
books
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Herald
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online
- Communio
- David Bradshaw: Saint John Chrysostom on Grace and Free Will
- Dr David C Ford: The Home as a Little Church: The Vision of Sanit John Chrysostom
- Jewish Encyclopedia
- Pope Benedict XVI: Saint John Chrysostom’s Antioch Years
- Orthodox Christian Information Center: Was Saint John Chrysostom Anti-Semitic?
- Orthodox Church in America: Saint John Chrysostom
- Orthodox Church in America: Translation of Relics
- Orthodox Church in America: Repose of Saint John
- Saint John Chrysostom Antiochan Orthodox Church: Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
- uCatholic
- Wikimedia
- Wikipedia
works
audio
video
- Fatima Center

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 6:43-49

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Every tree is known by its own fruit. (Luke 6:44)

Think of an apple tree. No matter how hard it may try, it simply cannot push and prod its apples to grow any faster than they were meant to grow. In that sense, the apples don’t come from the tree’s efforts. Its only job is to stay planted in the ground, draw water and nutrients from the soil, and receive the rays of the sun. The fruit then comes naturally.

Jesus used many down-to-earth images like this one to explain the spiritual life, so let’s follow his lead and compare the spiritual life to a tiny seed planted in our hearts. As with an apple seed, it is the nature of this spiritual seed to bear fruit. All it needs is the right amount of nourishment and light, and it will start being productive. The question we all face is: Can I allow this seed of faith to take root in me? To be honest, if we don’t, we will be like the foolish builder in today’s Gospel, who built his house on sand instead of solid rock. Not only will we have a weak foundation for our faith, but we will miss out on all the fruit Jesus wants to bring forth in our lives.

What a joy to know that Jesus is fully committed to planting and building in us! He has already laid the perfect foundation: his cross and resurrection. What’s more, he has given us the Holy Spirit as a master builder to guide us and teach us. As for us, we need to listen to the Spirit and do all he asks so that we can be built up and become fruitful.

The truth is, we could spend our whole lives calling out, “Lord, Lord” but never listen to the One who gives us life. If we could spend as much time listening to the Lord as we spend talking to him, we would become much more fruitful. Yes, his seed in us can bear good fruit. So open your heart to listen to Jesus. You’ll be amazed at how he transforms you.

“Holy Spirit, help your Church to pursue the gift of a quiet, restful heart. We want to hear all that you want to say to us. You are the foundation of life.”

1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 13, 2014:

“The families of migrants, especially in the case of manual workers and farm workers, should be able to find a homeland everywhere in the church.” (Familiaris Consortio) Does your family know any migrants from another country? Find one or two and invite them to dinner, and pray for these families today.

Regnum Christi

Know the Tree by Its Fruits

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | NEWS

September 13, 2014. Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples: "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. Why do you call me, ´Lord, Lord,´ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, here I am again spending time in prayer. I am going to meditate on your word. I do not want to be one of those people who cries out “Lord, Lord” but never does what you say. You know too well how weak I am, how many times I have trusted in my own strength and left you to one side. I come to you today in humility to ask for your light and your grace.

Petition: Lord, help me to build my life on a firm foundation.

1. Good Fruit from a Good Tree: How will we know what lies deep down in our souls? We will know from the kind of fruit we produce. If our lives are examples of charity, faith, patience and honesty, we know that our soul is healthy and strong. If our lives are examples of anger, envy, lust, selfishness or laziness, then we know that there is a weak and sickly soul inside. If we want to change, we cannot simply try to change the appearances – to put on a nice face or pretend to be a good person. Sooner or later the mask will fall, because it is only hiding something rotten inside. We must change from within, go deep down to the root of our defects, heal our soul in the sacrament of penance, and work to build a life of virtue from the very foundation.

2. False Security: When the sun is shining and all is calm, a house built on a weak foundation seems very strong and sturdy. It is hard to believe that it will not withstand the force of rain, wind and floods. We sometimes have a false security in our lives when all is going well. When there are no big temptations, when the trials and difficulties of life are small and easily overcome, we can convince ourselves that we are on solid ground. We can be lulled into thinking that our spiritual life is strong and that we will never fall into sin as we have in the past. We must be careful and very objective because this may be a false security.

3. The Test: The true test of the foundation comes when the rain starts, the wind blows and the floodwaters rise. The test of our spiritual lives comes with temptations, difficulties, disappointments and trials. If we have built our spiritual lives on a firm foundation of virtue, self-denial and union with God, it does not matter how hard the floods come down against us: We will stand firm. We must keep in mind that in the moment of the flood we will not be able to go out to fix the foundation. It will be too late. We must work on building a strong foundation while the sun is shining so we will be ready for the test. We must act on the words of Christ now, in this moment, while there still is time.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, do not let me be lulled into a false sense of security just because my life is not so difficult in this moment. I want to be ready for the test. I want to be ready when the floods come. Help me to work today to strengthen the foundation of my spiritual life. Help me to grow in virtue.

Resolution: I will concentrate today on practicing one virtue that I know I need to work on

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 5

<< Saturday, September 13, 2014 >>

St. John Chrysostom

1 Corinthians 10:14-22
View Readings

Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

Luke 6:43-49
Similar Reflections

"ONE BREAD, ONE BODY"

"Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." —1 Corinthians 10:17

The title of these booklets is taken from the above Scripture. Because we share in the one bread of Holy Communion, we are one body. If we are one as Jesus and the Father are one, then the world will believe that the Father sent the Son (Jn 17:21), God's plan of salvation will be fulfilled, and God's kingdom will have come "on earth as it is in heaven."

Our unity is absolutely essential. Jesus came to break down the barriers and make the two into one (Eph 2:14). In one Spirit, all of us have been baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:13). It is not only "good" and "pleasant, where brethren dwell at one" (Ps 133:1), it's an absolute necessity. For example, it is not just "good" for your hands to be connected to the other parts of your body; it is a "must."

Because unity is a necessity, partaking of the one bread, that is, Communion, is a necessity. This booklet is written to motivate us to receive Holy Communion daily. If done in the right spirit, this is among the most important acts of faith we can make in the Christian life.

Prayer: Jesus, at this moment, may hundreds decide to receive Holy Communion daily.

Promise: "Each man speaks from his heart's abundance. Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not put into practice what I teach you?" —Lk 6:45-46

Praise: St. John preached the Truth even to a heretic patriarch and empress. He was exiled twice for his public stand for holiness.

40 Years after Roe vs. Wade, ordinary people are praying for an end to this legalized killing called abortion.