St John Chrysostom

St John Chrysostom (c. 347 – 407), also Ioannes Chrysostomos, was one of the most prominent personalities of the Greek Church. He was so eloquent that he was called Chrysostomos in Greek, or Chrysostom in English, that is Mouth of Gold. He is considered as greatest preacher ever heard in a Christian pulpit. He was born at Antioch, converted to Christianity from a mild paganism, became one of the Fathers of the Church, and Patriarch of Constantinople.

He was zealous in suppressing heresy, as well as corruption in the Church, and was for that reason thrice over subjected to banishment. In the course of the third of which and while on the way, he died, though his remains was brought to Constantinople and there deposited with great solemnity. He left many writings behind him - sermons, homilies, commentaries, and epistles, of which his "Homilies" are most studied and prized. Festival, Jan. 27.

Wisdom & Quotes

• All seek joy, but it is not found on earth.

- Homilies

• Laughter does not seem to be a sin, but it leads to sin.

- Homilies

• If there were no tribulation, there would be no rest; if there were no winter, there would be no summer.

- Homilies

• Nothing is more miserable than those people who never failed to attack their own salvation. When there was need to observe the Law, they trampled it under foot.

– Homily 1, Eight Homilies Against the Jews

• Nothing does so much turn our life upside down, as delay and procrastination in the performance of our good works. Nay, this has often caused us to lose all.

– Homily 16, On Matthew

• While the tongue through shame often pours not forth all its wickedness at once, the heart having no human witness, fearlessly gives birth to whatever evils it will.

– Homily 42, On Matthew

• Is it not excessively ridiculous to seek the good opinion of those whom you would never wish to be like?

– Homilies

• Where an action is done for glory, all is worthless. For though a man possess all, yet if he have not the mastery over this (lust), he forfeits all claim to true philosophy, he is in bondage to the more tyrannical and shameful passion. Contempt of glory; this it is that is sufficient to teach all that is good, and to banish from the soul every pernicious passion.

– Homily 4 on the Acts of the Apostles

• God in the beginning made not one man rich, and another poor. Nor did He afterwards take and show to one treasures of gold, and deny to the other the right of searching for it: but He left the earth free to all alike. Why then, if it is common, have you so many acres of land, while your neighbor has not a portion of it?

– Homily 12 on First Timothy

• O most grateful burden, which comforts them that carry it! The burdens of earthly masters gradually wear out the strength of those who carry them; but the burden of Christ assists the bearers of it, because we carry not grace, but grace us.
• I beg that, chiefest of all, you will remember constantly that not to share our own riches with the poor is a robbery of the poor, and a depriving them of their livelihood; and that that which we possess is not only our own, but also theirs. If our minds are disposed in accordance with this truth, we shall freely use all our possessions; we shall feed Christ while hungering here, and we shall lay up great treasures there.

– Discourse 2 on the Rich Man and Lazarus

Tzu Yeh