St. Chrysostom

September 13 is the feast day of St. John Chrysostom, a doctor of the Church.  Born in Antioch, Syria in 347, he was a prolific writer until his death in 407.  A consummate believer in peace and justice, his last words were, “Glory be to God for all things.”  When his remains were returned from exile, his relics were said to have uttered, “Peace be with you.”

Until today, I’d never heard of him but, on reading the Word among us, I was moved by the beauty of his sentiment, which resonates strongly with Isaiah’s “treasures in secret places” (45:3).  “Prayer,” he wrote, “is a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm.”

May 19, 2013

“Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to heaven” (St. Ephrem).

September 13, 2013

“Nothing makes us so God-like as our willingness to forgive” (St. Chrysostom).

April 18, 2014

Do you fast?  Give me proof of it by your works.  By what kind of works?  If you see a poor man, take pity on him.  If you see an enemy, be reconciled with him. If you see a friend gaining honor, do not be jealous of him.  If you see a beautiful woman, pass her by.  And let not only the mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all members of your bodies (St. Chrysostom).

April 26, 2015

We have a Shepherd who so loves us that he gave even his life for us.  When, therefore, he is both powerful and loves us, what is there to hinder us from being saved?  Nothing, unless we ourselves revolt from him (St. Chrysostom).

September 13, 2015

“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has, and this requires transforming greed into gratitude” (St. Chrysostom).

July 8, 2016

“If there were no tribulation, there would be no rest; if there were no winter, there would be no summer” (St. Chrysostom).

September 13, 2016

Our soul should be directed in God, not merely when we suddenly think of prayer, but even when we are concerned with something else.  If we are looking after the poor, if we are busy in some other way, or if we are doing any type of good work, we should season our actions with the desire and the remembrance of God.  Through this salt of the love of God we can all become a sweet dish for the Lord.  If we are generous in giving time to prayer, we will experience its benefits throughout our life (St. Chrysostom in Prayer is the light of the soul).

October 25, 2016

“The parable of the mustard seed encourages the disciples to have faith and shows them that the gospel preaching will spread in spite of everything” (St. Chrysostom).

Garden at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church – Aransas Pass, TX

Links of interest…  Lazarus the hero…  St. John Chrysostom: about (more) / biography / church / commonality with Pope Francis / doctor / feast (more) / gift of eloquent teaching / golden mouth (more) / hierarch / homilies / hourly prayers / life (more) / memorial / on the Jesus prayer / quotes / saint / skull / vegan / writings…  Prayer is the light of the soul…  Spiritual reading arms us for battle / makes saints…  Treasures in heaven…  With God all things are possible…  the Word among us…

WP posts…  Call of service…  Church doctors…  Golden…  Mercy and justice…  Prayerful messages…