Conversation on ordination to the priesthood

“Discourse on the ordination of a presbyter” (4 chapters) delivered by St. John Chrysostom in Antioch upon his ordination to the priesthood by Bishop Flavian on the eve of Great Lent in 386. Thanking God for the talent he was given as a preacher, St. John delivers a word of praise to his community, not missing the opportunity to praise the deceased Bishop Meletius and express deep gratitude to Bishop Flavian. According to the saint, a priest should not unrestrainedly indulge in mortification of the flesh, but be moderate in everything. *The title of the work in Greek is `λδβλθυοτεΟτε πρεσβύτερος προεχειρίσθη. *The title of the essay in Latin is Sermo cum presbyter fuit ordinatus. Pronounced by St. John in Antioch after his ordination as a presbyter by Flavian, Bishop of Antioch, at the beginning of 386 A.D. In the title it is called the first, that is, of all those spoken from the church pulpit, a conversation “about himself, and about the bishop, and about the multitude of the people.” 1. Is it really true what happened to me? Did what happened really happen, and am I not deceived? Is the present neither night nor a dream, but really day, and we are all awake? Who would believe that during the day, when people were awake and awake, a humble and despised youth was elevated to such a height of power? It would not be at all strange for this to happen at night. Then others, deformed in body and not even having the necessary food, fell asleep and saw themselves slender and beautiful and enjoying the royal meal, but these ideas were a dream and a deception of dreams. This is the nature of dreams: they are inventive and whimsical and entertain with strange amusements. But during the day and in reality no one will see this happen so easily. And now it has happened, has come true and has happened, as you see, everything that is more incredible than dreams: both the city, so great and populous, and the wonderful and great people rushed to my humility, as if hoping to hear from me something great and important. But, even if I flowed like never-ending rivers, and my mouth contained sources of speech, and then, with such a multitude flocking to listen, the stream, out of fear, would immediately stop at me and rush its waters back; and when I do not have not only rivers and springs, but also a meager drop, then how can I not be afraid that this small stream will not dry up, drying up from fear, and that the same thing will not happen that usually happens to bodies? What happens to bodies? Often holding many things in our hands and squeezing them with our fingers, we are frightened and drop everything, due to the relaxation of our nerves and loss of bodily strength. This, I’m afraid, would not have happened today with my soul, and with great difficulty the thoughts I collected for you, although small and meager, having fallen into oblivion out of fear, would not have disappeared and would not have flown away, leaving my mind empty. Therefore, I ask all of you in general, superiors and subordinates, that you, just as much as you brought fear into me by coming to listen, instill in me courage by diligence in prayers, and beg him who gives “the word of good tidings with much power” (Ps. 67:12) to give me “the word for the opening of the mouth” (Eph. 6:19). For you, so many and great, it is certainly not difficult to again strengthen the soul of one young man, weakened by fear; and it would be fair if you fulfilled this request of mine, since for you I decided to accept this lot, for you and your love, which is nothing stronger and more powerful, which convinced me, not very experienced in eloquence, to speak and forced me to enter the field of teaching, although I had never acted in such a field before, but was always among the listeners and enjoyed calm silence. But who is so stern and uncommunicative that your meeting will pass in silence, and, having found those who are ardently willing to listen, will not say anything to them, even if he were the most silent of all people? So, intending to speak in church for the first time, I wanted to dedicate the beginnings of the introduction to God, who gave us this language; it should be so; because not only the firstfruits of the threshing floor and the grindstone, but also the firstfruits of words must be dedicated to the Word, even the firstfruits of words much more than the firstfruits of sheaves. Moreover, this fruit is both more characteristic of us and more pleasant to the most revered God. Clusters and ears of corn grow in the bowels of the earth, feed the streams of rain and cultivate the hands of farmers: and the sacred song gives birth to the piety of the soul, cultivates a good conscience, and is received by God into the heavenly treasuries. But as much as the soul is better than the earth, so is this growth better than that. Therefore, one of the prophets, a wonderful and great man - Hosea his name - inspires those who have offended God and those who want to appease Him, so that they do not sacrifice herds of oxen and not so many and so many measures of flour, not a turtledove and a dove and not anything else like that, but what? “Take with you,” he says, “words” (Hosea 14:3). What kind of sacrifice is a word? - Maybe someone will say. The greatest, beloved, and the most precious, and the best of all others. Who says this? The one who truly and best knows this is the valiant and great David. Once offering a sacrifice of gratitude for the victory won in the war, he said this: “I will praise the name of my God with a song: I will magnify Him in praise” (Ps. 69:31). Then, showing us the superiority of this sacrifice, he added: “And God will be more pleased with a young calf, wearing out its horns and showing its horns” (Ps. 68:32). So, today I also wanted to make these sacrifices and stain the spiritual altar with the blood of these offerings; but what should I do? One wise man stops my mouth and frightens me with the words: “praise is not beautiful in the mouth of a sinner” (Sir. 15:9). Just as in wreaths, not only the flowers must be clean, but also the hand that twists them; So in sacred songs, not only the words, but also the soul that weaves them should be pious. But for me it is not pure, has no boldness and is filled with many sins. But people of this nature are silenced not only by this law, but also by another, the most ancient and established before it. And this law was introduced by David, who was now talking with us about sacrifices; for having said: “Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest,” and a little later he said: “Praise the Lord from the earth” (Ps. 149: 1, 7), and having called on both creatures, above and below, sensory and mental, visible and invisible, located above the sky and under the sky, and from both of them, forming one choir, and so commanding to praise the King of all, he nowhere He did not call the sinner, but even here he closed the doors against him. 2. And to make my words clearer to you, I will first read you the psalm itself. “Praise the Lord from heaven,” he says, “praise Him in the highest: praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His powers” ​​(Ps. 149:1-2). Do you see the praising angels, do you see the archangels, do you see the cherubim and seraphim - these highest powers? For when he says: “all His Powers,” he means the whole heavenly host. But do you see the sinner here? How, you say, can he appear in heaven? Let's go, let's bring you to the ground, moving you to another part of the choir; and here again you won’t see him. “Praise the Lord from the earth, serpents and all the deeps: beasts and all cattle, creeping things and birds of the feather” (Ps. 149: 7,10). It was not in vain and not without reason that I fell silent at these words; The thoughts in my mind were confused and I had to cry bitterly and sigh heavily. What could be, tell me, more worthy of pity? Scorpions, and snakes, and dragons are called to the praise of Him who created them; one sinner is excluded from this sacred choir; and fair. Sin is an evil and ferocious beast, not only showing anger towards the creatures that serve it, but pouring out the poison of malice towards the glory of the Lord: “for your sake,” says the Lord, “my name is blasphemed among the nations” (Is. 52:5, Rom. 2:24). Therefore, the prophet expelled the sinner from the universe, as if from the sacred fatherland, and sent him into exile. So an excellent musician cuts off the discordant string from a harmonious cithara so that it does not upset the harmony of other sounds; So a skilled doctor cuts off a rotten member so that the infection from it does not spread to other healthy members. The prophet did the same, cutting off the sinner from the whole body of creatures, like a discordant string and like a rotten member. What should I do? Since I am rejected and cut off, then, of course, I must remain silent. So, tell me, should I shut up? Will no one really allow me to praise our Lord, and I asked for your prayers in vain, resorted to your patronage in vain? No, not in vain. I found, I found another way of praise, through your prayers, which, amid this bewilderment, shone like lightning in the darkness; I will praise my co-workers. You can also praise your co-workers; and when they are praised, then the glorification, of course, will pass to the Lord. And that he is glorified in this way is demonstrated by Christ Himself in the words: “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Here is another way of glorifying that a sinner can use and not break the law. 3. So whom, which of my fellow listeners should I praise? Who else if not the common teacher of the fatherland 1, but through the fatherland and the whole universe? Just as he taught you to stand for the truth to the death, so you taught other people to rather give up their lives than their piety. Do you want us to weave crowns of praise out of this for him? I wish I could too; but I see an immeasurable abyss of exploits, and I am afraid that the word, having descended into the depths, will not be powerless to return to the top. It would be necessary to count ancient deeds - journeys, vigils, worries, councils, struggles, trophies after trophies and victories, deeds that surpass not only my, but also every human language, requiring an apostolic voice, moved by the Spirit, which can speak and teach about everything. But, passing this area, let’s turn to another, safer one, which can be crossed in a small boat. Let's talk about abstinence and tell how he enslaved his belly, how he despised luxury, how he rejected a rich meal, and, moreover, being brought up in a noble house. It is not at all surprising when someone who lived in poverty begins such a wretched and harsh life; in poverty itself he has a companion and accomplice who daily eases this burden for him; but whoever owned wealth does not find it easy to escape from its shackles; such a multitude of ailments surrounds his soul, that is, passions that, like a thick and dark cloud, blocking the eyes of the mind, do not allow him to look at the sky, but force him to bow down and look at the ground. No, there is nothing else that would hinder the procession to heaven so much as wealth and the troubles that come from wealth. This is not my word, but the sentence pronounced by Christ Himself, Who said: “It is easier for me to pass through the ears of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). But this inconvenient, or better yet, impossible has become possible; and what Peter was once perplexed about before the Teacher and wanted to know, we all actually knew, and even more; for this man not only ascended to heaven himself, but also brings so many people here, although in addition to wealth he had other, no less obstacles - youth and premature orphanhood, which can even more darken any human soul: such is their charm, such is their poison! He triumphed over them too, and rushed to heaven, and clung to the wisdom there, did not think about the splendor of real life and did not look at the celebrity of his ancestors, or rather, he looked at the celebrity of his ancestors - not those who are connected with him by natural necessity, but those who are close to him by pious mood. That's why he became like this. He looked at the patriarch Abraham, looked at the great Moses, who was raised in the royal house, enjoyed a sumptuous meal and moved among the noise of Egypt (and you know what barbarians are, how they are filled with pride and vanity), but, neglecting all this, voluntarily switched to clay and linfo-making - the king and the royal son wished to be among the slaves and captives. Therefore, he returned in a more brilliant form than he had previously had and rejected. After fleeing and serving with his father-in-law and after disasters abroad, he returned as the ruler of the king, or better, the god of the king: “I have given you,” says the Lord, “a god to Pharaoh” (Ex. 7:1). And he was more glorious than the king, not having a diadem, not putting on scarlet and not riding in a golden chariot, but trampling all this pomp; for “all glory,” it says (in Scripture), “is within the king’s daughter” (Ps. 44:14). He returned with a scepter, with which he commanded not only people, but the sky, and the earth, and the sea, and the nature of air and water, lakes, springs and rivers; for the elements became all that Moses desired; in his hands the creature was transformed, and, like some obedient slave who saw her master’s friend come, she obeyed and obeyed him in everything, as if she were the Master himself. Looking at him, this man became like this, and, moreover, being like this, if only he was ever young; I don't believe it; - he had such an senile mind from the very swaddling clothes. But even when he was young in age, he embraced all wisdom and, having learned that our nature is like a field overgrown with forest, he easily cut off spiritual illnesses with the word of piety, as if with some kind of sickle, presenting the farmer with a clean field for sowing seeds, and, accepting all these seeds, introduced them into the depths, so that they, rooted from below, would not suffer from the heat of the sun’s rays and would not be suppressed by thorns. So he cultivated his soul, and tamed the lusts of the flesh with the medicines of abstinence, placing on the body, as if on some disobedient horse, the bridle of fasting, and restrained it to such an extent that he stained the very lips of the lusts with blood, with due moderation, however; for he did not strain his body too much, so that the horse tied by fetters would not turn out to be unfit for his service, and did not allow him to fall into excessive obesity, so that it, having become too fleshy, would not rebel against the mind that ruled him, but took care of both his health and decency. And not only in his youth was he like this, but even after passing this age, he did not stop such caring; on the contrary, even now, when he is in old age, as if in a quiet haven, he continues to observe the same care. Indeed, youth, beloved, is like a furious sea, full of fierce waves and stormy winds; and gray hair brings the souls of the aged into a serene haven, allowing them to enjoy the security characteristic of this age. Enjoying it now and being, as I said above, in the pier, this husband is no less worried about those who are overwhelmed in the middle of the sea; He learned such fear from Paul, who, even after he ascended to heaven and, having crossed the next one after him, even reached the third heaven, said: I am afraid, “lest, if I preach to others, I myself will be turned away” (1 Cor. 9:27). Therefore, this man keeps himself in constant fear in order to constantly be in a safe state, and sits at the helm, observing not the rising of the stars, not the pitfalls and rocks, but the attacks of demons and the wiles of the devil, and the rebellion of thoughts, and, walking around his army, he keeps everyone safe. He not only makes sure that the boat does not sink, but takes all measures to ensure that none of the sailors experience any anxiety. Thanks to him and his wisdom, we are all sailing safely, with the sails of the ship fully unfurled. 4. When we lost our previous father 2, who gave birth to this one too, our situation was difficult. That’s why we cried bitterly, as if not hoping that this throne would receive another such husband. But when this man appeared and stood in the middle, he dispersed all our despondency, like a cloud, and dispelled all sorrows, stopping our crying, not gradually, but suddenly, as if that blessed one himself, having risen from the grave, had again ascended to this throne. However, carried away by the exploits of our father, I imperceptibly continued the conversation beyond the measure, not beyond the measure of his exploits - I had not yet begun to talk about them - but beyond the measure that is appropriate for my youth. Let us stop the conversation, as if at a pier, with silence. Although she does not want to stop, but with murmur and indignation she wants to fully enjoy the flowers (of eloquence); but, children, this is impossible. Let us stop chasing the unattainable; For our consolation, what has been said is enough. This also happens with precious ointments: not only when someone spills them from a vessel, but also when he touches its outer surface with his fingers, they dissolve in the air and shower everyone present with a fragrance; the same thing happened now, not by the power of my words, but by the valor of this man’s exploits. Let us depart, let us depart, turning to prayers: let us pray that our common mother (the church) will remain unshakable and motionless, and that this father, teacher, shepherd, helmsman, will live for many years. If you deign any attention to me (for I do not dare to put myself on a par with the priests, as “monsters” cannot be considered on a par with the fully-born), - if you deign me at all to any attention, at least as a kind of “monster” (1 Cor. 15:8), then pray for sending me great help from above. I needed protection before, when I lived a quiet life on my own; when I am brought to the middle, I do not say how, whether by human assistance or Divine grace; I’m not discussing this with you, lest someone say that I’m speaking feignedly, but when I was brought out and took upon myself this strong and heavy yoke, then I need many helping hands, I need countless prayers so that I can return the deposit intact to the Master who gave it on the day when those who received the talents will be named and brought and will have to give an account of them. So pray that I may not be one of those bound and cast into darkness (utter darkness), but one of those who will receive at least a little condescension, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, and dominion, and worship forever and ever. Amen. Flavian, Bishop of Antioch. St. Meletius, Flavian's predecessor at the episcopal see in Antioch. You might be interested in: