Newsletter: The Feast of the Golden-Mouthed Father of the Church

September 13th is the feast day of St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, Father of the Greek Church, and considered to be the greatest preacher ever heard. St. John was dubbed with the name “Chrysostom” some decades after his death, during the papacy of Pope Vigilius in year 553.

The term means “Golden Mouthed” and was applied to St. John because of his eloquence in giving homilies and writing letters. The Great Liturgy which he codified, and which is named after him, is still the primary Eucharistic Liturgy in both the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

The saint was born in Antioch; his father died when he was young and the boy was raised by a pious mother. He was well educated and studied under Libanius, considered one of the greatest orators of the time. Around the age of 20, after meeting the bishop Meletius, he began to move away from classical studies to study scripture. In a few years he was ordained a lector (in the Greek and other Eastern churches, a minor order preparatory to the diaconate) and after some time lived withdrawn in a cave near Antioch for 4 years. He then
returned to Antioch because of his health, where he was in time, ordained a deacon, and later priest.

As a priest in Antioch, John's chief task was preaching and his education had prepared him well for speaking. His homilies were always on point and explained scriptures with great clarity. He encouraged justice, prayer, fidelity in marriage, and charity, among other moral things. His preaching was so highly regarded that he was well-known not only in Antioch but in areas throughout the Byzantine empire. Upon the death of Nectarius, John was appointed bishop at Constantinople. He reformed Greek liturgy and preached, as he had as a priest, against extravagance. His homilies were upsetting to many nobles and bishops who succeeded in banishing him to Pythius; John died on his way there. He died in the year 407 and many of his homilies have been well preserved, their eloquence and truth as relevant today as ever.

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Adapted from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia entry on St. John
Chrysostom

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