St. Paul teaches us to consider the Church as a Body with many parts. And if the Church is a body, the saint we honor today, St. John Chrysostom is the mouth, or perhaps, the tongue. The name “Chrysostom” means golden tongue.
While studying civil law, today’s saint detected God calling him to religious life. He initially entered a monastery, but soon found himself called to ordination as a deacon and then a priest for the Church of Antioch where he had been born—our Antioch, where St. Ignatius had been bishop about 200 years prior.
It was soon very clear that the young priest was quite gifted in preaching. So St. John’s bishop asked him to dedicate himself to preaching throughout the diocese. For the next twelve years St. John preached and taught on virtually every book on the bible. One writer puts it, “The pulpit was his throne, and he adorned it as much as any preacher of ancient or modern times.”
His reputation as a preacher and teacher led, against his will, to his election as bishop of Constantinople, the seat of the empire, which was really at the time a moral cesspool. The courageous bishop called for moral reform, starting with the imperial court, drawing scorn from the empress who he likened to the harlot Jezebel.
Bishop Chrysostom knew that he must call souls to the gospel, like St. Paul, who said, “woe to me if I do not preach it.” The courageous bishop even directed his call to conversion to his fellow clergy: saying, “The road to Hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lamp posts that light the path.”
Priests and bishops are often put under great pressure to bend their teaching of morality, but to do so is to violate their duty and role in the Church. St. Paul warns the bishop Timothy about this when he says, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” John said, “we must not mind insulting men, if by ‘respecting’ them we offend God.”
Like today’s saint, we do well to be steeped in the Scriptures, to know them well, to be patient with those who reject them, that when we are called to explain our faith, we are able to do so competently and clearly, that Christ may be on our tongues, on our lips, and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the bishops and priests may be men of sound doctrine, and courageously preach the Gospel in its fullness.
That government leaders around the world may carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for freedom and the dignity of human life.
For the grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love our neighbors and enemies and those who persecute us, and to share the truth of the Gospel with all.
For all those who share in the sufferings of Christ—the sick, the sorrowful, and those who are afflicted or burdened in any way.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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