ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
By Jason Barker
Department of Youth Ministry
St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch in 347 AD to Secundus, a high-ranking army officer and pagan, and St. Anthusa, a Christian. Secundus died soon after St. John's birth, and St. John and his sister were raised as Christians by St. Anthusa.
St. John trained under such notable teachers as Libanus for a career in law and governance, but abandoned this career to become a monk following his baptism in 370 AD. While St. John wanted to immediately enter a monastery, this was impossible; he therefore entered an ascetic society near Antioch led by Diodorus, who later became bishop of Tarsus.
St. John was ordained a deacon in 381 AD. As a deacon, in addition to his duties serving during the Divine Liturgy, St. John cared for the sick and poor in Antioch. This service greatly influenced his sermons as a priest and bishop, in which he often called Christians to care for the poor and suffering.
St. John was ordained a priest in 386 AD. From 386-398, St. John's primary activity was preaching. His preaching was so powerful, and so popular with the people, that he became known as John Chrysostomos, or “John the golden-mouthed,” as a tribute to his eloquence. His theological writings and biblical commentaries – including his commentary on the Acts of the Apostles – were written during this time.
St. John was selected by Emperor Areadius in 398 to be bishop of Constantinople, even though he was opposed to being made a bishop. His initial actions as bishop were to clean up the corruption found among some of the clergy and other religious leaders in Constantinople. Soon, however, in keeping with his earlier focus on the poor, he began to criticize extravagant and wasteful lifestyles, encouraging the wealthy to instead give their money to the poor. St. John himself modeled this point, eating simple meals and avoiding banquets, and even selling most of the furnishings of his home and giving his money to the poor and building hospitals.
St. John's sermons and activities increasingly angered Empress Eudoxia, who in 403 AD gathered a council of bishops that deposed St. John. The anger of the people of Constantinople over St. John's exile, combined with an earthquake that Eudoxia understood to be an expression of God's anger over her actions, convinced the Empress to recall St. John to the city. When in 404 AD St. John criticized the wild parties held at the unveiling of a silver statue of Eudoxia, the Empress again ordered him into exile. The letters he wrote during his three years in exile, giving advice and comfort to Christians, are considered to be some of his most powerful writings.
St. John reposed on September 14, 407, while being marched further into exile. In 438 AD his relics were transferred from the city of Comene, where he died, to Constantinople.
St. John Chrysostom is commemorated on November 13th (he is also commemorated with Ss. Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian on January 30th). His repose is commemorated on September 14th, and the transfer of his relics is commemorated on January 27th.
TROPARION IN TONE 8
Grace shining forth from your lips like a beacon has enlightened the universe.
It has shown to the world the riches of riches poverty; it has revealed to us the heights of humility.
Teaching us by your words, O Father John Chrysostom,
intercede before the Word, Christ our God, to save our souls!
KONTAKION IN TONE 6
Having received divine grace from heaven,
with your mouth you teach all men to worship the Triune God.
All-blest and venerable John Chrysostom,
we worthily praise you, for you are our teacher, revealing things divine!