St. John Chrysostom, the Golden-Mouthed Saint

Friday, September 13th Readings Reflection: Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Today is the Feast of St. John Chrysostom, a fourth-century Church Father who was renowned for his eloquence and courage in preaching and defending the truths of the Catholic Faith. Chrysostom means golden-mouthed, a title given to the saint in recognition for his great eloquence.

Today’s Gospel is Christ’s parable about a blind guide and the hypocrisy of pulling a mote out of another’s eye while ignoring the beam in one’s own eye. As the Fathers of the Church taught, this parable highlights the importance of cultivating virtue in oneself in order to properly lead others in the path of virtue. This is of particular importance for our clergy, whose vocation is to lead their flocks to Christ by their example of faith, hope, and charity.

St. John Chrysostom is a beautiful example of a good shepherd of Christ’s flock, having guided the people of Constantinople, where he was archbishop, in the path of virtue and holiness by his admirable example. In the words of St. John Chrysostom himself: “I fear lest if I took the flock in hand when it was in good condition and well nourished, and then wasted it through my unskilfulness [sic], I should provoke against myself the God [W]ho so loved the flock as to give Himself up for their salvation and ransom” (On the Priesthood, book II).

An outspoken opponent of paganism and other heresies, such as Arianism, St. John Chrysostom was exiled for the last several years of his life. During his exile, he continued to write letters, much like St. Paul. This angered those who had exiled the saint (the identity of these people and the exact circumstances surrounding the saint’s exile are not entirely clear). They ordered him to be exiled farther from Constantinople, where his writings were particularly influential. However, the holy bishop died while on route to his second place of exile.

On this feast day, may St. John Chrysostom pray for our clergy and all those who defend the unchanging truths of the Catholic Faith.

Mosaic of St. John Chrysostom in the Hagia Sophia. Public domain