According to the synaxarist of Saint Nicodemus of Mount Athos, John Chrysostom came from Antioch and was the son of pious wives – the Commander-in-Chief Secundus and Saint Anthousa[1]. He was born in 354 AD.[2]. Secundus died shortly after the birth of his son, leaving the young mother a widow, who preferred not to remarry but to devote herself to the upbringing of her child. The love that John had from a young child for God prepared him for the performance of the divine work. As an experienced candlestick maker he was growing up making his own candle. He made it large, filled it with knowledge, virtues, exercises, charities, missions, and, when the time came, lit it. This, as it lit, it lit, and, as it lit, it melted, and, as it melted, unceasingly continued to light until its last breath.
After receiving education and knowledge from his holy mother and the well-known national teacher Libanius, at the age of eighteen he began to attend theological courses at the school of the eminent theologian Diodoros (later Bishop of Tarsus)[3]. He was baptized and after three years became a reader. In the four years that followed he monasticized beside an elder and then, for two more, he exercised in a cave. Returning to Antioch he was ordained deacon, in five years elders, and after twelve years bishop[4].
Chrysostom’s love for Christ and his sacrificial spirit for his fellow man did not let both his gifts and his work go unnoticed. Whether by word or deed, whether within the borders (of his city of empire or ecclesiastical jurisdiction) or outside, his desire was missionary work. His main concern was how to save people – man or woman, relative, friend or foe, poor or rich, one or a vast audience. All for the glory of God, all for the spreading of His word, whether you are young or old, healthy or dying; this is the guarantee of the genuine missionary.
John – according to the ecclesiastical historian Sozomenos – on the one hand was “good to the life” and on the other hand “a coward in speech and persuasion and an exaggerated orator”.[5] . His gift of speech was exalted by his clean life. Consequently, the resonance of his sermons was overwhelming, for no matter how skilled one may be in the handling of language, in the end it is the spirit that makes the orator. He delivered a multitude of discourses which it is difficult to enumerate in this article. He is undoubtedly the greatest in authorship of the Church Father, whose discourses are signposts to modern preachers of the Gospel.
Also, the charitable work that he carried out in the course of his priestly ministry is remarkable. More specifically, as a priest he nurtured in Antioch “3,000 registered widows and virgins and a large number of orphans, and treated numerous strangers, sick and imprisoned”[6]. He built nursing homes and workhouses. He used all the wealth of the archdiocese for the support of the regent and missionary scales. “The money was immediately distributed to the poor of Armenia or used in missionary operations. Others were the object of his love, as he belonged to the love of others. Deprived of everything, weak and under the power of a ruthless climate, he applied to himself what he had preached in the glory of the first of the East (when he was archbishop), namely, that the possession of the goods of the earth was but a loan, which God made to us, to be repaid by alms. He never learned to treasure but only treasures in heaven”[7]. In addition, he abolished banquets to aid the poor.
In addition, Sozomenos informs us, “John exercising his work as bishop of the Church of Constantinople with excellence, took many of the Gentiles and many of the heresies on his side. Crowds gathered near him at all times, some to hear him and benefit from him, and others to know him, who made them believe about God the same as he did.”[8]. He even assembled a group of dedicated clergymen and schoolgirls, utilizing them in missionary and charitable work. Some of them were Tigrios, Proclus, Germanos and Olympias. At the same time, he organized missionary teams with the purpose of spreading the Gospel to other nations. In particular, he turned both to the Goths of Constantinople and to the Gothic land, Scythia, Celtic, Persia and Phoenicia[9].
It is worth highlighting the following: Because there were several Goths in the empire , most of them serving in the army, he granted them a temple in which he himself preached from time to time. He also sent priests (mostly Goths) into the country, trying in every way to distract them from the heresy of Arianism [10]. As well as monastery built as a core of orthodoxy in that place.
Studying the movements of the holy father, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he adopted the church in Phoenicia. When the pagans destroyed temples, he (as archbishop) interceded and stopped the persecution by imperial law [11]. But because the situation was getting worse and worse due to temptations, poverty and lack of people, Chrysostom supported the missionary groups in every way possible. He was constantly corresponding with church leaders, sending monks and clergy for missionary work, and his financial help was a great relief to the workers of the Gospel [12]. This ministry did not stop while he was breathing. Even in his exile, still and ill just before his dying day, he did not give up the effort. His sacrificial spirit is proved by the following fact: “The rich Diogenes of Antioch sent him with the pious Aphrahat various gifts. At first he refused them. But finally he accepted them, begging Diogenes to allow Aphraates to allow them to be carried to the missionaries of Phoenicia.” [13]. Amedee Thierry reports: “Between so many and varied cares, his inexhaustible need for activity did not allow him a moment’s rest. Not enough for him was the terrible war with the emperor, with the three schismatic patriarchs and with a coalition of bishops who sought his extermination. He loved the struggle and found one, which stood a respite to his personal persecutions. It was as paradoxical, as well as miraculous, to see him in Cucus, from the depths of that prison, where he was dying pursued by brigands, throw himself into three great enterprises, of which one alone was enough to exhaust the whole activity of a common man. These enterprises were nothing less than the complete triumph of the Christian faith in Phoenicia, the consolidation of orthodoxy in the Gothic Church, and something truly incredible- the Christianization of the kingdom of Persia.” [14].
So great was his desire for mission, to save even just one soul, that he emphasized: ‘Do not underestimate the work of conversion of a few people, because you are not able to save the whole world, and do not let yourself be alienated by the pursuit of small achievements, because you are carried away by great ones. And if you fail to convert a hundred, see to the ten you can. And if ten still exceeds your powers, do not despise the five. And if you still can’t five, let it be one. And if you still cannot convert any one, do not be overcome with despair and do not stop trying.” [15].
He rested in the Lord on November 14, 407 (probably) in exile in Cucus, Armenia, after he had criticized with holy anger the aberrations of the empress. He remained buried in the place of his exile for about 30 years, until his disciple Proclus was elected archbishop of Constantinople, who asked the emperor Theodosius II to allow the return of the saint’s relics to Constantinople. Theodosius accepted – he even wrote a letter apologizing on behalf of his predecessors – and the Saint was restored to his throne. A glorious, pagan ceremony took place in Basileus and the venerable skeleton was placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles.
The recollection of the relics of Saint John Chrysostom is commemorated on 27 January each year.
Apolytikon
Sound pl. d’.
The grace of thy mouth, which flashed forth like a flame of fire, hath enlightened the world, and laid up treasures to the world of ungratefulness, and shewed us the height of humility. But in thy words, Father, John Chrysostom, pray thee, by Christ our God, save our souls.
[1] St. Nicodemus, Synaxaristis, “Orthodox Kypseli”, vol. 2, Thessaloniki 2003, p. 108; Vlasiou Fidas, Ecclesiastical History, vol. 1, Athens 2002, p. 545.
[2] Panagiotis Christou, Hellenic Patrol, “Kyromanos”, vol. 4, Thessaloniki 2006, p. 232.
[3] Salaminiou Sozomenou, Ecclesiastical History, “To Byzantion”, vol. 2, Thessaloniki 2004, p. 380; Vlasiou Fidas, Ecclesiastical History, vol. 1, Athens 2002, p. 545.
[4] Panagiotis Christou, Hellenic Patrol, “Kyromanos”, vol. 4, Thessaloniki 2006, pp. 232-233.
[5] Salaminiou Sozomenou, Ecclesiastical History, “To Byzantion”, vol. 2, Thessaloniki 2004, p. 378.
[6] Panagiotis Christou, Hellenic Patrol, “Kyromanos”, vol. 4, Thessaloniki 2006, p. 236.
[7] S.D. Amedee Thierry, St.; John Chrysostomos, “Christian Hope”, Thessaloniki 2003, p. 365.
[8] Salaminiou Sozomenou, Ecclesiastical History, ed. “To Byzantion”, vol. 2, Thessaloniki 2004, pp. 395-397.
[9] Christos Vantsos, Missionary, Thessaloniki 1999, p. 168.
[10] Panagiotis Christou, Hellenic Patrol, “Kyromanos”, vol. 4, Thessaloniki 2006, p. 238., S.D. Amedee Thierry, Agio? Ioannis Chrysostomos, ed. “Christanika Elpis”, Thessaloniki 2003, pp. 370-371; Christos Vantsou, Ierapostoliki, Thessaloniki 1999, p. 177.
[11]Theodoritos, Ecclesiastical History, V, Chap. KΘ΄, PG 82, 1257; Anastasios Giannoulatos, To the uttermost part of the earth, published by Apostolic Deaconry, Tirana 2009, p. 90; Christos Vantsos, Missionary, Thessaloniki 1999, p. 179.
[12] Anastasios Giannoulatos, Until the end of the earth, Apostolic Deaconship, Tirana 2009, p. 90.
[13] John Chrysostom, Diogenes Letter NA, PG 52, 636-637; Anastasios Giannoulatos, To the End of the Earth, , Apostolic Deaconship, Tirana 2009, p. 91.
[14] S.D. Amedee Thierry, Saint; John Chrysostomos, ed.
[15] John Chrysostom, Homily C to 1 Cor. 7, PG. 61,30; Christos Vantsos, Missionary, Thessaloniki 1999, pp. 170-171.
