Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the Three Hierarchs [January 30], was born at Antioch in about the year 347 into the family of a military commander. His father, Secundus, died soon after the birth of his son. His mother, Anthusa, widowed at twenty years of age, did not seek to remarry but rather devoted all her efforts to the raising of her son in Christian piety. The youth studied under the finest philosophers and rhetoricians. But, scorning the vain disciplines of pagan knowledge, the future hierarch turned himself to the profound study of Holy Scripture and prayerful contemplation. Saint Meletius, Bishop of Antioch (February 12), loved John like a son, guided him in the Faith, and in the year 367 baptized him.
When John’s mother died, he embraced monasticism, which he called the “true philosophy.” Soon John and his friend Basil were being considered as candidates for the episcopal office, and they decided to withdraw into the wilderness to avoid this. While Saint John avoided the episcopal rank out of humility, he secretly assisted in Basil’s consecration.
In the year 386 Saint John was ordained presbyter by Bishop Flavian of Antioch. Saint John was a splendid preacher, and his inspired words earned him the name “Golden-Mouthed” (“Chrysostom”). For twelve years the saint preached in church, usually twice a week, but sometimes daily, deeply stirring the hearts of his listeners.
In his pastoral zeal to provide Christians with a better understanding of Holy Scripture, Saint John employed hermeneutics, an interpretation and analysis of the Word of God (i.e. exegesis). Among his exegetical works are commentaries on entire books of the Holy Scripture (Genesis, the Psalter, the Gospels of Matthew and John, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul), and also many homilies on individual texts of the Holy Bible, but also instructions on the Feastdays, laudations on the Saints, and also apologetic (i.e. defensive) homilies (against Anomoeans, Judaizers and pagans). As a priest, Saint John zealously fulfilled the Lord’s command to care for the needy. Under Saint John, the Antiochian Church provided sustenance each day to as many as 3,000 virgins and widows, not including in this number the shut-ins, wanderers and the sick.
The fame of the holy preacher grew, and in the year 397 with the death of Archbishop Nectarius of Constantinople, successor to Saint Gregory the Theologian, Saint John Chrysostom was summoned from Antioch, and elected to the See of Constantinople. At the capital, the holy archpastor was not able to preach as often as he had at Antioch. Many matters awaited the saint’s attention, and he began with the most important -- the spiritual perfection of the priesthood. He himself was the best example of this. The financial means apportioned for the archbishop were channeled by the saint into the upkeep of several hospices for the sick and two hostels for pilgrims. He fasted strictly and ate very little food, and usually refused invitations to dine because of his delicate stomach.
The saint’s zeal in spreading the Christian Faith extended not only to the inhabitants of Constantinople, but also to Thrace to include Slavs and Goths, and to Asia Minor and the Pontine region. He established a bishop for the Bosphorus Church in the Crimea. Saint John sent off zealous missionaries to Phoenicia, to Persia, and to the Scythians, to convert pagans to Christ. He also wrote letters to Syria to bring back the Marcionites into the Church, and he accomplished this. Preserving the unity of the Church, the saint would not permit a powerful Gothic military commander, who wanted the emperor to reward his bravery in battle, to open an Arian church at Constantinople. The saint exerted much effort in enhancing the splendor of the church services: he compiled a Liturgy, he introduced antiphonal singing for the all-night Vigil, and he wrote several prayers for the rite of anointing the sick with oil.
In Armenia, the saint strove all the more to encourage his spiritual children. In numerous letters (245 are preserved) to bishops in Asia, Africa, Europe and particularly to his friends in Constantinople, Saint John consoled the suffering, guiding and giving support to his followers. In the winter of 406 Saint John was confined to his bed with sickness, but his enemies were not to be appeased. From the capital came orders to transfer Saint John to desolate Pityus in Abkhazia on the Black Sea. Worn out by sickness, the saint began his final journey under military escort, traveling for three months in the rain and frost. He never arrived at his place of exile, for his strength failed him at Comana.
At the crypt of Saint Basiliscus (May 22), Saint John was comforted by a vision of the martyr, who said, “Despair not, brother John! Tomorrow we shall be together.” After receiving the Holy Mysteries, the hierarch fell asleep in the Lord on September 14, 407. His last words were, “Glory to God for all things!”
The holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom were solemnly transferred to Constantinople in the year 438. The disciple of Saint John, the venerable Isidore of Pelusium (February 4), wrote: “The house of David is grown strong, and the house of Saul enfeebled. He is victor over the storms of life, and has entered into heavenly repose.”
Although he died on September 14, Saint John’s celebration was transferred to this day because of the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross. Saint John Chrysostom is also celebrated on January 27 and January 30.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (JAMES 1:12).
When we confront trials and tragic events in our life, we must not panic but trust God that He will change these terrible trials for our good and for His glory. We know that Living in this dark and fallen world makes us suffer all the time. But St. James is reminding us and sharing with us this glorious promise, that we are blessed when we persevere under trial because having stood the trials and the persecutions of the devil, not losing our faith and hope, will lead us to receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. God will use all things to conform us to the image of Christ and often in our life that includes pain and suffering. In times of suffering, we must pray for God’s mercy to come and cry out for His help in the Holy Spirit. We must remember Jesus’ words to us in the gospel, that in this life, there will be trouble, yet, we know that He overcame the world for us and He gave us His victory in order for us to overcome also. And that is why abiding in Jesus is so important because it is the rock on which we stand when trials and the storms of life come. Now we know that He never leaves our side and walks with us through the darkest valley, and we also have the hope that of eternal life that awaits us in Jesus Christ. We have to trust our life in His sovereign hands no matter what comes our way.
“Prayer is a request for what is good, offered by the devout of God. But we do not restrict this request simply to what is stated in words… We should not express our prayer merely in syllables, but the power of prayer should be expressed in the moral attitude of our soul and in the virtuous actions that extend throughout our life… This is how you pray continually — not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer.”
You feel that God is not interested in you because you are not communicating with Him. But you will be able to get to know Him, to hear His voice, and to discover the truth of His love for man when you will communicate with Him and establish a relationship, and this relationship can be obtained through focused reading of the gospel (New Testament).
Reading the gospel will make you understand what is the purpose of the incarnation of Christ, the Son of God, and His coming into the world. He has come as a light to the world so that everyone who follows Him does not walk in darkness, “the true light that came to enlighten every human being in the world.” Then you will discover that Christ is the light of God the Father, who appeared in the flesh in order to transfer His light to you, so that you will have this light in your soul, mind and body. Also, when you read in the gospel, "I came to have life and have a better life for them," and thus you will discover that Christ is the treasure of Life, for eternity, love and joy, and that you can also ask Him and He will give you His life and His joy and also His healing. Thus, you will grow in the relationship, unity, and fellowship with Him until He restores His image and likeness in you, i.e. His love, holiness, and glory in you. Amen
The main characteristic that distinguishes a Christian is his acceptance and receipt of Christ in the Holy Spirit. The irrefutable sign of our acceptance of Christ is the change of our sinful nature and the receipt of the new nature that seeks love and rejects evil and sin. If we believe in Christ’s redemptive death on the cross, we pray, and say that we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior without being changed from the love of sin to the love of God and loving each other as Jesus loved us, ““Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. “(1John 4:7-8); this is the most significant proof that our faith has not yet brought us to the salvation of Christ.
Many need to be aware that the fundamental difference between the law of the Old Testament and Christianity is that the law has set rules for man to obey and do it. Whoever does it is considered righteous, and whoever does not do it is disobedient, sinful, and deserves punishment in this world and the hereafter. As for Christianity, it is not built on do and not to do, but on be or not to be, meaning that the law commanded that you should not steal, commit adultery, or kill, but Christ came to give man the gift and grace of a new life “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) that makes him be able to be faithful and not a thief. In the Holy Spirit, we can have pure and chaste hearts and eyes; in this case, we will not be adulterers. Having the grace of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in us “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” ( 1Corinthians 3:16), so we can love our enemies and forgive all who have sinned against us . Our obedience to the commandments and the holy word of God the Father leads us not only to do good and be away from evil but to hate sin, all evil deeds, evil thoughts, and be filled with God’s life, love, holiness, and faithfulness. Unfortunately many Christians still live by the mentality of the Old Testament’s law and have not yet been transformed into the mind of the Gospel, which is receiving the new nature, be changed to be in the image and likeness of Christ, and be in unity with Him, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. “ (2Corinthians5:17).
The gift of Christ to man in the New Testament is the adoption by grace to the Heavenly Father, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:6-7). Not everyone who believes in Christ becomes a child of God, but the sure sign of having the grace of adoption is the receipt of the new life, which is the life of Christ that unites us to Him and changes us to His image, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
Many have neglected their salvation and seek through religiosity and rituals the peace of heart and tranquility of the soul, but all this is in vain and they did not obtain any. But those who have received Christ in the Holy Spirit have received the gift of adoption, the new nature, and have come to enjoy eternal peace, joy, and love.
We beseech You, our Heavenly Father, to be our helper and protector. Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly; Raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly; Restore the wanderers of Your people; Feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; Raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
Amen
We can perceive the word of God
only with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit working in us
Glory to the Father, Son & the Holy Spirit
LUKE 10: 18-20
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
JESUS HIMSELF is announcing to us that:
BUT
BUT TO REJOICE
That OUR NAMES are written in HEAVEN (the kingdom of God has been established)
