Ecumenical Teacher St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

Contents Preface Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Thoughts and sayings of St. John Chrysostom on the most important truths of Orthodox doctrine and Christian morality We present to our readers the book “The Ecumenical Teacher of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople,” was compiled for the purpose of acquainting the majority of simple people who have not received theological education, but who long in the simplicity of their hearts to become acquainted with the great merits for the church of St. John, with his unparalleled preaching genius, in order to love spiritual enlightenment with all their hearts, to understand all its superiority over the enlightenment that we receive from reading secular books, to find out who the saint was Chrysostom, whose name many are familiar with only by hearsay, even among educated people. And therefore, from the life of this God-bearing lamp, we took only those features in which the personal character and gifts of the saint are more clearly outlined. John, as the most famous teacher of the church. For the same purpose and from his works, they chose only that for a brief acquaintance with the pen and oral word of the saint, which more clearly characterizes him as the first preacher of St. Orthodox Ecumenical Church. Who knows, maybe this book, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, will plant in the reader’s heart a spark of love for reading spiritual books and will force him to involuntarily familiarize himself with the works of other spiritual writers. You are the light of the world, The city cannot hide on top of a standing mountain. Below they burn a lamp and place it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the church. (Matthew 5:14,15). Your lips, like the lordship of fire, have shone with grace and enlightened the universe. (Trop., ch. 8.) The fourth century in the history of the church is usually considered the golden age of patristic writing. The beginning of this century was marked by educational activities for the benefit of the Church of Sts. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena. In those days, such God-bearing men lived and worked tirelessly to establish the Church of Christ, such as, for example, St. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Athanasius the Great and others. The triumphant Church of Christ, guided by the Spirit of God, under the influence of such great men was established, expanded and flourished. At the end of the fourth century, Providence was destined to work hard and lay down his life for the truth of Christ and St. John Chrysostom. St. John in his multi-volume works appears to us as both a learned theologian, and an orator, and a preacher. After the times of the Apostles, not before St. John, none of the church fathers since has distinguished himself in the field of preaching with such strength and irresistible influence as John. Fifteen centuries have passed since the golden lips of John fell silent, and what he wrote is read with the same pleasure, as if it were all written in our days by the hand of the most famous pastor-preacher. What a speech! What beauty of presentation! What life is poured into all his creations, how much spiritual food! One cannot still be amazed at all this to this day. For his greatest works and tireless activity in the field of church preaching, the Holy Church never ceases to sing and praise his talents: “Thy lips, like the light of fire, shone forth grace to enlighten the universe.” His contemporaries fully understood the severity of the irreplaceable loss for the church when St. Chrysostom was sent into exile. They openly said: “It would be better if the sun were completely extinguished than for the lips of John to be silent.” This greatest loss was so painful for the people. And therefore we will pay special attention to his preaching activities. Not knowing, not being familiar with the works of St. John is the greatest loss for Christians of all times and peoples. Acquaintance with the works of Chrysostom can arouse in us and develop a soul-saving love for reading the Holy Scriptures, enlighten our thoughts, confirm and strengthen our faith and direct our feet on the path of peace. This greatest preacher will make us have the Holy Gospel, the Apostle and the Psalter as reference books forever. You are the light of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ once told the apostles in His Sermon on the Mount: a city cannot hide on top of a standing mountain. Below they burn a lamp and place it under a bushel, but on the candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the church. Thus let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14,16). And with such accuracy and with such completeness the words of the Savior on St. John. He was truly the greatest lamp of the world, and illuminated the entire Christian world of that time with the light of his Divinely inspired teachings. Such a great preacher of the word as John could not hide from the verbal sheep of the flock of Christ, thirsting for his inspired preaching. The most merciful Creator blessed him with such a greatest gift that the pulpit of even the Antiochian Church was small and cramped for his hierarchical gifts. The Lord was pleased to place this lamp on the highest candlestick - on the See of Constantinople. First in Antioch under the peaceful and benevolent rule of Flavian, Patriarch of Antioch, then in the Greek capital - Constantinople, at the court of Arcadius and Eudoxia, and finally, during the period of exiles and imprisonments, the preaching genius of St. John strengthened, rose, revealed itself comprehensively, and under the influence of grace shone with divine light St. John was born in Antioch in 347 from noble and educated parents Secundus and Anthusa. His parents belonged to the best Antiochian society and professed the Christian faith. His father was the commander of the Syrian troops and lived in marriage for a very short time, so that the virtuous Anfusa remained a twenty-year-old widow after her husband, having with her two children, a son and a daughter. The little daughter also did not console her mother’s heart for long; like her parent, she soon passed away into eternity, and grief-stricken Anfusa focused all her attention on raising her son in the strict spirit of ancient Christian piety. Holy antiquity puts her in this regard on a par with the most famous Christian wives: Monica, Nona, Emilia, Gorgonia and Macrina, who worked very hard on raising youth. But Anfusa’s task regarding the upbringing and education of her son was incomparably higher and much more difficult. They were ascetically prepared for the task of raising their rare children, but Anfusa, during her husband’s life, could not help but belong to the high society of that time, and therefore ascetic methods of education were little known to her. Left a young widow, heartbroken, she thought for a long time about how to guide her son, how to raise him in a strictly Christian spirit and how to protect and protect him from all harmful influences and secular friends, as well as protect him from being carried away by the then pagan philosophy. After a whole series of intense thoughts and sleepless nights, she decided not to send him to the schools of that time in his early years, but with the help of God, as a woman educated in a strictly Christian spirit, she decided to take up raising her son herself. Under the influence of his mother and inspired by her, young John studied the Holy Scriptures, which later gave him the opportunity to firmly resist the enthusiasm for the subtleties of the philosophy of that time. Maternal labors and concerns over time brought abundant fruits in the matter of education. In the soul of young John, through his mother’s warm and diligent prayers and tireless care, a solid and lasting foundation was laid for the future great activity of the greatest shepherd. From the hands of Anthusa St. John could calmly go to pagan schools to study applied sciences and especially eloquence, without fear for the integrity of his moral convictions. In order to become even more familiar with the lofty, unforgettable personality of Anfusa, it is necessary to recall those maternal touching requests, those prayers that she once expressed before her son, when he, burning with the love of pleasing God, decided to devote himself entirely to a strict ascetic life in the midst of complete monastic solitude, even far from his beloved mother. Touched to the depths of her soul by the upcoming separation from her son, the inconsolable mother took her young ascetic by the hand and took her to the inner rooms and there, through a touching plea, convinced him to abandon his good intention for the time being. She said: “For all my care, I ask for one gratitude - not to make me a widow a second time and not to rekindle the grief that has already died out. Be patient until my death; Perhaps my life will not last long. Those who bloom with youth hope to reach a ripe old age, but we, who have grown old, can expect nothing but death. When you bury my body in the earth and unite my ashes with the ashes of your father, then undertake long journeys, cross the seas that you want. Then no one will interfere with you. But while I’m still breathing, don’t be separated from me. Do not unnecessarily bring upon yourself the wrath of God by leaving me to be the victim of so many disasters, when I am not guilty of anything before you. Although you say that you have many friends, none of them can give you more peace of mind, since there is no one who cares about your well-being as much as I do.” The mother's words, accompanied by copious tears, kept St. John in his father's house. This incident had such an impact on John himself and produced such a deep, irresistible influence that it was imprinted on his soul for the rest of his life, so that he himself, much later, in one of his many writings, literally reproduced in his memory everything said by his great mother. Such was the moral image of this unforgettable Christian mother. And no one could have depicted her in brighter colors than her own son, who described her in the first book on the priesthood. Here all his grateful tenderness poured out, here he imagined how she had watched him with tireless self-denial in his childhood and youth, leaving him to devote himself entirely to science and her inspiration. Of all the teachers who taught various sciences of that time in public schools, the pagan Livanius, a teacher of eloquence and logic, enjoyed special love from John. This famous teacher of antiquity rendered the greatest service to his gifted student. He understood and appreciated both the student’s talent and his personal qualities and tried especially to influence the oratorical talent of the future greatest preacher and in this he achieved complete success. St. John was so successful in eloquence that he often surprised his teacher. A good-natured and honest worker, Livanius triumphed in spirit, came into indescribable delight, and even planned to have John as his successor. To the question addressed to Livanius: who does he consider a worthy successor, Livanius answered: “John, if the Christians had not kidnapped him from us.” Praising the personal qualities of his student, Livanius could not praise enough the maternal labors and concerns of Anfusa. "Heaven! What kind of women do these Christians have!” – Livanius often said. Having received an extensive and comprehensive education under the guidance of famous teachers of that time, John, at the age of 20, was already an excellent lawyer. In this new position, he experienced in practice how malice and slander often oppress innocence and how dishonest people often triumph over the truthful. With all the power of his oratorical genius, he began to explore the laws of the human spirit and study all the bends and secrets of the human heart. Before the searching gaze of the young brilliant defender of the poor, the pleasures of light and the joys of vain life early lost their strength and attractiveness. Leading a strict ascetic life and delving deeper into the causes of the decline of public morality, he finally abandoned the position of lawyer, secluded himself in his own house, cut off all ties with friends and acquaintances and diligently devoted himself to prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures and the works of the famous Fathers of the Church. At that time, Meletius, a man of high life and filled with great talents, was bishop in Antioch. The people of Antioch loved and honored their archpastor so much that they named their children in his honor and even carved his name on their favorite and valuable objects. Saint Meletios fell in love with John and often invited him to his place for spiritual conversation. In the 23rd year, as the friend and biographer of St. Chrysostom, Palladius, Bishop of Helenopolis, John received baptism from Bishop Meletius; With the greatest reverence, he began the sacrament that adopted him to God, and from that time on he watched himself so strictly that he never used an oath, did not allow himself not only slander, but also the slightest joke at the expense of his neighbor. Meletius soon appointed him a reader at his church. During this period of his life, John did not stop his relations with only one of his school friends - Vasily. There was complete unanimity between John and Vasily in their activities, aspirations, beliefs and views. Both the one and the other sought to put off the old man and put on the new grace-filled man. The Lord destined them both to be bishops and leaders of the verbal flock of Christ. And they themselves seemed to have a presentiment of their calling, and therefore they zealously and diligently prepared themselves for the archpastorship. At this time, Anfusa was no longer alive, and nothing could stop or delay John on the path of zealous self-improvement. St. John, together with his friend Basil, in their friendly conversations, long ago decided that a strict ascetic life serves as the best and reliable preparation for the priesthood; in order to teach others one or another virtue, it is necessary to experience all this on oneself through experience. And therefore St. John decided to become a monastic. The place of his ascetic exploits of St. John chose one of the monasteries located in the vicinity of Antioch. The city of Antioch was located along the banks of the Orontes River, on the western side it was protected by a long chain of mountains stretching from south to north. The tops of these mountains were covered with forest, and in some places they were torn by deep gorges, below which lay picturesque valleys. Like the Egyptian and Palestinian mountains, these mountains were inhabited by hermits from the very first centuries of Christianity. St. was imprisoned in one of these monasteries. John, giving himself over to the complete leadership of one of the strictest ascetics. Diodorus of Tarsus, a friend of Meletius, was Chrysostom’s leader in the field of spiritual success. He was the head of the Antioch desert community. Chrysostom spent six years in this solitude, and the Lord vouchsafed him to reach such a height of abstinence and holiness that he miraculously healed the sick and sick, and was even once vouchsafed a miraculous vision. At night, two men appeared to him, illuminated by an extraordinary light: they were the holy apostles John and Peter. “I am John,” said the first, “who reclined on the Lord’s breasts during the Last Supper and from there received divine revelations. God also allows you to see the depth of wisdom, so that you may feed people with the undying food of teaching and may you stop the mouths of those who misinterpret the law of our God.” Peter, handing the key to John, said to him: “God gives you the key of the holy churches, so that whoever you bind may be bound, and whoever you loose may be loosed.” Falling on his face, John exclaimed in deep humility: “Who am I that I should dare to accept and bear such a service; I am a sinful and worthless person!” - “Take courage, be strong! - said the apostles, - do what is commanded to you, do not hide the gift given to you by God for the enlightenment of His people. Proclaim the word of God boldly, remembering that the Lord said: Fear not, little flock; for the Father has deigned to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). And do not be afraid, for the Lord is pleased to enlighten the souls of many with you. You will endure much sorrow and persecution for the sake of righteousness; but endure everything firmly and you will enter into the inheritance of God.” John further multiplied his labors, preparing for the service to which the Lord pointed him. He withdrew from the monastery for a while and in a secluded cave strengthened his soul with constant prayer, and in the struggle with himself acquired spiritual experience. Far from the noise of the world, talking with God, contemplating the beauty of His creation, John’s soul came closer and closer to the source of light and life. But the labors of his ascetic life so upset John’s health that after a few years he was forced to return to Antioch. He forever retained grateful memories of the quiet monastic life; in many of his conversations, he subsequently eloquently described the calm and silence of desert abodes, to which the noise of worldly vanity does not reach, where everyone only thinks about how to please God. Soon, upon his return to Antioch, St. Meletius ordained him a deacon; and in 386 Flavian, the successor of Meletius, elevated him to the rank of priest, not classifying him as a member of a special church, but entrusting him with the position of preacher. With the acceptance of the grace of the priesthood for Chrysostom, his life path became completely clear and definite and the scope of his educational preaching activity became more defined. He served as a priest in Antioch for twelve years, and during that quiet, serene period he wrote the best of his immortal creations. Here are written conversations with the Antiochian people on the occasion of the overthrow of the royal statues, conversations on the Book of Genesis, on St. evangelists: Matthew, John and almost all the epistles of St. Pavel. His preaching genius here in Antioch was fully revealed and flourished, because external circumstances favored its flowering. On the one hand, the kind and completely paternal attitude of Patriarch Flavian, and on the other, the fiery love of the people. Antioch was a significant city where the faith was first preached to the pagans, and where the very name of a Christian was pronounced for the first time. In the time of Chrysostom, Antioch was, after Constantinople, the second capital of the East for the Greek emperors. In this second Greek capital there was a wonderful church called the Great Church, whose highest dome rested on the body of an octagonal building. St. often preached there. Chrysostom During John's stay in Antioch as a priest and preacher, there was a popular outcry on the occasion of the overthrow of the royal statues. Soon after Theodosius the Great ascended the imperial throne, in order to cover government expenses for the military department and replenish the royal treasury, a decree of this sovereign on new heavy taxes was promulgated. The public reading of this decree in all the cities of the empire produced terrible murmurs and discontent. But nowhere did popular indignation take on such terrifying proportions as in Antioch. Crowds of people, inflamed with anger, no longer recognized the laws, the king, or the authorities. The riotous Antiochian mob invaded the houses of eminent leaders of the city, overthrew statues, destroyed all kinds of decorations and set fire to the houses of some private individuals. The fury of the people reached the point that the Antiochians did not even spare the statues of the king’s deceased wife, Flacilla, and her father, Theodosius. Having toppled them from their pedestals, they dragged them around the city on ropes and finally smashed them. Quite some time passed, the anger of the people began to subside, the Antiochians, having come to their senses, began to fear the wrath of the king and everyone trembled for their lives, expecting execution from hour to hour. In order to appease the king, the elderly Archbishop Flavian was elected for this purpose, who, despite his illness and advanced years, went to Constantinople to beg the emperor for mercy on Antioch. The time has come for fearful anticipation. When the anger of the angry crowd had passed and the people's indignation had subsided somewhat, the fury of the violent ones was replaced by fear of punishment, then Chrysostom ascended the pulpit and began to preach. He wanted to calm the excitement and calm the fearful. At that time, a population of two hundred thousand listened to him in silence, and since the times of the apostles there had not been such a sermon; never was there more complete communication between the shepherd and his flock. The great preacher, in his sermons, filled with the highest dramatic power, so to speak, played on the feelings of the people, like on the strings of a harp. And at this time for the people of St. Antioch. Chrysostom became the only support and consolation. He refined his oratorical mind and was truly an angel-comforter to the mourners. “Commit your souls to me,” he appealed to the people, “bow your ears, cast aside sorrow: let us return to the old custom and, as we are accustomed to always being here with complacency, we will do so now, placing everything on God.” People gathered in great numbers to listen to him. The unfortunate ones seemed to forget their fear and apprehension as they stood before the holy altar. The word, the voice of St. Chrysostom, sympathy for the mourners, expressed in his very pronunciation - all this brought calm to souls outraged by the terrible anxiety of feelings and thoughts. At this time he uttered 19 words, which, in the strength of their convictions and inimitable eloquence, surpassed everything that Rome and Athens produced in terms of oratory. “The square was empty,” he said, “but the church was filled. You and your conscience are witnesses of how much benefit we have received from this present temptation. The intemperate has now become chaste, the daring has become more slender, the carefree has become caring.” But what about Flavian and what was the outcome of his petition? The old man, bent under the weight of old age and old age, was exhausted from the fatigue of such a long journey; but love and care for his flock inspired his courage and seemed to give him wings. The Lord apparently blessed the Antioch archpastor, apparently strengthened and supported him. The great old man, despite his illness, had to travel 1200 miles and leave his dying sister. But he endured everything, endured everything and finally arrived in Constantinople; now he enters those chambers where pomp and splendor reigned, and now he stands before the face of Theodosius. But first, as soon as “he entered the royal chambers, he stood away from the king, silent, shedding tears, bowing his face down, closing himself, as if he himself had committed all those insolences” (of which his fellow citizens were guilty). “The king, seeing him crying and bowing down, himself approached him and what he felt because of the saint’s tears, he expressed in words addressed to him. These were not the words of one who was angry and indignant, but rather of one who was grieving and overcome with grave sadness. The king did not say: what does this mean? Are you going to intercede for worthless and indecent people, who should not even live - for the rebellious, for the troublemakers, worthy of any execution? No, leaving all these words behind, he composed a speech full of modesty and importance. “For what offense did they take this revenge on me? - said the king. - What small or great things can they blame me for, that they have insulted not only me, but also the dead? Haven’t I always preferred this city to everyone else and considered it more amiable than my native city? And wasn’t it always my desire to see this city, and didn’t I take this oath in front of everyone?” Here the saint, having bitterly groaned and shed the bitterest tears, did not remain silent any longer, but made the following speech before Theodosius: “We confess and cannot deny, sir, this love that you showed for our fatherland, and that is why we especially cry that the demons were jealous of such a beloved city and we turned out to be ignoble before our benefactor and angered the one who loved us so much. Destroy, burn, kill or do anything else: you still won’t punish us according to our deserts; We ourselves have put ourselves in a position that is worse than a thousand deaths. But if you want, sir, there is a medicine and a remedy for so many evils... When God created man, brought him into paradise and awarded him great honor, the devil, not tolerating such happiness, envied him and cast him down from the height given to him. But God not only did not leave him, but instead of heaven, he opened heaven to us. Do this too: the demons have now moved everything to deprive your favor of the city that is most dear to you; knowing this, punish us as you wish, but do not deprive us of our former love.” Further St. The shepherd, begging the king to grant forgiveness to the people, said that his love for mankind would weave for him a crown incomparably more precious than his diadem and erect an incomparably greater number of statues in the grateful memory of people. “Have your statues been toppled? - but you can build more brilliant ones. If you forgive the guilt of those who offended you and do not subject them to any punishment, they will erect for you not a copper, not a gold or a stone pillar in the square, but one that is more valuable than any substance, adorned with philanthropy and mercy. So, each of them will place you in their hearts, and you will have as many statues as there are and will be people in the universe. Not only us, but also our descendants and their descendants - everyone will hear about this and be amazed and love you, as if they themselves received a benefit. Think,” the saint says to the king, “that now you must take care not only of this city, but also of your glory, even of all Christianity.” Now the Jews, the pagans, the whole universe, and the barbarians have turned their eyes to you and are waiting to hear what verdict you will pronounce on this matter. And if you pronounce a humane and meek sentence, everyone will praise such a decision, glorify God and say to each other: this is the power of Christianity! It restrained and curbed a man who has no equal on earth, who has the power to destroy and destroy everything, and taught him patience, which even a private person has not shown. Truly, the Christian God is great: He makes angels out of people. As for the Antiochians, even then, when they were doomed to death, they would not have suffered as they are suffering now, spending so many days in fear and trembling and, when evening came, not hoping to see the dawn, and when day appeared, not hoping to live until the evening. Many even became prey to animals after they fled into the deserts and moved to impassable places; not only men, but also small children, and noble and beautiful wives hide in caves, abysses and desert ditches for many nights and days. A new kind of captivity has befallen our city: the houses and walls are intact, but the inhabitants are in poverty worse than the burned cities; there is not a single barbarian, the enemy is not visible, and they are more miserable than captives, and the movement of one leaf frightens them every day.” Having said this and even more than that, the saint touched the king so much that, no matter how hard he tried to hide his feelings, he could not, finally, restrain himself from tears and in response to the saint he uttered a word that adorned him much more than the diadem. “What is amazing and great,” he said, “if we stop being angry with those who insulted us: with men - we are men, when the Lord of the universe - having come to earth and for our sake becoming a slave and being crucified by Him, begged the Father for those who crucified Him like this: let them go, for they do not know what they are doing (Lk. 23:34); so what wonder if we forgive slaves like us.” Flavian, imbued with sincere gratitude to the king for the mercy shown, asked him for permission to spend the Easter holiday with him in Constantinople. But the king, prompted by a truly Christian desire to give consolation to the grieving, giving him a letter to the Antiochians, urged the patriarch to quickly return to them. “I know,” he said, “that now their souls are indignant and there are still many traces of misfortune: go and console them. When they see the helmsman, they will not remember the past storm, but they will completely erase the very memory of the disasters” (Conversation 19). There were no limits to the people's joy when the first joyful news of pardon was brought to ill-fated Antioch. Upon Flavian's return with good news to the Antiochians, many of the pagans converted to Christianity. And as soon as the joyful news spread throughout Antioch, the whole city rose to its feet, revived in spirit, and at the call of Chrysostom, everyone flowed into the churches, from which they almost never left, to bring a grateful song of praise to the Triune God for their salvation and, under the influence of the most joyful feelings, to once again listen with pleasure to their unforgettable preacher. From that time on, a firm, unshakable moral connection was formed between the people and the Antioch preacher. The people loved and highly valued their young shepherd, so that when their favorite was appointed to the See of Constantinople, the people, opposing the emperor’s decree, did not dare to let him go for a long time, so they had to take him from them secretly. Meanwhile, the fame of the extraordinary talents of the Antioch preacher, spreading further and further, finally reached Constantinople. In the capital they talked a lot about the extraordinary presbyter-preacher, and everyone unanimously wanted to see and hear Chrysostom. An opportunity for this soon presented itself: around this time, Patriarch Nektarios of Constantinople died, and everyone started talking in the capital that the unparalleled preacher John Chrysostom would certainly be elected in his place, since the name of John was also known to the court. The popular rumor was soon justified and Emperor Arcadius actually appointed John Patriarch of Constantinople. With the accession of Chrysostom to the See of Constantinople, those grace-filled, quiet days of good deeds in the field of Christ, which he enjoyed in Antioch, dear to his heart, ended for him. For six years he served as bishop in Constantinople, and during these years there were not so many happy, bright days, but rather sad and dark ones. In the capital, a new period of life began for him - a period of hard work, sorrow and hardship. Although the people of Constantinople greeted the new famous preacher and saint with delight, there were many who did not like Chrysostom at all. Many of the bishops and presbyters themselves sought appointment to the See of Constantinople. Could the pampered capital and the pampered metropolitan clergy have liked such an ascetic and strict ascetic as the new saint? Nektarios, the predecessor of Chrysostom, was distinguished by his secular pomp. One cannot help but be surprised by the reform carried out by the new archbishop in the episcopal house. Nectarius made a real palace out of his house; he lived there in the same way as he was accustomed to live when he was a man of the world, a vain nobleman, receiving at his dinner or at an elegant feast those prefects with whom he competed in luxury. St. Chrysostom, the son of the chief commander, was accustomed in his youth to the same way of life as Nektarios, but soon preferred harsh feats of asceticism to him, sold valuable objects that seemed useless to him, and locked the door of his house to idle lovers. Without seeking the favor of the powerful, he did not visit nobles, did not invite them to his feasts, but was constantly busy either with the affairs of the flock, or with prayer, or with the study of Holy Scripture. To his extreme chagrin, he found few worthy associates in the clergy; the majority were indifferent to their sacred duties and infected with the love of earthly goods, luxury and honors. Seeing all this, St. At the very first review of his diocese, Chrysostom subjected many to the monastic test, and replaced others with others. With such a searching, strict attitude towards the flock in the pampered clergy, Chrysostom found few supporters for himself, but rather at first made irreconcilable enemies and ill-wishers for himself. In addition to all this, even among the bishops there were many who could not forgive him for the fact that, with his brilliant abilities, he surpassed them in everything. The wealthy African bishop Theophilos became the head of the dissatisfied bishops; then Severian of Gabala, Akakios of Beria and Antiochus of Ptolemais were also among the enemies of Saint John. Eutropius, the first minister of the emperor, persecuted Chrysostom because he did not put up with his untruths and fearlessly raised his accusatory voice against the abuses of the temporary worker. But the strongest, most dangerous and most powerful enemy, in whose hands were all the means to harm Chrysostom, was Queen Eudoxia, the wife of Emperor Arkady. After the fall of Eutropius, Empress Eudoxia completely mastered the weak Arcadius. She was an extremely money-loving woman; in order to enrich her treasury, she did not disdain to use any means to achieve her goal: she made false denunciations, took away other people’s property. John often had to defend those offended by her and intercede for them, which extremely offended Eudoxia. She hated the brave defender and did not hide her feelings. John's enemies took advantage of this; confident that the empress would support them, they began to act more boldly against Chrysostom. One day, several Nitrian monks arrived in Constantinople, deeply offended and offended by Theophilus of Alexandria. They sought protection from St. John, who received them, listened to them favorably and only sent a letter to Theophilus, in which he asked him to treat the unfortunate people in a brotherly manner. But Theophilus took all this as a personal insult; arrived in the capital and, without visiting the Patriarch, approached the court and began to secretly act against John. He soon found sympathy in the empress, drew up a false council near Chalcedon (Dubsky Council, 403) and, accusing the saint, deposed him. It is worthy of note that Theophilus brought with him from Africa countless riches for gifts and for bribing false judges over Chrysostom. They brought everything valuable to Alexandria and Egypt and even distant India. In the capital, Theophilus gave luxurious dinners and feasts to all influential people and entered into relations with John’s ill-wishers. John Chrysostom was accused of extreme severity, on the one hand, and of excessive condescension, on the other; he was also accused of dining alone and not inviting guests. But most of all they relied on insulting words allegedly spoken by John against the empress in one of his conversations. There is no need to talk about how the impeccability and holiness of John shone in the eyes of all right-thinking people with what a captivating, luminous light before the baseness, malice and deceit of his enemies. When the news of Chrysostom's deposition spread throughout the city, the whole of Constantinople became agitated. From all over the capital people rushed to the cathedral church of St. Sophia and the bishop's house, connected to it by a gallery, surrounded them day and night as if with a living wall, guarding their beloved shepherd. When, by the verdict of the Dubsky Cathedral and due to the intensified machinations of enemies, with the assistance of the empress, Arkady signed the sentence on the imprisonment of St. John and when, in obedience to this sentence, he left Constantinople and sailed to the coast of Asia Minor, then that same night there was a terrible earthquake. The underground shocks were especially strong near the royal palace and in the palace itself. In the middle of the night, Empress Eudoxia, terrified and in tears, ran to the emperor. “We drove out the righteous,” she exclaimed, “and the Lord is punishing us for this. We must return him immediately, otherwise we will all perish.” The emperor, of course, agreed. Eudoxia herself wrote a letter to John, in which, assuring him that she was innocent of his conviction, she begged him in the name of God to return. Several messengers were sent one after another for the departing saint, who was illegally convicted. Upon receiving the letter, John immediately returned amid the joyful cries of the people. But his stay in the capital was short-lived. Less than two months had passed before Empress Eudoxia again flared up with hatred and anger towards John. The ambitious and power-hungry queen, intoxicated with power, once insisted that a silver statue be erected in her honor in the city square. At the opening of this statue, which was placed near the St. Sophia Cathedral, singing, frantic shouts of the people, loud military music interfered with the service. John made his orders to eliminate the unrest, but the city commander did not heed his request; then he preached a convicting sermon, which began with the words. “Again Herodias dances, again Herodias worries, again demands the head of John.” The enemies of the saint, of course, were not slow in informing Eudoxia with various additions about everything that Chrysostom had said, and to this accusation they added many others, and again they asked the faint-hearted Arkady for a new sentence to send John to the Far East in captivity, from which the saint never returned. Historians say that at the time when John was exiled for the second time and removed from the capital, fire came out from the church, from the very pulpit where the saint was preaching, and spread a devastating fire throughout the entire city. We said at one time that the same mutual love and the same close connection with the people, as in Antioch, was formed by the great teacher in Constantinople. Now we will point out those moments of church and public life where the unparalleled love of the people for Chrysostom, as well as the saint himself for his flock, stands out most clearly. The feeling of love and deepest respect is always revealed more sharply and clearly during mutual separation. So it was with Chrysostom. When this saint, through the machinations of the enemies and confidants of Queen Eudoxia, was repeatedly exiled to remote villages of Asia Minor and when he was returned again, the people saw him off especially touchingly, and also greeted him. In the hours of a longed-for meeting or a sad separation, the whole people, without exception, strove to the place where the Venerable John was. Only the disabled and elderly remained in the houses. Mothers with infants, sometimes despite the late hour, went out to the seaside... All the people were with lamps in their hands, so that the coast of Constantinople for a distant space was flooded with light. During this period of sorrows and severe mutual suffering, Chrysostom said many wonderful, sublime conversations, which will forever remain the best monument of church preaching. “I rejoice and triumph... It’s as if I’m flying on wings and I can’t express the greatness of my joy,” he told the people upon his return from his imprisonment. - What will I do? How can I show the delight of my soul? I call upon your consciousness as a witness, for I see how from my arrival it was filled with joy, and this joy is my crown, my praise. For if my presence, of one person, filled so many people with such joy, then what kind of joy do you think overwhelmed me when I met you? I am a slave of your love: for you bought me not by paying money, but by expressing your love. I rejoice that I am devoted to such service and never wish to free myself from this slavery; for this service is more beautiful to me than freedom, this service has given me a place in this sacred pulpit; This service is not out of necessity, but out of will. Truly, who would not willingly serve your love, such excellent lovers? Even if I had a stone soul, you would make it softer than wax. What can I say about your goodwill and disposition that you showed yesterday when your joyful voices penetrated the sky? You sanctified the very air and made a church out of the city; I was honored, and God was glorified; heretics were covered with shame, and the Church was crowned. Are words needed? The very stones cry out, the walls make a voice. Go to the royal palace, and you will hear: the people of Constantinople. Go to the sea, to the desert, to the mountains, to houses, your praise is depicted everywhere. How did you win? not with money, but with faith. O people who love teachers! O people who love their father. Blessed city, not with its columns and golden roof, but with your virtue. There are so many intrigues, and your prayers have won; and very justly, for the prayers were fervent, and fountains of tears flowed. Those have arrows, but you have tears; those have rage, but you have meekness; do what you want, and you pray. Where are those who resisted now? Have we taken up arms? Did you string the bows? Did they shoot arrows? We prayed and they ran. They scattered like cobwebs; and you stand like a rock. Blessed am I through you. And before I knew what wealth I had, but now I was surprised.” Or let us also point out a case when the saint spoke in the same spirit. As soon as the sad news of Chrysostom’s imprisonment reached the saint’s ears for the second time, he immediately entered the pulpit and began his speech to his beloved flock: “What would I not tolerate for you? You are my fellow citizens, you are my fathers, you are my brothers, you are my children, you are my members, you are my body, you are my light, even much sweeter than this light. For do the sun's rays bring me anything like your love? The sun's rays benefit me in this life, and your love weaves a crown for me in the future. This I speak in the ears of those who listen; and which ears are more diligent than yours to listen.” To further highlight John’s bright personality, let’s say a few words about his amazing generosity and pastoral fearlessness. In the time of Chrysostom, the right of asylum existed in the church. All those offended and unjustly condemned were taken under her patronage and protection by St. The Church, and the secular authorities could no longer abduct any of this saint. shelters. When the first minister of Arkady Eutropius was convicted of treason and sentenced to death, Chrysostom, contrary to the orders of the emperor, gave him the right of refuge in the church. The petty and stubborn Emperor Arkady flew into a rage; but the Patriarch of Constantinople even made a defensive speech regarding the case of the consul Eutropius. When all this was reported to the emperor, the patriarch, among a double row of spears and swords, was brought straight to the palace to the emperor. Weak-hearted Arkady, of course, could not resist the eloquent defender and ordered that the right of asylum not be violated. Another example: Gaina, the head of the Goths, once began to ask Arkady to cede one church in Constantinople to the Arians. The king was ready to agree to this demand, because he was afraid that Gaina would outrage all the Goths under his control; John, however, showed unshakable firmness and resolutely refused to betray the Church of God to the blasphemers of Christ. Gaina became an implacable enemy of John. But later, with the indignation of the Goths, when their leader demanded that the emperor execute two consuls, John decided to ask for these unfortunates. Driven by ardent love for his neighbors, he without fear went to the camp of the stern Goth to save the condemned. Gaina, touched by the bishop's Christian courage, received him with honor in his tent and threw his children at his feet, asking for his blessing. Until now we have talked about the unprecedented, glorious exploits of St. in Antioch and Constantinople. John Chrysostom, tried to acquaint the reader with the power and depth of his oratorical words, saw the greatest love of the people for the saint... In a word, we saw St. John Chrysostom in the days of his glory and greatness, when his pastoral word educated millions of people and gave direction to the entire Orthodox East. Now we move on to those ill-fated days of his life when St. John, for his personal advantages, for his holy zeal for the glory of the name of God, was doomed to imprisonment by the enemies of the truth of Christ. It will be very useful for us to follow the holy sufferer through the deserted places of his imprisonment. Let us follow the exile everywhere and from his cup of suffering we will draw for ourselves strength and an example to endure persecution for the truth of Christ. The entire path from Nicaea, including Caesarea, Bithynia, Phrygia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Kukuz and to Komana is the path of continuous suffering of the saint, the path of the cross. The saint was in captivity for three years and for three years he meekly bore his heavy cross. The crucifixion of John must be understood in the broadest sense. The saint long ago sacrificed his personal gifts, his strength, his wealth, his glory and his very life to God and, foreseeing even earlier his sufferings for the name of Christ, he prepared himself for them through prayer, as well as through deep penetration into the life of the shepherd Jesus himself and all the zealots and defenders of the truth of Christ. Before his last departure into exile, when the whole court was breathing hatred against him, he calmly consoled his friends and tried to strengthen in them courage and fearlessness in enduring sorrows. “For me,” he said, “there is no misfortune except sin. If the empress wants to exile me, let him exile, I am not afraid: the earth and the entire universe belong to God. If he commands me to cut it, I will die, just as the prophet Isaiah died; orders to be thrown into the sea, I will find consolation for myself in the life of the prophet Jonah; cast into a fiery furnace, I will remember the three holy youths of Babylon; will be given to the beasts to be devoured, I will be like Daniel, thrown into the lions' den; whether he stones, but this is the execution of St. Archdeacon Stephen, the first of the Christian martyrs; if she wants to behead me, I will willingly bow my head, inspired by the example of St. John the Baptist." On the way to exile, the more well-meaning and faithful sons of the Church of Christ, although they tried to alleviate the sorrows and torment of their beloved shepherd, could not turn the martyr's cup away from him. Many of his admirers came out to meet him, offered him everything he needed along the way, arranged a resting place, and brought very significant sums of money, which St. Chrysostom gave to the poor or sent to distant missions so that the faith of Christ would spread everywhere. In his letters to Deaconess Olympias, he describes in this way all the concerns, all the attention about him with which the faithful children of Christ greeted him everywhere: “Everyone receives me with all kinds of kindness and favor. The regional military commands accompanying me are so helpful that they do not allow me to notice the need for servants; The soldiers themselves do everything for the servants, out of love for me, they stole the position of slaves for themselves and each of them considers himself happy that he serves me." Entire crowds of women and men came out onto the roads and to the villages in which those who led John stopped, and, looking at him, shed tears. But despite these true signs of love and respect for the people's saint, the cup of his suffering was too deep. The further he went into the waterless deserts of Asia Minor, the more his enemies increased his suffering. Taking advantage of the proximity of the court, and especially the favor of Empress Eudoxia, they gave the most inhumane orders to the officials and soldiers leading St. John - the attention and love for John from supportive and noble people outraged them to the depths of their souls. According to their brutal orders, the great sufferer had to travel the entire journey from Constantinople to Comana on foot, suffering a lack of even the most basic necessities of life. Suffering a lot from the severity of winters in Armenia, the saint lit a fire in his damp dugout, wrapped himself in many shabby blankets and sat for many hours in the smoke and fumes of his cramped home. Tormented by unbearable stomach pain, he spent the long winter sleepless nights, listening from time to time to the wild roar of mountain snowstorms and expecting from hour to hour attacks by robber bands of wild Isaurians. It seems that the saint lived only to endure misfortunes and sorrows. He spent whole days sick, bedridden. Sometimes, possessed by a painful fever, when he was consumed by an internal painful fire, he had to involuntarily continue his painful path in any weather. Having reached Caesarea, tired, exhausted, and in the highest degree of fiery fever, he was forced to stop with the very last resident on the edge of the city. The malice of the enemies of Constantinople pursued the saint here too. So, at midnight one day, the presbyter Eusebius came running to John, woke up the sick man and hurried to leave Caesarea as soon as possible. The night was moonless. Prompted by fear and about to die, the dying righteous man rose up. He was placed in a stretcher, and a pack mule had to carry the sick man along a narrow, rocky path. In the darkness of the night, the mule stumbled, fell to its knees and threw the patient to the ground along with the stretcher. But the Lord protected his chosen one... The compassionate presbyter Eusebius somehow lifted the saint and almost carried him to the nearest house. Having finally reached Kukuz in Armenia, St. the exile, in his letters to various people, describes his whereabouts as follows: “The disasters of Armenia are so great that wherever you go, you will see streams of blood, many dead corpses, overthrown or burned houses, destroyed cities. The inhabitants of Armenia are like lions and leopards, who find safety only in the desert. Like nomadic Scythians, we change our place of stay every day. I live now in Kukuza, now in the Arabis fortress, now I hide among the hills and forests, now I run away into caves and deserts. Our sufferings exceed the very sorrows of exile; we expect death every minute.” Among the sorrows of exile, Saviniana, the deaconess of Constantinople, was a great consolation for Chrysostom. She was a pious woman, already quite advanced in years, distinguished by the nobility of her family, her wealth, and especially her holiness of life and piety. During the period of the saint’s exile, she could not bear the separation from her teacher and mentor, and therefore she decided to go into exile with him to the very extreme limits of the universe. Neither old age, nor weakness of strength, nor the length of the journey, nor the difficulty and inconvenience of the journey - nothing could keep her in the capital. She left Constantinople with Chrysostom and was with the exile all the time. This extraordinary woman walked with John throughout this long endless path of sorrows and hardships and in Comana was present at his blessed death. But despite such diminishing of the saint’s glory in the days of trials and tribulations, his name was never as revered as at this time. St. John Chrysostom was in exile, but stories about the sufferings of this glorious defender of the faith and truth of Christ passed from mouth to mouth and were repeated in all corners of the educated world. The whole world was occupied with the thought of this famous exile. Kukuz and Arabissa became immortal in the memory of posterity. True and faithful sons of Christ's Church flocked to the place of exile from all over the earth: from Phenicia, Syria, Constantinople and Antioch. Some came to fall at the feet of St. exile as a sign of his reverence for him, to hear from his lips good advice and consolation and to ask for his holy prayers. Others, carried away by stories about his lofty virtues and personal qualities, did not want to die without seeing such a famous exile. But the cup of sorrows and trials for the saint had not yet been filled... His enemies in Constantinople, who influenced the affairs of the court, burned with greater and greater anger against the saint and plotted to exile him to even more distant places, so that he could not have any consolation and hoped that he would die on the way from exhaustion and extreme loss of strength. The place of last exile was the little-known city of Pitiunt, located in Colchis on the northern shore of the Black Sea. The holy exile had to travel 600 miles. On this long journey it was necessary to cross many rivers, pass through wild deserts and extremely high, rocky mountains. The officials assigned to the exile this time had no compassion for him. The exhausted, half-dead saint walked day and night, without rest. He was forced to walk under the scorching rays of the midday sun, hoping that the weak traveler would sooner fall ill... Strong storms and torrential rains also gave pleasure to these merciless guards, because they provided an opportunity to subject the exile to new suffering. Those leading Chrysostom added evil ridicule to the cruelty of his actions. When they noticed that the saint, wet to the bones, was shivering from the cold, they did not show him any compassion. Everything that could strengthen the sufferer’s strength on the way was strictly prohibited. For St. For the sufferer, there was no nutritious food, no change of clothes, no comfortable lodging for the night. In those places where the saint could find compassion for himself in people, they did not stop, but looked for more deserted places for this, and then they stopped for a very short time. And such a painful journey lasted three months. Having barely reached a deserted place near Koman, where there was a church with the relics of St. Basilisk, Bishop of Comana, St. Chrysostom could no longer continue his way of the cross, despite the brutal urgings of the officials. Here St. appeared to him. The basilisk, comforting the sufferer in his sorrows, said: “Do not be discouraged, brother John! Tomorrow we will be together." And so it happened: knowing that his last hour had come, the holy exile put on clean white clothes, partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, made the sign of the cross on himself for the last time with the words “Glory to God for everything!”, and flew off to the heavenly monasteries. Soon after his death, the wrath of God was not slow to befall all the main culprits of his exile. On the fourth day after the death of the saint in Constantinople, in her royal palace, Queen Eudoxia died in the terrible agony of childbirth. Severian of Gabala, Akakios of Beria, Antiochus of Ptolemais were also struck by death. Theophilus of Alexandria suffered for a long time in his death agony, and the desired hour of death did not come to him... Finally, he barely intelligibly whispered to those around him that they would give him an image of St. John Chrysostom. Seeing the long-familiar image, he took the canvas into his cooling hands, looked for a long time at the image of the Constantinople saint with his fading gaze, kissed it and quietly died. The burial of Saint John was performed with all possible solemnity. All those who had gathered for the day of burial from the most distant countries, thinking about the rewards that the Lord would reward the undaunted defender of the truth, rejoiced, but seeing his lifeless body, forever closed eyes, closed eloquent lips, they quietly cried. And these tears flowed even more when they remembered that he died from the unbearable suffering of a difficult path, died far from his flock in the wild, deserted desert. In 427, under St. Procles, Archbishop of Constantinople, disciple and friend of Chrysostom, carried out the glorious transfer of the relics of the saint from Comana to the capital. The news of the transfer of St. the relics spread further and further. Elders, hermits, virgins and all the faithful flocked to the path along which the procession continued. When did St. Chrysostom's body was brought to Chalcedon, then all the citizens of Constantinople and the inhabitants of the suburbs rushed towards their unforgettable shepherd. The entire Strait of Constantinople was covered with ships, which, cutting through the waves of the sea in different directions, were illuminated by lit torches. The holy relics were transported on the imperial ship. And as soon as they arrived at the shore, the reliquary with the relics was immediately placed on the royal chariot and transported to the Church of St. The apostles amid cries of joy, tears and blessings from all sides. When the reliquary with the relics was placed in the prepared place in the church, Emperor Theodosius the Younger, the son of Emperor Arcadius, having laid aside all the signs of royal dignity, together with his pious sister Pulcheria, approached the tomb and, humbly bowing his head and fixing his gaze on the saint, begged him for the forgiveness of his parents Arcadius and Eudoxia. The entire people, touched to the depths of their hearts by this touching and instructive spectacle, shed tears together with the emperor. When Theodosius, after intense prayer, rose from his knees and walked away from the tomb, then at that time a voice was heard in the church: “Holy Father! take your former throne." They say that at this time the saint’s lips opened, and he uttered the words: “Peace be with you.” All this happened on January 27, 427. Saint Chrysostom burned on earth with true love for everyone and now rests in Him Who Himself is love. Years and centuries pass, many changes have happened and will happen in different countries of the world, but the name of St. Chrysostom will remain forever, his glory and reward will not perish forever. “Let us sing the gilded trumpet, the God-inspired organ, the inexhaustible abyss of dogma, the ecclesiastical affirmation, the heavenly mind, the depth of wisdom, the all-golden cup, pouring out rivers of melodious teachings and watering the creature” (stichera on “I cried to the Lord”). In such luminous lines, for our edification and consolation, the Holy Church glorifies the great hierarch and universal teacher. The Orthodox Church deeply honors the great universal teacher and commemorates him on November 13 and January 27. Now that we have said the last word about the earthly life and works of St. John, we cannot in any way refrain from the high pleasure of not talking in more detail about his lofty, unparalleled preaching genius. Bernard Montfaucon, a monk of the Benedictine Order (†1711), a deep connoisseur of the works of Chrysostom, worked for more than twenty years on the publication of the complete collection of the works of St. John, and he published a lot, but, despite all his efforts, much did not survive, and therefore could not be published. Chrysostom's conversations for the heart of the reader are the same as fruitful dew for God's field, the same as a crystal, clear stream for a tired, thirsty, distant traveler. Given the extraordinary power of his preaching genius, he rarely resorted to ready-made rhetorical forms, but created new, unprecedented, wonderful forms of oratorical preaching speech. He created his own science of spiritual oratory. And all this is understandable when you strictly think about who Chrysostom was, how exalted the spirit was in this man, what a loving heart he possessed. It seems that all of humanity, with all its spiritual needs, was contained in the heart of this saint. Look how he loved the poor and needy. Who knows, maybe this love for Christ’s lesser brethren sweetened the bitter cup of his so long suffering. And what high Christian love he enjoyed from these poor people, who were attached to him in Constantinople just as in Antioch! And it was in this love that he found his sweetest consolations. The poor were Chrysostom’s constant favorites. It was to them that his word was primarily directed, to them, even more than to the fortunate ones of this world, was addressed the sweet appeal of the Christian speaker - “my beloved,” which in his mouth seems to take on a very special shade of fatherly tenderness; these are those, according to Chrysostom, who in all cases and always surrounded their shepherd with the most zealous love, the most boundless devotion. More than three thousand poor people were under his care, and his indefatigable zeal and his own property, as well as the income of the church, which he disposed of, were all offered to alleviate the distress and satisfy the needs of these unfortunates. Between all St. by the fathers of the 4th century, the distinctive feature of St. Chrysostom is that he is an inspired and insatiable apostle of mercy and love. To be so amazingly eloquent, it was not enough to have a remarkably flexible mind and amazing ease of speech; for this, another, eternally living and gushing source was needed, i.e. heart overflowing with love. The mind is poor, but the heart is rich, and no one knew how to enrich one treasure with another like St. Chrysostom Once, in front of his Antioch listeners, he, with complete disdain for himself, beautifully praising the Evangelist John, said that he himself - alas! – had nothing in common with the latter except the name. But he was too modest; he carried within himself the same gift of love and tenderness that tradition bestows on the beloved disciple of the Lord. “Virginity, fasting and genuflection benefit the one who observes them,” the saint once said, “and do not save anyone else. But mercy extends to everyone. It embraces all the members of Christ.” The offended one seeks his help, a contemporary historian wrote about Chrysostom; the defendant calls on him to be his defender; the hungry one asks him for food; beggar - clothes; another - the shoes from his feet. The one who cries seeks consolation from him; the patient is a ghost; wanderer - haven; the widow sheds tears for him about her orphanhood; the debtor confides his sorrow to him; another asks him to be a reconciliator of domestic quarrels. St. Chrysostom preached first in one parish, sometimes in another, sometimes in the city itself, sometimes in the suburbs. Most often he spoke in the Great Church, located in the very center of the capital, on the main square. He also convened the people to that dear to the hearts of all the faithful, the Church of Anastasia (Resurrection), which was in Constantinople, in some way, the same as Palea in Antioch. In this church the memory of St. was always alive. Gregory of Nazianzus, who preached here to a small number of faithful, after all the city churches came under the rule of the Arians. Meetings also took place in the Church of St. Irene or in some chapel, such as, for example, in Martyria at the old stone. St. Isidore, who lived with the saint in the same century, once expressed surprise and regret when he learned that Chrysostom’s writings remained unknown to one of his friends. “I am extremely surprised,” he wrote, “your ignorance of the writings of John Chrysostom, the fame of which spread everywhere after his death. Not knowing such beautiful creations is the same as not seeing the sun at noon. Is it possible to read his works without admiring them? Is there such an insensitive person who would not thank Providence for giving the world such a brilliant luminary? As an outstanding preacher of genius, Saint John enjoyed special love and deep respect from the best people of his time. When Emperor Arcadius, frightened by the disasters of the Greek empire, wrote to the Monk Nile of Sinai and earnestly asked for his prayers, the monk answered him like this: “How dare I pray for a city that with so many sins brought upon itself the just wrath of God, which expelled blessed John, the pillar of the Church, the trumpet of the Lord? You expelled him without any reason, frivolously following the advice of people damaged in their minds; you deprived the believers of the holy instructions they received from him; think about it; recognize your sins and repent.” Saint John Chrysostom was revered by everyone and was irreplaceable and dear to all well-meaning people. During the period of persecution, Emperor Honorius, who ruled the West, brother of Emperor Arcadius, and Pope Innocent interceded for him. In short: everything obeyed the powerful, irresistible word of John. The coldest, one might say, stony hearts softened and melted under the pressure of his eloquent oratorical words. When Saint John preached, many of those who at first came out of empty curiosity were touched to the depths of their souls by the powerful word of the preacher; many, brought to a living consciousness of their sins, sobbed and shed tears. The heretics met in him a strict denouncer of their wrong-headedness and at the same time a meek mentor, always ready to help those who conscientiously sought the truth. For his wonderful conversations, which breathed with the liveliest love for his listeners, and for the effect that he alone had on his listeners, St. antiquity called him Chrysostom. His conversations were inexhaustible in the spiritual pleasure that his listeners experienced. The exposure of this or that human passion bears traces of the most subtle and detailed research... Anyone suffering from one or another vicious skill from John’s denunciations did not find any justifications or apologies. The accused did not find refuge in any self-delusion... The saint, with his all-penetrating word, overtook the fleeing person everywhere. While remaining understandable to ordinary listeners, he at the same time retained a greatness of spirit and sublimity that surprised even philosophers. “I’m not talking about others,” writes Isidore Pelusiot, one of Chrysostom’s many disciples, “Livanius himself, praised by everyone for his eloquence, was amazed by the language of the venerable John, the beauty of his thoughts and the abundance of arguments.” He spoke about the same subject for seven or eight conversations and always discovered something new. Heaven, earth, sea, science, art, the ordinary needs and activities of social and domestic life, all of nature with all its phenomena and works - and with extraordinary skill he made all this serve to clarify, prove and triumph truth and virtue. Knowing subtly and deeply the human heart, Chrysostom was miraculously able to adapt to the state of his listeners and, touching the most cherished, most sensitive strings of the soul, he always carried out a moral struggle in people with brilliant success. In a word, in all his conversations one can hear the voice of inexhaustible love for his flock, seeking in every possible way their repentance and correction. Imbued with love for the word of God, he called upon all his eloquence to help convince everyone to read or listen to the Word of God, to study it in the church, in the house, at every time and in every place. The meaning of St. John Chrysostom in the matter of church preaching is a world, inalienable primacy. Thoughts and sayings of St. John Chrysostom on the most important truths of Orthodox doctrine and Christian morality Here you are, a Christian by birth, brought up in this excellent religion, and you do nothing of the kind. What do you say to this? Without a doubt you will answer: I will show you others who perform, namely the monks who live in the deserts. But aren’t you ashamed to admit that you are a Christian and refer others to others, as if you cannot demonstrate in yourself what distinguishes a Christian? The pagan will not hesitate to object to you: what need do I have to walk through the mountains, to watch the desert? If it is impossible to be pious while living in a city, then it is a small honor to Christian statutes if they need to leave the cities and flee into the desert. On the contrary, show me a man who has a wife, children and a house, and yet lives piously. What do you say to this? Shouldn't we lower our gaze and be ashamed? (On the Epistle to the Romans) That is why the Greeks do not believe our words, for they want not in words, but in our deeds to see the proof of our teaching about the future life. Seeing that we are building luxurious houses, establishing gardens and baths, buying fields, they do not want to believe that we are preparing to move to another heavenly city, for if this were so, they say, then the Christians would have exchanged everything they have here for silver and sent there in advance. We should teach them to despise everything visible, but instead we, more than anyone else, arouse in them a passion for it. (On the Gospel of Matthew) So, what excuse will you have, while others rush beyond the goal, and you are lazy to do what is lawful? We advise you to give alms from your property, but another rejected everything that belonged to him. We beg you to live chastely with your wife, but the other has not even entered into marriage. We ask you not to be envious, while others lay down their very soul out of love for their neighbors. We ask you to be lenient and meek towards those who sin against you, and another, being hit on the doe, substitutes the other one too. What will we say, tell me? How can we respond without doing what others are so superior to us in? (On the Gospel of Matthew) I'm not offering you anything that can't be done. I’m not saying don’t get married; I’m not saying, leave the city and withdraw from public affairs, but I exhort you, while staying with them, to be adorned with virtue. I would even like those who live in cities to lead a more good life than those who retire to the mountains. Why? Because great good would come from this. “No one burns a lamp and puts it under a concealment” (Matthew 5:16). Therefore, I would like all the lamps to be placed on candlesticks, so that great light would spill from them. Let us also kindle the fire of this light and make sure that those sitting in darkness get rid of error. Don’t tell me: I have a wife and children, I run a house and I cannot do this. If you had none of this, but remained careless, then you would not receive any benefit from it, but if you are careful with all this, you will be enriched in virtue. For one thing is most necessary, that is, the affirmation of the spirit in good dispositions, then neither age, nor poverty, nor wealth, nor many deeds and nothing else can be an obstacle to us. Because both old people, and young people, and married people, and those obliged to raise children, and artisans, and warriors managed to fulfill everything commanded. Daniel was a youth, Joseph was a slave, Aquila was a craftsman, a porphyry seller ran a whole establishment; another was a prison guard, another a centurion, like Cornelius, another was in poor health, like Timothy, another even ran away from his master, like Onesimus; and yet none of them was held back by any obstacle, but they all led a glorious life, both men and women, both young men and old men; slaves and freemen, warriors and commoners. So, let’s not hide behind useless and empty apologies, but let’s establish a good intention within ourselves. (On the Gospel of Matthew) What burdensome things are commanded to us? Or fly through the air, or swim across the Etrurian abyss? Not at all. We are commanded to live such an easy way of life that we do not need any tools for it, we only need our soul and disposition. What tools did the apostles have, who accomplished such great deeds! Didn’t they walk around in the same clothes and without shoes, and by the way overcame everything? What is difficult about the commandments of Christ? Don't insult anyone, don't hate anyone, don't slander anyone! The opposite is much harder. (On the Gospel of Matthew) Why do you explore the unsearchable? Why do you experience the incomprehensible, why do you explore the unknown? Consider the very source of the sun's rays. You can't do this; however, in this case you will not be annoyed or grieve over your powerlessness. Why are you so bold and rash in matters of much greater importance? The son of thunder, John, who proclaimed through the spiritual trumpet, having heard from the Spirit that there was Light (John 1:9), experienced nothing more. And you, not having his grace, reasoning only according to your weak conclusions, you are even trying to cross the line of his knowledge. (On the Gospel of John) How many of you, tell me, while at home, pick up a Christian book, delve into its contents and test the scripture? No one can say this about themselves. Checkers and dice can be found in the possession of very many, but books (holy scriptures) in no one, or in a few, and even those deal with them no more than those who do not have them at all, tying them up and putting them away forever in closets, and their whole concern is only for the fineness of the skin (on which books are written), about the beauty of writing, and not about reading. And they buy books not for profit, but in order to express their wealth and boast about it. Vanity goes to such an extreme! If the devil does not dare to penetrate into the house where the Gospel is, much less will a soul that has assimilated the thoughts of Scripture be touched or attacked by either the demon or sin. So, sanctify your soul, sanctify your body, always having the Holy Scripture on your lips and in your heart. (On the Gospel of John) The night was not given for us to sleep through it and be inactive. Witnesses to this are artisans, mule drivers, traders, the Church of God, rising in the middle of the night. Arise, you too, look at the chorus of stars, at the deep silence, at the great silence, and marvel at the works of your Lord. Then the soul becomes purer, lighter and more vigorous, and is especially capable of soaring and elevating itself; The very darkness and complete silence are very conducive to tenderness. If you look at the sky, speckled with stars, as if with countless eyes, you will receive complete pleasure by immediately thinking about the Creator. If you imagine that those who make noise during the day, laugh, play, jump, offend, covet, annoy, and do countless evils, are now no different from the dead, then you will understand the insignificance of human pride. The dream came and showed nature as it is; he is the image of death; he is the image of death (the world). If you look outside, you won't hear a single voice; if you look into the house, you will see everyone lying as if in a coffin. All this can excite the soul and bring to mind the end of the world. (On the Acts of the Apostles.) If the one who comes to the world brewery and sits in such establishments is involuntarily imbued with the fragrance, then much more so is the one who goes to church. Just as laziness is born from inaction, so diligence is born from exercise. Therefore, even if you were filled with countless sins, even if you were unclean, do not run away from the local meeting. But what can you say if I listen but don’t perform? It is no small gain to recognize oneself as worthy of regret. This fear is not useless, nor is this fear fruitless. If you only lament that while listening you do not fulfill, then you will certainly come to fulfillment someday. (On the Gospel of John) Isn’t it strange that those who attend the spectacles talk among themselves about the names of the drivers and dancers, their origin, homeland, occupation, and also carefully talk about the merits and demerits of the horses; and those who gather here do not know anything that is happening here, they do not even know the number of sacred books. (On the Gospel of John) In what other place will you hear what you are talking about here? Will you go to court? There are divisions and disputes. To the Senate? There is concern about civil affairs. To the house? There pressure from all sides is concern for private affairs. In meetings and gatherings in the square? And there is everything earthly and perishable: those who gather there talk about either items of purchase, or about taxes, or about a luxurious table, or the sale of fields, or about conditions on other objects, or about wills, or about inheritance, or about other similar things. Will you even enter the royal palaces? And there you will hear the same thing again, everyone talks about money, about power, about fame, which is respected here, but about spiritual things - about nothing. Here everything is the opposite, here we talk about heaven and heavenly things, about the soul, about our life, about why we live here for so long, where we go from here, and what awaits us after, why we have a body made of dust, what is the present life and what is the future; in a word - about nothing earthly, but everything about the spiritual, and thus having received great benefits for salvation, we leave here with good hope. (Seventh Discourse on Lazarus) If a zither player, a dancer, or anyone else belonging to the theater calls the city, everyone runs in haste, thanks him for the invitation and spends the whole half of the day listening to him alone? And when God talks to us through the prophets and apostles, we yawn, itch, and get bored. In the summer we find it too hot, so we go to the square; In winter, rain and mud again become a hindrance, and we sit at home. On the lists, where there is no roof to protect from the rain, in the pouring rain and with the wind throwing water in their faces, numerous spectators stand, raging and not paying attention to the cold, nor to the rain, nor to the dirt, nor to the distance of the journey, nothing keeps them at home, nothing prevents them from coming there. But here, where there is a roof and pleasant warmth, they do not come and do not gather, despite the fact that this is necessary for the good of their own soul. Tell me, can this be taken down? (On the Gospel of John, part 2) Today you are all in joy, and I am alone in sadness. For when I look at this spiritual sea and see the countless wealth of the Church and then think that after the holiday this multitude will again move away from us and disperse, then I lament and grieve in my soul that the Church, which has given birth to so many children, can be consoled by them not at every meeting, but only on the holiday. What spiritual joy it would be, what joy, what glory for God, what benefit for souls, if at every meeting we saw the walls of the church so filled. (Conversation on the day of Epiphany) If any of you were to open your conscience now, you would find deep peace within yourself; neither anger excites, nor lust inflames, nor envy does not dry up, nor pride does not puff up, nor vanity does not consume, but all these animals are tamed, since listening to the divine scriptures, like some kind of divine announcement, penetrates through the ear into the soul of everyone and lulls these crazy passions. How can one not feel sorry for those who, having the opportunity to acquire such wisdom, do not often turn and come to the common mother of all - the Church? What occupation could you show me that is more necessary than this? (Conversation on the day of the Baptism of Christ) Therefore, I am especially amazed at God’s love for mankind, that God, having the opportunity to take everything from you against your will, does not want to do this without your will, so that you deserve a reward. For example, He can take your soul without your will, but He wants you to give it of your own free will, saying to Paul: “I am dying all the days” (1 Cor. 15:31). He can deprive you of honors without your will and make you humiliated, but He wants it to be according to your will, so that you receive reward. He can make you poor against your will, but He wants you to become so voluntarily in order to give you crowns. Do you see God's love for mankind and our blindness? (On First Epistle to the Corinthians) We, truly we are to blame for the fact that the pagans remain in error. They have long condemned their teaching and look at ours with respect; but our life keeps them from converting. It’s easy to philosophize in words—many of them did it; but they require proof from deeds. Let them, you say, think about our ancient men! But they do not believe (the ancients) at all, but want to see (virtuous) people living now. Show us, they say, faith from your works, but there are no works. On the contrary, they see that we are worse than animals in tormenting our neighbors, and therefore they call us the plague of the universe. This is what holds the pagans back and prevents them from joining us. Therefore, we will be punished for them too, not only because we do evil, but also because through us the name of God is blasphemed. (On the Gospel of John, part 2) Bearing the name of a boss does not mean being a boss. Some are called by great names, such as: Paul, Peter, James, John; but from these names they do not become what they are called; for example, I myself, I bear the same name as the blessed one (apostle), but I am not the same as him; I am not John, but I am only called that. Bosses are those who know how to manage themselves. If someone is not able to control his soul, then how will he rule the state? I said all this so that we would not be proud of power, so that we would know what power is. Otherwise, this is not power, but a laughing stock, slavery, and thousands of other similar names one could call it. For, tell me what is characteristic of a boss. Shouldn't you benefit and do good to your subordinates? What if this doesn't happen? How can one benefit others who has not done good to himself? Whoever has countless passions ruling in his soul, how will he curb them in others? (On the Acts of the Apostles) What state could be more blessed than ours, when we are talking among so many listeners who have acquired such ardent and active love for us? For nothing is more necessary for the speaker than the goodwill of the listeners. When he sees fiery zeal in his listeners, he himself strengthens and, as it were, acquires great strength, knowing that the more abundantly he offers a spiritual meal, the more profit he will receive for himself. For in this respect the spiritual is opposed to the sensual. There, the abundance of the meal causes a loss and reduces the wealth of the owner, but here it is quite the opposite - the more people participate in the meal, the more our wealth increases. (On the Book of Genesis) I talked with you one day and from that day I fell in love with you as if I had treated you for a long time and from an early age, I was united with you by bonds of love, as if for countless years I had enjoyed your most pleasant company. This happened not because I was inclined towards friendship and love, but because you are most desired and loved. For who will not be amazed and surprised at your fiery zeal, unfeigned love, favor towards teachers, agreement with each other, which all together are sufficient to attract even a stony soul to you? Blessed be God! At every meeting I see that the pasture is increasing, the fields are thickening, the threshing floor is filling, the sheaves are multiplying. Although a few days have passed since we threw the seed, and suddenly a rich ear of obedience has grown within us. Hence it is clear that it is not human power, but Divine grace that cultivates this church. This is the property of spiritual sowing: it does not wait for time, does not wait for many days to pass, does not calculate monthly revolutions, seasons, weather, or years; but on the same day, when the seeds are sown, you can reap this harvest with your whole and full hand. (Conversation for different occasions) This is what is surprising about love: evil is mixed with other virtues, for example, a non-covetous person often thereby becomes arrogant, an eloquent person falls into the disease of ambition; the humble person is often exalted in his conscience; and love is free from any such infection; for no one will ever be proud of his beloved. (On the Epistle to the Corinthians). If someone comes up to ask us for the smallest coin, we reproach him, vilify him, and call him a deceiver. And you are not horrified by this; Aren't you ashamed to call a liar for a piece of bread! If he is pretending, you should have felt sorry for him that, being oppressed by hunger, he was forced to take on such a guise. This accuses us of cruelty. Since it is difficult to beg anything from us, the poor must inevitably invent countless tricks in order to deceive our inhumanity and soften our cruelty. It would be a different matter if he asked you for a silver or gold coin, then you would have reason to suspect. And if he comes to you for the necessary food, why do you needlessly make guesses and argue in vain, accusing him of inaction and laziness? If anyone should be reproached for this, it should not be others, but ourselves. (On the Epistle to the Romans.) And no, there is absolutely not a single sin that the power of love would not destroy like fire. It is easier for weak brushwood to withstand strong fire than for the nature of sin to resist the power of love. Let us grow this love in our souls in order to become with all the saints. (On the Epistle to the Thessalonians) These are the blessings of the soul: they are not torn away by bodily suffering when the soul firmly preserves them, but even if someone tore the very chest and tore the heart into small pieces, then it will not give up the treasure once entrusted to it by faith. This is the work of the all-arranging grace of God, which can accomplish wondrous things even in weak bodies. (For different occasions) Do not judge others harshly and do not be a cruel judge, but meek and philanthropic. After all, even if we are innocent of adultery, grave robberies, and theft, we have other sins worthy of many punishments. For even a brother was often called a fool, and this exposes us to Gehenna; and they looked at women with intemperate eyes, and this amounts to complete fornication; but what’s worse is that we do not participate in a worthy manner in the sacraments, which makes us obedient to the body and blood of Christ. Let us not be strict investigators of other people's affairs, but let us think about our own, and then we will not be so inhuman and cruel. (On the Gospel of John) The Savior does not forbid judging, but first orders us to remove the plank from our own eye and then correct the sins of others. For everyone knows his own better than someone else’s, and it is better to see more than less, and, finally, he loves himself more than his neighbor. Therefore, if you judge others, wishing them good, then first wish it for yourself, whose sin is both more obvious and more; if you are not caring about yourself, then it is obvious that you are judging your brother not out of goodwill towards him, but out of hatred and the desire to disgrace him. (On the Gospel of Matthew) There is no need, beloved, to enter into competition with evil people, but let us learn, unless it harms our virtue, to give place to their evil slander. In this way all insolence is tamed. Like arrows, hitting something elastic, hard and counteracting, they bounce back with greater force on those who launched them, but when the swiftness of their launch does not meet with opposition, it soon loses its strength and stops. This happens to daring people too. When we go against them, they become even more ferocious; when we give in to them and lag behind them, we can easily tame their fury. (On the Gospel of John) I call repentance not only to give up on previous bad deeds, but even more so to show good deeds. For it is said: produce fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8); how can we create them? Doing the opposite. For example, did you steal someone else's property? Go ahead and give yours. Have you been fornicating for a long time? Now abstain from your wife on certain days and get used to abstinence. Did he insult and even beat anyone he met? Forward, bless those who offend you and do good to those who beat you. For to heal us, it is not enough just to remove the arrow, but we also need to apply medicine to the wound. Have you indulged in voluptuousness and drunkenness before? Now fast and drink water; try to destroy the evil that occurred from your previous life. Have you ever looked with voluptuous eyes at someone else's beauty? From now on, for greater safety, do not look at women at all. For it is said: turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33:15). Again keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking flattery (Ps. 33:14). And I demand that you still say good things. (On the Gospel of Matthew) The love of money outraged the entire universe, everything was thrown into disorder; it removes us from the most blessed service of Christ; for you cannot, He says, work for God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). For Mammon demands something completely contrary to Christ. Christ says: give to those in need, and mammon: take away from those in need; Christ says: forgive those who think ill of you and those who offend you, but Mammon is the opposite; build intrigues against people who do not offend you at all; Christ says: be humane and meek, but mammon is the opposite: be cruel and inhuman, count the tears of the poor for nothing, and thus on the day of judgment he will make the Judge terrible for us. For if Lazarus, who was not at all offended by the rich man, but only did not receive help from him, became his strict accuser and did not allow the rich man to receive any leniency (from the Judge), then tell me, what justification will those have who not only do not give alms from their property, but also appropriate the property of others and ruin the homes of orphans? If those who did not feed the hungry Christ brought such a great fire onto their head, then those who steal other people’s property, lead countless lawsuits, and unjustly appropriate property for themselves will receive joy from everyone. (On the Gospel of John) Rich is the one who does not need to take from others, but helps others himself. (On the Epistle to the Corinthians) So, let us not worry about collecting wealth in order to leave it to our children, let us teach them virtue and ask them for blessings from God, this is the greatest treasure, ineffable, inexhaustible wealth, bringing more and more profit every day. For there is nothing equal to virtue, nothing more powerful than it. Even if you point out to me the people who own kingdoms, unless they have virtue, they will be more miserable than the wretched, dressed in rags. Does the Lord really look at the difference in external merits? Or worships celebrity faces? One thing is required here - through deeds of virtue, to open the doors of boldness to Him; so that one who has not acquired this path of boldness will remain among the rejected and deprived of all hope (salvation). Let us all keep this in mind and instruct our children so that they prefer virtue to everything else, and consider the abundance of wealth as nothing. (On the Book of Genesis) Inside the theater there is deception, but outside there is truth. But evening came, the spectacle ended, and the truth was revealed. So it is in life and in death. The present is theater; local things: wealth and poverty, power and subordination, etc., are presented in a false form. But when this day ends and that terrible night comes, or, better yet, day - night for sinners, and day for the righteous; when the theater closes, when the disguises are thrown off, when everyone is called to court with his own affairs - not with his wealth, not with power, not with honors and power, but each with his own affairs - both the boss, and the king, and the woman and the man; when the Judge asks us about life and good deeds, and not about pompous titles, not about humiliating poverty, not about cruel neglect; (and he will say): Give Me things to do, even if you are a slave, if only you were better than a free man; Even if you are a wife, if only you are more courageous than your husband, when (I say) the disguises are shed, then both the rich and the poor will be revealed. (Seventh Discourse on Lazarus) I grieve and am sick, seeing how rare virtue has become among us and how, on the contrary, vice is intensifying from day to day, how neither the fear of Gehenna stops our desire for evil, nor the love of the kingdom carries us on the path of virtue, but we are all, so to speak, drawn like animals, not thinking at all about that terrible hour, nor about the laws given to us from God, on the contrary, considering only the opinions of people and chasing behind their praises, we don’t even want to hear what the Gospel says: “As much as you can believe, glory comes from man, but glory does not come from God alone” (John 5:44). For just as those who seek human glory completely lose heavenly glory, so, on the contrary, those who seek this glory do not lose that one. And the Lord Himself had already said: seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:35); that is, whoever seeks the kingdom, everything else follows. For whoever has soared there with his mind looks at real well-being with disdain, as if it did not exist. The eyes of faith, when they see these ineffable blessings, no longer notice the visible blessings; such is the distance between these and other goods! But I don’t see anyone who would prefer invisible blessings to visible ones, therefore I grieve and am constantly sick at heart, because experience itself has not taught us, neither the promises of God nor the great gifts have disposed us to turn with love to the kingdom; on the contrary, while still lingering in the valley, we prefer earthly things to heavenly things, temporary things to the future, disappearing before their appearance to the permanent ones, the transitory pleasure of unceasing joy, the short-term happiness of present life to bliss. endless eternity. I know you hate to hear this, but I'm sorry. I say this out of concern for your salvation and wishing that you would rather suffer a little trouble here and get rid of eternal punishment, than, having enjoyed a little here, be subjected to eternal torment. I ask you to arouse your mind, and let everyone examine himself - whether he has done anything good in the past, whether he has received any benefit from these continuous instructions, whether he has arranged anything for the good of his neighbor, whether he has corrected any of his shortcomings, whether from our daily exhortations he has received any encouragement for wisdom; and if you have done any good deeds, let him take care of their increase and never stop this wonderful care. If anyone sees himself still in the power of a sinful habit and still in the same sins, do violence to his soul, demand an account of such carelessness and do not let it continue any longer, but, having ceased to obey the sinful habit, stop its desire, curb its thoughts, bring to mind that terrible day. (On the Book of Genesis) If anyone considers our real deeds, he will see what benefit sorrow brings. Now, while enjoying the world, we have become weak, lazy and filled the Church with thousands of evils. When they endured persecution, then they were more chaste, more well-behaved, more zealous and more diligent both in these meetings and in listening to them. What fire is to gold, so is sorrow to the soul; she erases the filth from it, makes it clean, bright and clear. Sorrow leads into the kingdom, and carefree life leads into Gehenna, therefore the path to the kingdom is narrow, but the path to Gehenna is long. (On the Epistle to the Corinthians) Neither the greatness of power, nor the abundance of money, nor the vastness of power, nor physical strength, nor a luxurious table, nor luxurious clothes, nor other human advantages bring complacency and joy; but this can only be the fruit of spiritual well-being and a good conscience. He who has a clear conscience, although he is dressed in rags, although he struggles with hunger, is more complacent than those living luxuriously; but he who is aware of the bad in himself, although surrounded by heaps of money, is the poorest of all. (On the Epistle to the Romans) Although I do not know what each of us has ever sinned, there are so many sins that someone who does not know everything can completely point out many of them. Who among you has not been lazy in prayer? Who wasn't proud? Who hasn't been vain? Who hasn't said an insulting word to his brother? Who did not allow an evil wish? Who hasn't looked with shameless eyes? Who has not remembered the enemy with indignation of spirit and filled his heart with arrogance? If, while in church, we became guilty of great sins in a short time, then what will we be like when we leave here? If there are so many waves in the pier, then when we go out into the abyss of evil, i.e. Let's go out to the marketplace, get down to civil affairs and household chores, then will we even be able to recognize ourselves. (On the Gospel of Matthew) If you bring your gift to the altar, and remember that one, as your brother has something for you, leave your gift before the altar, and go first, humble yourself with your brother, and then come and bring your gift (Matthew 5:23,24). O goodness! O unspeakable love for humanity! The Lord commands that worship of Him be abandoned for the sake of love for one’s neighbor; what meekness can compare with that expressed in these words! Let, He says, your service to Me be interrupted, if only your love may be preserved. (On the Gospel of Matthew) Do not fix your gaze on the face of the person lying down, for this will arouse in you a sorrowful passion; but raise your thought from what lies down to heaven. This lying corpse is not your son, but the one who flew away and ascended to an immeasurable height. So, when you see closed eyes, closed lips and a motionless body, do not think about this, that these lips speak no more, these eyes no longer see, these legs no longer walk and everything turns to decay - do not think about this, but that these lips will speak better, these eyes will see better and greater things, these legs will one day rush through the clouds and this disintegrating body will be clothed in immortality, and you will again receive a son, but a better and brighter one. If what you see causes you pain, say to yourself: this is clothing, and he threw it off in order to get it again, but more valuable; This is a house, but it is being destroyed in order to make it brighter. (On the Epistle to the Corinthians)