The icon of John Chrysostom, in front of which you can remember his holy life and pray, is in every church. He was an outstanding preacher and interpreter of the gospel and scriptures. All his pious activities are an example to follow.
The Life of John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom was born in 347, in a calm time, when there was no longer massive persecution of Christians, in a wealthy Christian family in Antioch. This Syrian city was in its heyday. It is notable for the fact that the apostles Peter and Barnabas served there, here, for the first time, the followers of Christ were called Christians.
Father John Chrysostom died early, his mother devoted her whole life to raising children. She prepared them for a secular career and gave them a brilliant education. Mentors of John were the best philosophers. When he was 20 years old, his mother gave him to study eloquence to the then famous speaker Libya.
At the end of his studies, the future saint entered the legal field, went to the courts and acted there as a defense attorney. But constantly experiencing a craving for spiritual life, he went his own way, destined from above.
Church service
His friend, Basil the Great, who had previously entered into monasticism, had a strong influence on him, urging him to leave the world. Only the sadness of the mother stopped from a decisive step. John was a reader in the temple, only after her death he retired from the world for 4 years to a monastic settlement. Two of them he lived in a cave in complete solitude and silence. He wrote a number of outstanding works there, including The Six Words on the Priesthood, a monument to pastoral theology, which has become a guide for priests to date.
In 386, he was ordained a presbyter, which pleased most of the population and all its many admirers.
He perfectly knew the Gospel, the Scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit, could clearly explain them, he was well versed in the sources, knew them practically by heart. Until today, no interpretation is complete without the use of his works.
His love for Christ and his sermons made a deep impression on people; soon the word Chrysostom was added to his name. He was visited by people from other countries, ascetics from Egypt, thousands of pagans gathered and converted to Christianity.
After becoming a bishop in Antioch, he was engaged in charity work and the construction of hospitals, every day up to three thousand beggars were fed at the church walls.
His preaching talent brought him such fame that it reached Constantinople, and John Chrysostom was appointed archbishop in February 398.
Appointment of John Chrysostom as Archbishop of Constantinople
They invited him to Constantinople, hiding from him the plans for the appointment, knowing that he would be resigning, then they persuaded him to agree for a long time. He yielded humbly, from that time his life changed, the time of trials began.
Emperor Arkady hoped for the support and approval of John, but such a property of the holy people that they do not know how to hypocrite.
John Chrysostom admonished and denounced unrighteous deeds, vices of society, educated priests, fought with the love of money and ambition of the local clergy. It was not possible to bribe him, since John Chrysostom was an ascetic, he sold all the property that he had inherited from the previous archbishop to help the poor. He did not like feasts, did not wear gold clothes, which caused discontent among those around him.
Those who were prevented from leading a vicious lifestyle, found an ally in the person of the Empress, a real conspiracy was created, as a result of which the unauthorized cathedral John Chrysostom was removed from office.
The Exile of John Chrysostom
The people surrounded and guarded the house in which they locked their beloved archpastor. But John himself gave himself into the hands of the authorities, so as not to endanger people.
At night, John was transported to the place of exile to Bithynia on the ship. At the same time, a terrible earthquake occurred, he was returned to Constantinople, seeing a sign in this. However, less than two months later, when John was again disgraced, he was taken into exile in Kukuz, a place with a harsh climate at an altitude of 4000 meters above sea level. His letters from exile are an example of Christian morality and fortitude.
In 406, despite the fact that in winter he was bedridden due to illness, a new order was followed to transport John even further, to the then deaf city of Pitius, on the site of modern Pitsunda. Not giving any rest on the way, no treatment, no food, they drove him along deserted roads in the rain and in the heat, trying to bring him to such a state that he died as soon as possible. So great was the power of fear of his convictions and spiritual power that they tried to get rid of not only the saint, but also the memory of him.
“What am I afraid of? His gospel in my hands is the staff on which I rely, ”the saint said, and the discontent of the powers that be was for him no more than a web. Neither slander, nor betrayal, nor hunger, nor heat could break his spirit. For three months they led him along mountain roads until they came to the city where St. Basilisk was buried.
The death of the relics of the holy martyr Basilisk
It is surprising and symbolic that the path along which the saint was led passed through the Kamans, known for the fact that during the persecution of Christians the earthly path of the holy martyr Basilisk ended here. He was brought here in heavy shackles and iron boots with nails driven into the soles. At the place of his torment, a source scored, and a temple was later erected nearby.
Saint Basilisk seemed to welcome the saint. John took communion, prayed aloud for a long time, with the words “Glory to God for all” left this world in which he had the opportunity to experience wealth and hunger, glory and slander, human love and hatred, for him it only mattered to be with the Lord.
John Chrysostom Day is celebrated annually on November 26 according to a new style.
Transfer of relics of John Chrysostom
Thirty years later, on the day of memory of St. John Chrysostom, his successor and student at the Department of Constantinople spoke about him, the people began to demand that the body of the shepherd be returned.
Envoys were sent with a silver ark, but they could not take the relics of St. John Chrysostom. Then the archbishop wrote a letter to John, as if alive, asking him to return to Constantinople, they put this letter in his hands, prayed and put the body in a silver ark. On the day of the transfer of the relics, February 9, the memory of John Chrysostom is celebrated.
They were transferred to Constantinople in 438. The whole city with the patriarch and emperor went out to meet the saint. Later, they were stored in Rome, and since 2006 they were transferred to the Church of St. George in Istanbul.
The church contains shrines: the icon of St. John Chrysostom with a piece of relics, a stone tomb in which he rested for several decades.
Now more than 50,000 pilgrims come to Kamany annually.
The Three Pillars of Moral Theology
Vasily the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom have a lot in common in their fates. All of them were perfectly educated, began to work in church as readers, lived in the desert, were ordained deacons, and then elders. For many centuries, their work has become a moral support for those who work in the spiritual field. Their perfection is explained by the fact that they were written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and were not a simple reflection of their own thoughts.
Cathedral of Ecumenical Teachers
The Council of Ecumenical Teachers falls on February 12th. Vasily the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom made such a contribution to the development of theology, the understanding of the Holy Scriptures, that there was a big debate about which of them is ahead. The feuds went so far that the believers began to divide into Gregorians, Basilians, and the Johannites. Is it possible to compare them, because everyone had their own special talents.
Once three saints appeared to Metropolitan of Euchithe, he saw them equal before God. At their request, Blessed John established their celebration on the same day, and an icon of John Chrysostom with Gregory the Theologian and Basil the Great was also painted.
Families of the Saints
The family of every universal teacher was a role model. Among their relatives were saints and martyrs. Vasily the Great had a glorified mother, the Monk Makrin, his sisters and brothers. Also, the parents of St. Gregory the Theologian were St. Gregory and St. Nonna. The holy life was known for the mother of John Chrysostom, widowed at age 20, with dignity and piety, raising children. Their upbringing in Christian traditions, a personal example of their parents, devotion, a true love of virtues, truth, an ascetic lifestyle, and prayer helped to grow naturally gifted youths into universal teachers.
Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom crowned the glory of their Christian families. They give a perfect example of the spirit in which to grow and instruct the child.
What pray to John Chrysostom
With persecution, mental distress, despondency, with thoughts of suicide, a prayer is read to John Chrysostom.
It says that the saint, who received and increased various gifts from the Lord, can also teach a lot of prayers asking him to teach. Often we use our gifts not for peace and salvation, but for pride and vanity, we are tormented by envy, instead of combining talents for creation, forgetting that all our abilities from God are quarreling. Therefore, we ask you to soften your hearts, get rid of irritability, pride, give the grace of Christian love and understanding, to love one another with one mind and glorify the Holy Trinity with a pure heart.
The famous prayer of John Chrysostom for 24 hours makes it possible to offer a petition and bless each hour with prayer to God, to spiritualize all the time throughout the day.
Parents often turn to the saint so that the children begin to speak faster.
He acts wisely, who, instead of wrangling with family and empty talk, will find a few minutes to pray. When a person reflects on a saint, asks for his petition, his life at this time changes.
How does the icon of John Chrysostom help at home? Before her, you can turn prayerfully to the universal teacher about the gift of peace and love in the family, about the disclosure of talents and the good study of children. His work, “On Marriage,” is useful for all godly families to know.
Sky shepherd
For those who work in the church, the prayer intercession and icon of John Chrysostom are especially necessary. Their significance is important for strengthening peace, getting rid of temptations. Priests, singers and readers turn to him for admonition and protection. As in ancient times, those who serve out of love for God encounter particular difficulties in the spiritual struggle along the way.
The icon of John Chrysostom is in every church, since until today the Liturgy, compiled by the saint, is universally served in the Eastern Church. With his comments, the Gospels, Scriptures, and the Bible are published. For many centuries at Easter service, his "Announcing Word for Easter" sounds.
He is considered the patron saint of clergy, missionaries, theologians, scholars, all who need the gift of speech and heavenly guidance.
The icon of John Chrysostom reminds him of his instructions on how to abandon evil and love virtue, how to take communion with dignity, how to apply biblical knowledge in life, how to abandon the care of increasing worldly glory and wealth, and turn to the care of the eternal soul, because everyone will hold for it answer to God.