St. John Chrysostom, the Golden Mouthed Defender of Truth

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

Today’s Epistle ends with a beautiful prayer of praise: “Now to the [K]ing of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1Tim 1:17 DRB). This prayer follows St. Paul’s humble acknowledgement that he was “the chief” (1Tim 1:15) among sinners for having persecuted Christians before his conversion. St. Paul recognized that his conversion was the result of God’s mercy in leading him to the truth. As a result of St. Paul’s conversion, countless other people were converted and received the sacraments from his hands. St. Paul understood that God’s Providence willed to not only save the soul of the great Apostle to the Gentiles but also the souls of those who would convert through St. Paul’s teaching and writings.

The last line of today’s Epistle prays for honor and glory to be given to God forever. St. John Chrysostom, whose feast the Church celebrates today, writes that God has honored mankind not only by His words but also “by what He has done for us” (Homily 4 on First Timothy). As we shall hear at Mass tomorrow, Christ “humbled [H]imself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death on the [C]ross” (Phil 2:8). The Incarnation, Passion, and Death of Our Lord are real, historical events that occurred in time to show all mankind the infinite depths of God’s love for us.

St. John Chrysostom continues his sermon on this Epistle by instructing us to honor God by our own deeds, as He has shown His love for us through His deeds. The lives of the saints, such as St. John Chrysostom himself, give us a model and example to follow in doing so. Known as the golden-mouthed preacher, St. John Chrysostom denounced the sins of greed and worldliness prevalent in Constantinople, where he was made Patriarch (archbishop). This earned him many enemies, and the empress eventually exiled him twice. He died while traveling to his second exile. His last words were, “Glory be to God for all things.”

Through his words and actions, St. John Chrysostom glorified God, even though doing so caused him great suffering and ultimately death. His unwavering dedication to the truth, even in the midst of persecution and suffering, serve as an example for how we should glorify God with our own lives. In the midst of the darkness and evil present in the world today, we can choose to continue living out our faith for the glory of God. As St. Paul writes in another Epistle, “He is faithful [W]ho hath called [us]” (1Thes 5:24), and He will not allow us to suffer without bringing about a greater good from the midst of our suffering.

St. John Chrysostom, pray for us and for all who suffer for the truth, that we may always remain faithful and one day merit the joys of eternal life.

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