John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

Reading from the Synaxarion:

This greatest and most beloved of all Christian orators was born in
Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called
Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty,
she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training
under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was
the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a
pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his
successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us." With
such a training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had
before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the good
example of his godly mother Anthusa and of the holy Bishop Meletius of
Antioch (see Feb. 12), by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370,
he chose instead to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to
381 he lived the monastic life in the hermitages that were near
Antioch. His extreme asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to
return to Antioch, where Saint Meletius ordained him deacon about the
year 381. Saint Meletius was called to Constantinople later that year
to preside over the Second Ecumenical Council, during which he fell
asleep in the Lord. In 386 Bishop Flavian ordained John presbyter of the
Church of Antioch. Upon his elevation to the priesthood his career as a
public preacher began, and his exceptional oratorical gifts were made
manifest through his many sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished
by their eloquence and the remarkable ease with which rich imagery
and scriptural allusions are multiplied; by their depth of insight
into the meaning of Scripture and the workings of God's providence;
and, not least of all, by their earnestness and moral force, which
issue from the heart of a blameless and guileless man who lived first
what he preached to others. Because of his fame, he was chosen to
succeed Saint Nectarius as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away
by stealth, to avoid the opposition of the people, and consecrated
Patriarch of Constantinople on February 28, 398, by Theophilus, Patriarch
of Alexandria, who was to prove his mortal enemy.

At that time the Emperor of the East was Arcadius, who had had Saint
Arsenius the Great as his tutor (see May 8); Arcadius was a man of weak
character, and much under the influence of his wife Eudoxia. The zealous and
upright Chrysostom's unsparing censures of the lax morals in the imperial
city stung the vain Eudoxia; through Theophilus' plottings and her
collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontus in 403. The people were in an
uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this so
frightened the Empress Eudoxia that she begged Arcadius to call Chrysostom
back. While his return was triumphant, his reconciliation with the
Empress did not last long. When she had a silver statue of herself
erected in the forum before the Church of the Holy Wisdom (Saint Sophia)
in September of 403, and had it dedicated with much unseemly
revelry, Saint John thundered against her, and she could not forgive him.
In June of 404 he was exiled to Cucusus, on the borders of Cilicia
and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters with Pope Innocent of
Rome, who sent bishops and priests to Constantinople requesting that a
council be held. Saint John's enemies, dreading his return, prevailed
upon the Emperor to see an insult in this, and had John taken to a
more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The
journey was filled with bitter sufferings for the aged bishop, both
because of the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of one of his
310 guards. He did not reach Pityus, but gave up his soul to the Lord
near Comana in Pontus, at the chapel of the Martyr Basiliscus (see May
22), who had appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day of
his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407. His last words
were "Glory be to God for all things." His holy relics were brought
from Comana to Constantinople thirty-one years later by the Emperor
Theodosius the Younger and Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of
Arcadius and Eudoxia, with fervent supplications that the sin of their
parents against him be forgiven; this return of his holy relics is
celebrated on January 27.

Saint John was surnamed Chrysostom ("Golden-mouth") because of his
eloquence. He made exhaustive commentaries on the divine Scriptures and was
the author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us
complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints
Matthew and John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His
extant works are 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teachers of
the Church have written homilies of praise in his honour. Besides his
feasts today and on January 27, he is celebrated as one of the Three
Hierarchs on January 30, together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint
Gregory the Theologian.

It should be noted that, because September 14 is the Exaltation of
the Cross, the Saint's memory has been transferred to this day.

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
The grace of your words illuminated the universe like a shining
beacon. It amassed treasures of munificence in the world. It
demonstrated the greatness of humility, teaching us by your own words;
therefore, O Father John Chrysostom, intercede to Christ the Logos for the
salvation of our souls.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
You received divine grace from Heaven, and by your own lips taught
all to worship the One God in Trinity. All-blessed, venerable John
Chrysostom, deservedly, we praise you for you are a teacher clearly revealing
things divine.