The life of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople and his pastoral activity

Chapter I II III IV V VI VII The fourth century of Christianity was an extraordinary century. During this century, the horizon of church life was constantly illuminated by great luminaries who received the names of the great universal Fathers and Teachers of the Church. As soon as one luminary began to lean towards the west, another was approaching noon, and the third was already appearing in the east. When Anthony the Great, who illuminated the path to heaven for thousands of desert dwellers with his gracious words and the example of his holy life, was already leaning towards the west, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria stood at the very height of noon, already adorned with the crown of a confessor, and from this height, dispelling the darkness of Arian errors, illuminated the entire Eastern Church with the light of right teaching. At the same time (in 347), two other great ecclesiastical luminaries, St. Gregory the Theologian and St. Basil the Great, already stood quite high on the horizon of church life - at the age of 17 they had already studied at the Caesarea school, and showed great promise with their extraordinary talents and their desire for Christian piety. The head of the holy Orthodox Church, our Lord Jesus Christ, who saw how long these rising luminaries must exist on earth so that the church heaven would not remain in darkness, brought to the horizon in the same year a new luminary, St. John. This universal teacher, who was called Chrysostom, the mouth of Christ and the mouth of God, for his amazing power and irresistible eloquence, was born in Antioch, the capital city of Syria and the entire east, in 347 A.D. Parents of St. John were Christians and belonged to the best Antiochian society. Secundus, his father, occupied one of the honorable places in the department of the chief commander of all the troops stationed in Syria. Anfusa, Chrysostom's mother, was distinguished by excellent qualities of soul and heart, especially living faith, strong love and amazing piety. It seems that nothing was lacking to the happiness of this family. Surrounded by wealth and honors, distinguished by fear of God and piety, it could hope for undisturbed peace and prosperity; but human happiness is never perfect and lasting. Seconds, at the very time when happiness was especially favorable to him, he was suddenly struck by death and, leaving the earth, left on it a young widow, twenty years old, with a young daughter and son resting in the cradle. Left with two young children among people who were mostly unjust and corrupt, burdened with the worries of managing the house and raising children, Anfusa vividly felt the misfortune that struck her. Despite her living faith and sincere piety, she could not, however, restrain herself from tears - and Secunda, her husband, mourned bitterly and for a long time: but at the same time she reverently honored the inscrutable destinies of God’s Providence and, with childlike obedience, surrendered to His holy will. In the misfortunes that befall us, we often murmur against Providence, but our murmur always reveals either our blindness or injustice. And all this comes from the fact that we often do not want and cannot understand the sad circumstances that meet us with their beneficial consequences, and even more often we do not want to understand that every event will work for the good of those who love the Lord. Such good beliefs did not deviate from Anfusa and strengthened her in such a terrible test. In the full bloom of youth and beauty, generously endowed with all the gifts of happiness, and at the same time adorned with excellent qualities of mind and heart, she, without a doubt, could enter into a new marriage; but after the misfortune that struck her, nothing in the world captivated her. Anfusa well understood the emptiness of worldly pleasures and did not hesitate in choosing a fortune. Supported by the teachings of the Apostle, consoled in her misfortune by her son, in whose features she found great resemblance to the noble expressions of the face of her late husband, and even more guarded and guided by the invisible hand of Providence, she decided to remain forever in her widowhood, and by the grace of God, she remained unshakable among all the storms and anxieties of the world. Imbued with the importance of the sacred duties of a mother, assigned to her by the Providence of God, Anfusa directed all her strength towards their thorough fulfillment. The consequence of such determination was that the first years of St. John spent time under the supervision of his God-fearing mother, and from her he received his first saving lessons in Christian truths and Christian piety. Of course, she, following the example of many, could entrust the responsibilities of raising children to others, but no one could fulfill these duties so well, as natural, as pleasant for the mother, on the attentiveness and inattention of the fulfillment of which, for the most part, the happy or unhappy future of the children depends. Anfusa understood this well, and therefore she took up the responsibility of raising children with such zeal, and fulfilled it with such success that she became an object of surprise not only for Christians, but even for the pagans themselves. Livanius, a famous pagan in his time, listened to the story of St. John about his parents, exclaimed: “What amazing wives Christians have” 1! St. John followed with such zeal the saving instructions and example of his mother’s pious life that, at the very tender age of her first youth, he was already her greatest joy and consolation. Strength and constancy were the main qualities of his character. The living seed of the evangelical faith, planted in the soul of John from the first years of his childhood, growing in him every year through the action of grace, the pious instructions of his mother and the diligent reading of St. The Scriptures already showed in him those rare and excellent qualities of mind and heart, which later made him a great and holy Hierarch of the Church. Happy are the children who have such mothers! Happy are the mothers who have such children! However, while engaged in the initial upbringing of children, Anfusa did not lose attention to household affairs, the consequence of which was that she not only preserved intact all the property left after the death of Secundus, but also increased it, using for raising her son what she received from her parents upon marriage. If St. John did not show any special inclination or special abilities for scientific education, then his mother, Anfusa, of course could have completed his education with home education, which was enough to make him a kind and reasonable Christian. But since St. the boy showed extraordinary talents and zeal for science, then his loving and caring mother took care to provide him with the best mentors; and this was not difficult for her to achieve, both because the most learned mentors in all branches of science were gathered in Antioch, and because the rich inheritance left after her father and which actually belonged to her, provided complete opportunity for this. The previously established Christian schools were closed by the apostate Julian, and new ones had not yet been formed, so Anfusa was forced to send her son to pagan schools for further education. However, this circumstance did not inspire the pious mother with any fears for the boy. In the heart of St. John's faith in God with love for Him was already firmly implanted; In addition, he dearly loved his mother and, since he still had a pure soul, unsullied by any sinful inclination or habit, he turned to her with childish frankness. And this frankness gave the mother complete opportunity to monitor the movements of her son’s will and his heartfelt inclinations in order to give them the best direction. In the schools of St. John studied all the sciences of school education with full zeal; but mostly paid attention to eloquence. And the successes he made in the sciences, and especially in eloquence, were so great that not only his comrades, but also the most experienced teachers and judges of verbal art were amazed at him. Livanius himself, the most famous sophist at that time, happy and proud to have such a student, wanting to give some sophists, his friends, an idea of ​​​​his extraordinary talents, read in their presence a speech written by St. John in praise of the emperors 2. At the end of the reading, everyone unanimously applauded, and Livanius exclaimed in delight: “Happy is the writer who knows how to glorify emperors like this!” “But the emperors are also happy because they reign at a time when the world has such an amazing writer!” - This sophist left another proof of the high concept that he had about the knowledge and eloquence of St. John. Before his death, to the question of his friends: who would he like to have as his successor? replied that he would have chosen John if Christians had not kidnapped him 3. After completing his studies in verbal sciences, St. John, to complete his education in external sciences, went to the then famous philosopher Andragathius and listened to philosophy lessons from him 4 . Andragathius's instructions in philosophy greatly contributed to the discovery and improvement in John of the observational mind, a clear and correct view of the subjects that distinguish his writings. But how difficult it is for a young man, rich, learned, eloquent, sincerely and deeply revered by mentors, comrades, and the whole society, surrounded by incessant praise, to keep his heart from being seduced by the deceptive shine of vanity and vanity! With constant fear, the soul is embarrassed for him, so that he, like a ship set out to sea without sails, without a helmsman, without sailors, does not crash into the pitfalls of passions that are captivating for youth. But John knew how, with the help of God, to avoid all this. Guided by the instructions and example of his mother’s pious life, despite his brilliant success in everything, he was always humble, simple and modest. His clothes were always clean and appropriate to his condition, but without luxury and without any sophistication; one could never notice in his movements, in his gait and treatment of others, the sophistication and desire to express himself, which always serve as a sign of an easy mind and an unreasonable person. While some of his comrades, who studied with him, some appeared at the school riding on a richly decorated horse, others in magnificent chariots, or surrounded by a crowd of servants or slaves, the son of Secundus sometimes came there alone, or accompanied by only one servant. It was in vain that his father's friends urged him to purchase a carriage suitable to his birth and his condition. “I don’t want to submit to the prejudices of others,” he answered, “I can do without these excesses, I don’t like either brilliance or luxury, which neither reason nor the teaching of inspired writers can approve. The Word of God says: everyone who exalts himself will humble himself, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” During his stay in the schools, he formed close bonds of friendship with some of his schoolfellows; the more famous of them were: Theodore, later bishop of Mopsuet, Maximus, then bishop of Seleucia of Isauria, and especially Basil, who was consecrated bishop of Raphane in Syria. These new friends, studying the same sciences, similar in character and intentions, supported each other in the pursuit of virtue. Living among the pagan world, their main occupation was the Lord Jesus and the study of His divine rules contained in the Gospel 5. They constantly practiced Christian virtues. St. John was especially distinguished by his modesty and constancy of love. All his actions contained so much wisdom, forbearance and piety that everyone who knew him sincerely loved him. But finally, Anfusa’s son reached the age of eighteen, the course of study ended, and he already gained fame for his eloquence and extraordinary talents. The time has come for him to choose public service, an extremely important time in a person’s life; because his entire future, the happiness or misfortune of his entire life, often depends on this. Whether by his own desire, or on the advice of teachers, or one of his friends, St. John first turned his attention to the courts, and chose for himself the title of lawyer. Indeed, no one could exercise as successfully in this field as he did. A happy memory, extraordinary straightforwardness and honesty of character, a vivid imagination, nobility of manner, free expression of thoughts, especially love of justice, could promise him brilliant success ahead. And he took up this matter with all zeal, and in a short time gained fame among lawyers. But what good will human glory be if the soul is lost? And how difficult it is, living in the midst of the world, not to be captivated by the deceptive shine of the various pleasures of the world, or not to be carried away by the stream of vain customs and bad examples! People for the most part blindly follow the example of others; at first with disgust, as if fighting the reproaches of their conscience, then they do the same out of respect for the people around them, then little by little they become closer to all kinds of evil, and finally they reach the point where, completely without fear and without reproaches of conscience, they decide to do what they previously considered the greatest crime for themselves. Something similar happened to John. New connections with certain people, success in business, prejudices in favor of the customs of the society to which he belonged so scattered his soul, hitherto peaceful and concentrated, that the son of Anthusa soon lost his former heartfelt attraction to reading St. Scripture, in which I found the greatest consolation since childhood; works of piety and exercise in them no longer delighted him as much as before - he looked elsewhere for joys and pleasures. Following the general custom, he visited spectacles and other places, whose harmful influence on morality he later depicted with such force. But let us listen to his own story about his misfortunes. “I had many sincere and faithful friends, who knew and strictly observed the laws of friendship. But out of many, one surpassed all the others in his love for me, and was as different from them in his disposition towards me as these latter were in comparison with people who did not have any special affection for me. He was always my inseparable companion, we studied the same sciences, listened to the same teachers, practiced eloquence and other sciences with the same willingness and zeal, we had the same desires and stemmed from the same source. And not only at the time when we went to the teachers, but also after leaving school, when it was necessary to consult how best to choose the path of life, and in this case we found ourselves agreeing in our thoughts. In addition, other reasons kept our union inseparable and firm. For we could not exalt one another over the superior glory of the fatherland, nor did it happen that I abounded in wealth, and he lived in extreme poverty; but the measure of our property was as equal as our feelings. But when my friend, truly blessed, decided to devote himself to monastic life and true philosophy, then the balance of our life was lost. His lot, due to its ease, was exalted, but I, still carried away by worldly desires, humiliated my lot, brought it down, burdened with youthful dreams. Although our friendship remained strong after that, the community union was dissolved. For it was impossible for those who had different desires to live together.”6 But, fortunately, the blindness did not last long. The grace of God often aroused in him internal dissatisfaction with his life and a desire for a quiet life, devoted to spiritual exploits and reflection on Divine objects. This pious disposition was supported and strengthened in the soul of St. John by his friend Vasily. Alien to worldly entertainment, devoting all his time to reading holy books and moral self-improvement, Vasily, in conversations with John, convinced him to change his lifestyle and activities, and was sincerely happy when he noticed in his friend the desire to free himself from the shackles of the world. “When I freed myself from the storm of life,” Chrysostom continues, “he received me with open arms. However, even then we could not maintain the previous equality. Carrying out his feat with great zeal, moreover, having anticipated me by time itself, he reached great heights and left me far behind him. But being lenient and valuing my friendship dearly, while he refused to treat all others, he shared all his time with me” 7 . In order to compare in moral perfection with his friend Vasily, Chrysostom from that time began to use extraordinary efforts on himself. Horrified at the thought of the danger in which his soul was, he mourned his blindness and never forgot the gratitude he owed to God, who had rescued him from the danger of eternal destruction. His conversion to God was complete; he decided to devote himself entirely to God. From that moment on, he took off his rich secular clothes and, in order to better hide from the pestering of his friends, he dressed in other poor clothes 8 black. Such clothing was worn by those Christians of the first centuries who, leaving everything worldly, wanted to lead a most perfect life, an ascetic life. Thus, St. Chrysostom solemnly renounced all worldly vanity and completely abandoned himself to self-mortification and mourning his sins. He was confined to his mother's house, and from then on he was almost never seen in public gatherings. He devoted all his time to prayer and reading St. Scripture and meditation on Divine objects 9; He mortified his flesh by fasting and vigil, and for a short time indulged in sleep on the bare ground in order to repay his debt to nature after a long and laborious wakefulness. In vain did his former friends and admirers grumble at him for his solitude, in vain did they laugh at his behavior; St. Chrysostom, completely indifferent to their praise and ridicule, remained true to his intention. A life so concentrated in himself, so laborious and so holy in such summers, when people indulge in all entertainments and pleasures, made him worthy to receive St. baptism; but saints always judge themselves much more harshly, and Chrysostom did not yet consider himself worthy of it. In order to better prepare himself to receive the grace of this sacrament, he sometimes visited Bishop Meletius. This famous primate of the Antiochian church, who attracted the hearts of everyone with his meekness and humbleness of mind, having recognized John and noticing the wonderful qualities of his soul, he himself often invited him to his place for spiritual conversation, and in the third year after he recognized him and brought him closer to himself, he performed holy martyrdom on him. baptism 10. Foreseeing with a prophetic spirit the ministry of this young man 11, he took special care to reveal in him knowledge and establish faith in the dogmas of the Orthodox faith and establish his heart on the stone of the commandments of God, and thus prepare him for worthy service in the rank of shepherd of the flock of Christ 12. The grace imparted through the sacrament of baptism did not remain barren in his heart. From that time on, living almost hopelessly in his mother’s house, he used even more vigilance and attentiveness to himself, constantly practicing in reading Divine books, in prayer and feats of self-mortification. According to Palladius, upon receiving the sacrament of baptism, St. John never used oaths, did not speak untruths, did not slander, did not wish ill-will, and did not allow himself to ridicule or even joke about his neighbors 13 . Three years after baptism (in 370), he was made a reader. But, despite the deep solitude in which St. lived. John, he did not stop his friendly relations with his former friends, Maxim, Fedor and Vasily. This latter was so attached to him that he could not live without him; he was even ready to sacrifice his life for him. When he was reproached for sacrificing his honor to save the unfairly insulted honor of Chrysostom; Vasily answered those who slandered: “What should we do? “I don’t know how to love otherwise, except by sacrificing my life where I must save a dying friend” 14. These two young ascetics, united by the closest bonds of friendship, communicated their thoughts, feelings and desires to each other, and learned together true wisdom; They often talked about Divine objects, about the danger of worldly life for the salvation of the soul, about the vanity of what people call wealth and greatness, and especially about the inner bliss that people experience who lead a truly pious life according to the rules of monastic life. In these heartfelt conversations, Vasily, out of a feeling of sincere friendly love, did not want to be separated from St. John, strongly urged him to leave separate dwellings, both to live together, and in solitude to indulge in the exploits of monastic life. St. John, who had long thirsted for a higher moral life, easily swayed to the convictions of his friend 15. But, respecting his mother’s caring and tender love, and highly appreciating his parents’ blessing as a very important aid in any good undertaking, he did not want to decide on this feat without her consent. But when Anfusa, his mother, found out about his intention to leave her house for monastic life, she burst into tears and began to tell him: “for all my care I ask for one gratitude - not to make me a widow a second time, and not to ignite the grief that has already died out again. Be patient until my death; Maybe my life won’t last long. Those who blossom in 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 as you wish. Then no one will interfere. But as long as I breathe, do not be separated from me. Do not unnecessarily incur the wrath of God upon yourself by leaving me to be a victim of great calamities, while I am not guilty of anything before you. If I have given you a reason to blame me for involving you in the vanities of life, and forcing you to take care of your and my needs, then run from me, as they run from ill-wishers, as from enemies, forgetting the laws of nature and the labors of education, and the skill of hitherto inseparable treatment, and everything else. But if I do everything on my part to remove from you the slightest concern about the needs of life, then if nothing else, at least let these bonds bind you to me. 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” 16. The mother's words, combined with tears, held St. John in his father's house. Moving away from idle societies and soul-corrupting conversations, St. John did not shy away from instructive conversations with a few of his friends, and especially with Vasily, whose moral mood agreed with the mood of John’s soul. But while these young zealots of the highest spiritual perfection, in the silence of solitude, indulged in the study of the true wisdom contained in the writings of inspired writers, and with all their might they strived for the highest perfection of evangelical purity, the Church of Antioch, which had long been divided into parts by schism and heresies, experienced new sorrow from the persecution raised against Meletius, its legitimate shepherd. Valens, an impious zealot of the Arian heresy, arrived in Antioch and began to persecute Orthodox Christians, 17 forcing everyone to accept the Arian teaching. But seeing the futility of his persecution, in the heat of blinded hatred, he condemned Meletius 18 to exile and imprisonment, who, despite any threats, remained faithful to Orthodoxy and a undaunted defender of his distressed flock. The people, irritated by the abduction of a deeply revered and beloved shepherd from them, were outraged by such a brutal act, and began to throw stones in large numbers at the official who was taking him away. The one sent from the emperor could have been in great danger if the great saint, in his usual meekness and mercy, had not covered him with his mantle. After the expulsion of St. Meletius, for the Orthodox flock of Antioch, Carterius and Diodorus, former abbots of monasteries located near Antioch, remained teachers. Diodorus, with extensive enlightenment, with a fiery zeal for the Gospel truth, moved every day from one house to another to console and strengthen the orphaned children of Orthodoxy, and lived with selflessness 19. St. went to these great teachers of Christian philosophy, Carterius and Diodorus. John with his school friends, Fyodor, Maxim and Vasily, and studied with them, especially with Diodorus, who wrote many interpretive discourses on St. Scripture, both monastic life and the correct understanding of the word of God. The consequence of the persecution of the Orthodox by Valens was that other Orthodox bishops were exiled to prison along with Meletius. The bishops who remained in their places hurried to fill the vacant sees with persons distinguished not only by their pious life, but also by their wisdom in speech; since Orthodox bishops needed to repel heretical errors with the power of the word, armed with a deep knowledge of the word of God, and partly with philosophy and dialectics. Despite the solitary and modest life of St. John and Basil, the fame of their virtues and talents spread far beyond the borders of Antioch; Therefore, it was proposed by the bishops to elevate them to the abolished sees. The rumor of the people, always running ahead of the matter itself, touched their ears and disturbed their peace of mind. This is how St. himself talks about it. Zlatoust: “The rumor that suddenly arose outraged both of us. Rumors spread that they intended to elevate us to the rank of bishop. As soon as I heard this news, fear and bewilderment overwhelmed me. Fear: I was afraid that they would take me against my will. Perplexity: - I thought every minute and could not figure out how people could have such a high opinion of me: for, turning to myself, I did not find anything that would deserve this dignity. What about my hermit? He came to me secretly, and having told me this news in private, as if for news that had not yet been heard by me, he asked me in the present case to act and think in the same way, as before, assuring that he, for his part, was ready to follow me, no matter what path I chose: whether I decided to flee, or agreed to be elected. From this very fact, seeing his readiness and thinking that I would cause damage to the entire Church if, conscious only of my weakness, I distracted the young man, so worthy and so capable of leading people, from the flock of Christ, this time I did not reveal my intentions to him, although before I had not hidden a single thought from him. But having said that the meeting on this subject should be postponed until another time and there was no need to rush, he immediately convinced him not to worry at all and firmly rely on me that I would not betray him in any way if something like that really happened to us” 20. Encouraged by these words, Vasily calmed down and parted with John in the firm confidence that he would not betray him. When the one who was supposed to ordain them as bishops arrived, Basil was called to the assembly for another reason, and St. John disappeared. Vasily, not suspecting anything, without resistance came to where he was, we call. But when he found out the real reason, he burst into tears, refused the proposed dignity, as a burden exceeding his strength, and begged to have pity on his weakness. But one of those present, who knew about his friendly relations with John, said: “It will be unfair when the one whom everyone considered an arrogant person (by this they meant St. John) humbly submits to the judgment of the fathers, and this one, distinguished by prudence and modesty, begins to be proud and vain, showing stubbornness, reluctance, and contradiction” 21. Vasily, concluding from these words about the already expressed consent of St. John, submitted to the will of the fathers, and was ordained bishop of Raphane in Syria. The selection and appointment of such young men (they were not yet thirty years old) to the rank of hierarchs by the dissatisfied gave rise to slander and gossip. Many, carried away by the love of power and ambition, without reflecting on the great significance of this rank, and on those high virtues of mind and heart that are required of the initiate, reproached the voters for partiality towards young men and injustice towards those who spent their whole lives in the difficult feats of monastic life. And those chosen were also slandered, reproaching one for secretive ambition, and the other for pride and vanity, which allegedly expressed itself in refusing the offered honor, which he did not deserve. Knowing all this, Vasily grieved greatly. But his loving heart was struck with incomparably greater sorrow when he learned of his friend’s infidelity and his cunning, which contributed to his election. “He comes to me,” says St. Chrysostom about Vasily, “in deep sadness, sits down next to me, wants to talk, but from the tightness of his heart he cannot pour out his feelings of sorrow in words. As soon as he tried to start speaking, the words died on his lips. Sadness cut off the word before it could escape from the lips. Seeing him in tears and in great embarrassment and knowing the reason for this, I admired with complete pleasure, took his hand, hastened to kiss him, and praised God, who had brought my intention to a good and desired end. Looking at my admiration and joy, he no longer doubted that a trick had been used with him, and this further increased his embarrassment and grief. When the excitement of his soul subsided a little, he began his speech like this: if you have already despised me and do not have the slightest concern for me, at least you should have taken care of preserving your own honor. But now you have opened everyone's mouth; Now everyone says that out of vanity you rejected the service that was awarded to you, and there is not a single person who would turn this accusation away from you. As for me; then I can’t even show myself to the people; everyone reproaches me for not revealing your intentions. But I am ashamed to tell them that I did not know your intention, which you had undertaken for a long time, so that they would not think that our friendship was nothing but hypocrisy. Telling them the truth and explaining the matter as it was is difficult for me. Therefore, I am forced to remain silent, lower my gaze to the ground, shy away and run from those I meet. However, I don't take much care of myself. But how can you bear the insult from other accusers, some of whom find pride in you, others ambition, and the most ruthless ones attribute both to us, adding that we brought disgrace to the voters themselves. I don’t know how to defend myself. I ask you, tell me, what is a sufficient justification to present to our accusers? And what you did unfairly to me, for this I do not repay you at all, neither for your deception, nor for your betrayal, nor for all the goodwill that you have experienced in all previous times. I do not reproach or reproach me for the loneliness in which you left me, interrupting friendly conversations that gave us beyond pleasure and no small benefit... You sent me, like an unladen ship, into an immeasurable sea, without at all imagining those fierce waves with which I must fight. And if it happens that a whirlwind arises from somewhere, and I am overwhelmed, I will be slandered, or ridiculed, or some kind of insult or misfortune; then who will I resort to? Who will I tell my sadness to? You will be far away from this cruel war, so that my voice will not reach your ears. Do you know how great the evil you have done? Do you know, at least now, what a terrible wound you have inflicted on me? But let's leave all this aside. What shall we say to others? How will you defend yourself against their accusations” 22? Vasily's deep sorrow, his unfeigned humility, his fears for the weakness of his faith, his tears, his tender, friendly reproaches could not help but touch the heart of the saint. Chrysostom and the tears cannot be removed from his eyes; but this man with a great soul, moved by faith, inspired by true zeal, in complete control of himself, having suppressed the inner agitation of feelings, decided to respond to the reproaches and complaints of his friend. And there is nothing more excellent, nothing more sublime, like this conversation of St. Chrysostom with Vasily. It expressed all the height of their educated mind, all the non-reproachful purity of their feelings for each other, all the mighty power of eloquence. St. John, with his answers, soon calmed the indignant spirit of his friend, justified his behavior, showed him that by acting this way, he had in mind his own benefit and the benefit of the saint. Church, revealed the groundlessness of the reproaches of slanderers who accused him of pride and vanity. St. Chrysostom, remembering Vasily about the beginning of his friendship with him, about the love that he always had for him, continued his speech and said: “I am ready to give you an account of everything that you accuse and reproach me for. So what am I guilty of before you? - Because he deceived you and hid his intentions? But this served to benefit you and those to whom I betrayed you through this deception. Deception is not always harmful, but it becomes good or bad, depending on the intention of the actors. For deception, well-timed and committed with good intentions, sometimes brings benefits. Count, if you want, starting from the deepest antiquity, military leaders, and you will see that trophies were for the most part the result of military cunning, and those who won greater glory than those who won by open force. since these latter gain the upper hand with a great waste of money and people, so that no benefit remains for them from the victory; and the winners lose no less than the vanquished; - their army is being destroyed, their treasuries are being depleted... And the one who wins by cunning exposes the enemy not only to disaster, but also to ridicule 23. Deception is sometimes needed not only in war with enemies, but also in times of peace with those closest to one’s heart. And that this can be useful not only for those who deceive, but also for those who are deceived, go and ask any of the doctors - and you will hear from them that they are not always satisfied with their art alone, but sometimes they act through deception, and, borrowing help from him, they restore the health of the patient.” If you want to know how my deception benefited you, then listen, I will prove it. “Could this benefit be more important than to fulfill by deed that which serves as proof of love for Christ, according to the words of Christ Himself? So He spoke to the chief of the Apostles: Peter, do you love Me? And when this one confessed his love, he adds: if you love Me, feed My sheep" (John 21:15, 16) 24... Will you still contradict me and say that I did not deceive you with a good purpose, when you are to be appointed by God as a steward of all His property, "and thus in your hands you will have such a thing, through the careful execution of which you will be able to prove your love for the Lord Jesus and deserve the highest reward" 25. “But,” Vasily objected, “don’t you love Christ that you refuse to shepherd His flock?” No, my refusal does not come from a lack of love for the Lord Jesus, but from the consciousness of the insufficiency of my strength to adequately pass this high title. “I am afraid that having received from Christ a healthy and strong flock, I, due to my inexperience, will weaken it and anger God, who loved it to such an extent that he gave a price for its redemption - Himself” 26. But if, Vasily said to this, you were kept from taking on a high rank by the consciousness of your weakness; then for this same reason you should have removed me from this first, even if I strongly strived to achieve it; for from my constant frank conversation with you, you could well know my shortcomings, which prevent me from accepting such an important matter as my responsibility. That is why, answered Chrysostom, I decided to contribute to your elevation, because I knew you well, I knew the spiritual treasure that is hidden in your God-loving soul. To prove this, I will mention some of your virtues. “Pure and sublime Christian love, this chosen treasure, the distinctive property of the disciples of Christ, exceeding all gifts, is deeply planted in your soul and abounds in many fruits 27 ... If you want the experiences of your prudence to be presented, I will proceed to this and prove that you are more prudent than how much you abound in love” 28. To these words, blushing with shame, Vasily replied: “Now let’s leave what concerns me. But if you can say anything in defense of yourself to outside people, I will be happy to listen.” St. Chrysostom, having shown the groundlessness of the accusations brought against him and having fully revealed those high moral and mental qualities that a shepherd of the Church should possess, and those difficulties with which he must sometimes struggle, advised him to always have firm trust in the Lord and promised for his part to do everything that could serve his benefit and consolation. In 381, Basil, along with other fathers, was present at the Council of Constantinople. This saint with great wisdom ruled the flock entrusted to his care, always presenting in his life an example of Orthodoxy and evangelical purity of life. The most excellent conversation between Basil and Chrysostom, as well as the incident that was the reason for this, inspired St. John's idea to write a lengthy essay on the priesthood is one of the most excellent works that has survived intact to this day. In this work, with strength and inimitable eloquence, he reveals the greatness, power and duty of the priest. Holy Scripture, reason, history, nature, everything served him in explaining this subject; a priest, according to him, is a father, judge, teacher, doctor, king, apostle, vicar of God, saint, angel and much more than that. Speaking about the saving fear that every priest should have, he expresses himself with fascinating eloquence, borrowing his comparisons either from the art of war and command of troops, or from navigation and control of a ship. “But what does a war between people and people mean,” he exclaims, when comparing the war between people and demons! How insignificant all the seas with their pitfalls are in relation to the world and its dangers. Anyone reading this book feels imbued with a sense of wonder and reverence for the priesthood, understands that the priest is not an ordinary person, but a being different from others, that he is a mediator between heaven and earth, is a divine person. His importance, his power, his advantage, his occupation inspire respect; his difficult duties, his responsibilities give rise to regret; many different feelings penetrate and fill the heart! The soul alternately moves from surprise to fear, from desire to sorrow, from fear to hope: you love him, you honor him and regret him. St. Isidore Pelusiot, a disciple of Chrysostom, in a letter to Eustathius, tells him regarding the conversation about the priesthood: “I am sending you the book that you asked from me, and I wish that it will bring you as much fruit as it brought everywhere. Reading this book, penetrating the soul, hurts it with divine love. John, this sage, a learned interpreter of the mysteries of God, a lamp for all churches, wrote this book with such prudence and care that all, both those who perform the important duties of the priesthood to spread the glory of the Divine, and those who perform these duties with negligence, will find in it, some food for their piety, others an incentive to correct their misdeeds. This creation of Chrysostom, from its very appearance to our times, in its entirety, retains universal respect. This book at all times brought great consolation to priests who wanted to be enlightened by an accurate knowledge of their duties, and now, as always, it brings the most pleasant and abundant fruits, both in relation to the spread of the Divine glory and the benefit of the Church, and for the salvation of priests and all believers. A year after Vasily’s consecration as bishop, the mother of St. Joanna went to the Lord, having the consolation of seeing her son so strengthened in love for God and the desire to serve Him that she could fearlessly leave him on earth. And St. John, as if wanting to confirm his mother’s hopes for him, feeling free from the bonds that tied him to his parents’ house, decided to immediately go to the mountains inhabited by heavenly people and earthly angels in order to learn from them to live for heaven, despising everything earthly. But, alas! The human will is weak, flexible and fickle! How powerless she is, without the assistance of grace, to bring into reality even what she sincerely desires, and what she apparently decided on with unshakable firmness! Just to wish for good, you need grace; to undertake something good, the assistance of grace is needed, grace is also necessary to bring the intended intention into fulfillment. And with this deep feeling of awareness of his weakness and the need for grace-filled assistance in everything, St. Chrysostom, with the help of God, had complete control. But since his removal to the mountains, promoting his moral improvement, could greatly contribute to both his own salvation and the establishment of piety and the true teaching of St. Church: then the spirit of darkness, the enemy of all good, could not help but hinder him in this intention. And only St. Chrysostom firmly decided to leave the world and hide in the solitude of the mountains; the devil immediately attacked him, striking his soul with all sorts of worries and doubts. Life as a hermit no longer had in his eyes the charm with which it had previously appeared to him: he already looked at it as torture, a martyrdom more cruel than death itself. The undisturbed silence of the desert, the unceasing silence, the deep solitude appeared to him in terrifying images; he was now beginning to be bothered even by things to which he had previously paid no attention. When he decided to leave the city and go to the monks’ cells; then he thought a lot and worried about where he would get what he needed and whether it would be possible for him to eat fresh bread every day; whether they will force him to use the same oil both for consecration and for food; whether he would be forced to eat only vegetables; won’t they put you to hard work, won’t they tell you, for example, to chop and carry wood, carry water and do all the hard work; in a word, he cared a lot about peace 29. But, having recognized in this vain concern for the passing hostile action of the tempter, and trying to dispel these gloomy thoughts, he reasoned: “Just as those who take upon themselves the positions of leaders and management of public affairs, they do not care about peace, but about whether there will be benefit from their service, temporary benefit, and if they can safely hope for this, so they no longer think about labor, nor about dangers, nor about disgrace, nor about humiliating work for them, nor about long journeys, nor about life in a foreign country, nor about grief, nor about torment, nor about changes in circumstances, nor about untimely death, nor about separation from relatives, nor about loneliness of wife and children, nor about any other trouble, but intoxicated by the passion for money, they endure everything through which they only hope to get it. And we, who are destined for not money and not earth, but heaven and heavenly blessings, which the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and has not sighed into the heart of man - we ask about peace; so we are more than those, pathetic and weak-hearted! - We want to go to heaven and receive the kingdom there, - and we ask if there are any difficulties on this road and on this journey? Isn’t it strange that while those who love with impure love are so completely devoted to their beloved that apart from them and being with them, they find no pleasure in all the other pleasures of life, no matter how many there are, while we, embraced not by any unclean love, but by the most sublime love, not only do not neglect peace when we have it, but we also seek it when it is not there” 30 . However, such an important enterprise of Chrysostom could not be accomplished without a struggle. Great sacrifices cannot be made without sorrow; great victories, decisive victories come after struggle; a soul that wants to completely surrender to the Lord must subject itself to difficult feats of self-sacrifice; must break not only the strong bonds of carnal passions and coarse habits, but also the thinnest threads of heartfelt affections that entangle her and prevent her from quickly flying to mountain villages. But the storm that worried the soul of St. Chrysostom, little by little, calmed down; Through prayer and humility, he attracted grace-filled help from above, which, under such difficult circumstances, he had a great need for. Finally, having suppressed the initial but strong attacks of the devil, dispelling the imaginary fear that enveloped his soul, St. John left Antioch to devote himself forever to monastic life, and for this purpose he went to the monastery on the mountain, where Maxim and Theodore were waiting for him, whom he convinced to leave the profession of law 31 to achieve the perfection of monastic life. The city of Antioch was located along the banks of the river. Orontes, on the western side of 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. When the persecution by the pagans ceased, Constantine the Great gave peace to the Christian Church, Christians, not being excited either by the fear of execution or by the great examples of martyrdom, began to relax little by little, the spirit of peace, attachment to earthly goods, love of pleasures, and the thirst for earthly honors took possession of the hearts of the majority of Christians. In order to avoid infection, and at the same time lead a more perfect life, the zealots of piety, who lived in cities, like Anthony, Pachomius and Hilarion, retired to the desert. And the mountains of Syria were soon filled with men of the apostles and saints. At the time we are describing, there were no less monasteries in the mountains of Antioch and Syria than in Egypt. St. was imprisoned in one of the monasteries located not far from Antioch 32. John, giving himself over to the complete leadership of one of the strictest ascetics of the Antioch mountains, so that, through the renunciation of his will and unconditional submission to the leadership of another, having crushed the proud thought of himself, he could more easily achieve the perfection of humility, the basis of all moral perfection. In order to form a true understanding of the difficult and high life that the desert dwellers of the Antioch mountains led, let us make a brief excerpt from the conversations of St. John to the people of Antioch, to whom he pointed them out as living examples of the gospel virtues. “These are the lamps of the world,” says St. Chrysostom in his conversations, as soon as the sun begins to rise, or even before dawn, they rise from their beds healthy, vigorous, and fresh. For they are not disturbed by sadness, or worry, or heaviness of the head, or work, or a multitude of tasks, or anything else like that; but they live like Angels in heaven. And so hastily rising from the bed, cheerful and cheerful, all, together with a bright face and conscience, form one face, and, as if with one mouth, they sing hymns to the God of all, glorifying and thanking Him for all his good deeds, both private and general” 33. “Having sung their songs, with kneeling they call on the God glorified by them for help in such matters that others would not soon think of. They don’t ask for anything real, they haven’t had a word about it; but they ask that they boldly stand before the terrible throne, when the only begotten Son of God comes to judge the living and the dead, so that none of them hear this terrible voice - we don’t know you! and so that in purity of conscience and an abundance of good deeds we can complete this difficult life and safely sail through this stormy sea” 34. “When the singing is over, one takes Isaiah and rants with him, another talks with the Apostles, the third reads the books of other writers, and philosophizes about God, about the world, about visible and invisible objects, sensory and spiritual, about the insignificance of the present life and the greatness of the future life” 35 ... “Like bees, they fly around the honeycombs of sacred books, drawing great pleasure from them. But if you want to know their meal, then come and look at what they regurgitate. All this is sweet, pleasant and filled with spiritual fragrance. Their lips cannot utter a single bad word and not a single humorous or rude one, but each one is worthy of heaven” 36... Others, at the end of the chants, were engaged in handicrafts and with the labor of their hands acquired a lot for the poor 37... for “they love to treat the poor and the crippled, and at their table there are many such guests; one heals the wounds of the sick, another leads the blind, another carries the legless” 38. Their relationships with each other always expressed humility and love. “The hermits have not only one food and one clothing, but also one soul, not only by nature (for by nature it is the same for all people), but also by love, and therefore they are not proud of one another; for can love be proud of itself? They have neither poverty nor wealth, neither fame nor dishonor. Although there are those who are superior and inferior in virtue, no one there looks at his own superiority. The lower ones are not insulted there with contempt: for there no one humiliates others. And even if someone humiliates them, they learn all the more to endure contempt, abuse, humiliation both in words and in deeds” 39 . They often enter into conversation with each other, but if anyone listened to the conversations of the righteous, he would know well that they are citizens of heaven. “Their conversation is always filled with calmness and humility. They do not talk about what we are talking about, which has nothing to do with us; for example, so and so became a boss, that one was deprived of his leadership, that one died, and that one received an inheritance and the like. But they always talk and philosophize about the future, and no matter how they are here, as if they have moved to heaven and live there, always about heavenly things: about the bosom of Abraham, about the crowns of the saints, about rejoicing with Christ; but there is not a mention or a word about the present. And just as we do not find it worthy of our conversation what the ants do in their anthills: so they do not talk about what we do, but talk about the kingdom of heaven, about real warfare, about the machinations of the devil, about the great deeds performed by the saints” 40. “Their meal is without any excess, pure, full of piety... they eat only bread and water, water from a pure source, bread from righteous labors. If they want to season their food, then vegetables constitute their delicacy..., for many only grass serves as a bed, the sky serves them as a cover and the moon instead of a lamp” 41... “When evening comes, they have nothing to lament about, as happens to many people when they reflect on the troubles of the day. At night they do not need to be afraid of robbers, lock the door, put a bolt; nor to be afraid of anything else, which many are usually afraid of, carrying lamps carefully so that a spark does not light up the house” 42. They wore clothes mostly made of goat or camel hair, and some were content with only skin; and even then old” 43. Even those who had previously shone with worldly honors, or were famous for their wealth, now embarrassed themselves in everything: they had neither comfortable homes nor good clothes” 44 ... “And they do this for no other reason than because they know the beauty of their clothes. Therefore, they despise a magnificent robe, like a cobweb... If it were possible to open the doors of their hearts and see their soul and all the beauty within, then (not completely cleansed of worldly passions it would not be possible to endure the radiance of the beauty of their soul, the lightness of their inner clothes and the brilliance of their conscience" 45. Such was the life of those saints. desert dwellers, to whom St. John directed his steps. God gave him dove wings to fly there and find peace there. Just as a thirsty deer rushes swiftly to the springs of water, so this disciple of the cross sighed incessantly, longing for the labors and silence of the desert. And as soon as he reached the goal of his journey, the earth, which had so frightened him before, now became for him a calming haven, a most pleasant country, a most blissful country, a blissful, paradise dwelling, in which both honey and milk flowed. But this does not mean that he did not at all feel natural fear in himself when thinking about the difficulties of desert life. The sight of dense forests shaken by stormy gusts of wind, on the top of which birds of prey built their nests, imperturbable solitude, inaccessible rocks over deep abysses, the ferocious roar of fast streams rushing swiftly along the rocky surface of mountain gorges could not but make a sad impression on the heart of a person accustomed to seeing clean, transparent springs with Daphne cypress groves, luxurious gardens Antioch with its magnificent buildings and its charming surroundings. But the grace of God gives man the strength to rise above the weaknesses of nature. The young ascetic fought courageously; Having taken up the task with unshakable determination, with the help of God, he soon triumphed over his fears so much that he found great consolation and bliss for himself in what at first presented him with only sorrows and difficulties. And so let us learn from this to turn our ears away from the suggestions of a fearful imagination; Let us be convinced that for a humble and praying believer nothing is impossible, that he can overcome any difficulty. In the wilderness of the desert, in this divine school, St. Chrysostom spent all his time in prayer, in acts of self-mortification and reading St. Scriptures. He studied the word of God under the guidance of two teachers, Carterius and Diodorus, who later ruled the Church of Tarsus, leaving many of his own writings, in which he interpreted St. Scripture 46. Chrysostom calls this latter his father and teacher 47. But what is special is the efforts of St. John applied himself to self-knowledge. He used all his zeal to acquire the spirit of humility; the main goal of all his efforts was to subjugate the flesh to the spirit. With all his might, striving for the highest perfection, he increasingly increased the feats of self-mortification, fasting, bodily labor and night vigils. Thus, St. Chrysostom, supported by the all-powerful power of grace, inspired by the example of the holy life of many ascetics, like a ship on the open sea, with a fair wind, with all sails, quickly walked the path of moral improvement. But victories do not happen without struggle, and God, to test the faith and constancy of the new ascetic, allowed the devil to attack St. John with greater power than before. And suddenly his spirit was overcome by the darkness of despondency, memories of worldly life and its pleasures awoke in his soul, passionate movements of the flesh, corrupting his heart, forcibly tore his thoughts away from thoughts of God, and weakened his will in godly activities; and he experienced these overwhelms during the day, and especially in the darkness of the night, with the surrounding silence. Thus, persecuted and pressed on all sides, he did not know where to run. Everything he saw, everything he heard, everything around him terribly amazed him, painfully oppressing his heart. In vain he struggles with himself, in vain he tries to calm the ideas of the imagination: as soon as he manages to master one unclean thought, another, even more unbearable thought attacks. God, in His goodness, wanted to show him by this the tractability of the will to sin and the need for grace-filled help; I wanted to keep his thoughts in the spirit of humility and teach him compassion for the weaknesses of his brethren. Temptation is not evil, but good; it makes the good even better. This is a furnace for refining gold; This is a mill for grinding hard grains of wheat; it is a fire that destroys thistles and thorns in order to make the earth capable of receiving good seeds. Temptation is inevitable in this life; no saint was free from it; it is a test of our faith, a strengthening of virtue and a source of merit. But no matter how strong the storm of thoughts that overwhelmed him was, he never for a moment lost his courage and hope in God’s help. Convinced that chastity is a gift of God, and that the attacks of the enemy from the side of voluptuousness can only be repelled by removing all cases and causes that corrupt thoughts, through prayer and self-mortification, he intensified his fasting, night vigils, and bodily labors under the guidance of a wise elder who encouraged him: with all his fervor he begged the All-Holy One to preserve the purity of his heart from the attacks of the unclean. thoughts, with deep humility casting his weakness to the throne of His omnipotence. The efforts he expended, the struggle he endured, and finally, the grace he deserved miraculously elevated him to the highest degree of perfection, so that in a short time he became a model for young ascetics, a competitor to the exploits of the elders who had already perfected themselves in virtue, and an object of surprise for all the inhabitants of the desert. For two years now St. John was in the mountain monastery, spending all his time reading St. Scripture and in concern for the salvation of your soul. Always simple-hearted, humble, meek, submissive more than the last of the brethren, he had only one desire to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, that is only 49 his glory, only to be forgotten, unknown, revered as nothing. But God had other intentions. The Lord, who mercifully provides for everyone, wanted St. John, was now a lamp, a leader and a comforter for the weak and sorrowing desert dwellers, just as he should once have become a herald and teacher of the East and the entire universe. The abbot and all the pious monks of the monastery in which St. lived. John, seeing in him the chosen one of God and the glory of his monastery, sincerely wished that he would reveal the treasures of his knowledge and the holiness of his soul in instructive writings. The opportunity for this soon presented itself. Together with St. Chrysostom lived one monk named Demetrius, who was very distinguished by his special simplicity in all his actions, his living faith, love and excessive feats of self-mortification. Although he stood at a high degree of moral perfection, he always tried to keep himself on an equal footing with all the lower ones. The land, with all its transitory benefits, had no value in his eyes; in a word, all his actions, his whole life expressed a continuous striving for the heavenly. Driven by an ever-increasing desire to please God, he begged St. for a long time. Chrysostom to give him help in walking along the path to heaven, and to write at least a few words about saving contrition. Often he took him by the hand and, wet with tears, cried out to him: “help me, blessed John, I beg you, help me soften my hardened heart and saturate it with tears of contrition”: St. Chrysostom, in the spirit of humility, refused for a long time; but finally, prompted by the persistent requests of the pious hermit, he gave in to desire and wrote an instructive word about contrition 50. “Seeing that you, blessed Demetrius,” wrote St. Chrysostom “you constantly approach me and with great zeal demand from me words of contrition, I always pleased you and marveled at the purity of your soul. For it is impossible to wish for such instructions without first being completely cleansed and without becoming above all things of life. This is easy to see from the example of those who are overwhelmed by such a desire, even for a short time: suddenly such a change occurs in them that they are immediately transported to heaven; having detached the soul from worldly worries, as if from heavy bonds, they thus give it freedom to fly to its own, native place. But, with most people this happens only a few times throughout their lives; and you are always overwhelmed by this contrition. And my witnesses of this can be your sleepless nights, and sources of tears, and love for the desert, constantly living and unremittingly acting in your soul. What profit will you get from our words? The very fact that you call your inspired soul stone, and constantly take me by the right hand, kiss and say to me: crush my hardened heart - this already shows what kind of fear of God, what kind of fiery jealousy? And so, if you force us to take up this subject in order to awaken us from sleep, then I approve of your great wisdom and care: but if it is really for yourself and in the thought that you need a stimulant, then in this case we will yield to you and submit for the sake of everything and for the sake of your boldness towards God, and for the sake of zeal for the request, and for the sake of friendship towards us. And you pay us for this with your prayers, so that we can spend the rest of our lives in virtue, and now say something good, capable of lifting those who are lying down and strengthening and igniting weakened souls” 51. After this short introduction, in which the meekness, love and deep humility of St. Chrysostom, he bases his message on the words of the Savior: blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4), and woe to you who laugh now, for you will weep and weep (Luke 6:25); and then, revealing the need for contrition, he speaks about our insensibility: “in our insensibility, we are not at all different from the insane, who without fear say and do a lot of harmful and indecent things, and are not only not ashamed, but also boast about it and consider themselves healthier than the healthy. Likewise, we, acting in everything like the sick, do not even know that we are sick. Meanwhile, if a minor illness occurs in our body, we invite doctors, and spend money, and show patience, and do not stop doing everything until we drive away the illness; but we don’t care at all about the soul, which is struck every day by carnal passions, torn, burned, rushes into the abyss and destroys itself in every possible way” 52. Further showing our negligence about the fulfillment of God’s commandments, from which comes the relaxation of spiritual powers and disbelief in future reward, he says that if we had a proper understanding of the harmfulness of sin and salutary contrition, then it would be easy for us to save ourselves not only from vicious actions, but also from unclean desires. “Like dust,” says St. Chrysostom, cannot withstand the pressure of a strong wind, and a multitude of unclean desires cannot withstand the force of destruction rushing against them, but disappears and dissipates faster than any dust and smoke. If carnal love so enslaves the soul that it distracts it from everything and ties it only to the beloved person: then what will love for Christ and the fear of being separated from Him not do? The ardent lover of Christ, Paul, was so wounded by this love that he even groaned about the slowness and duration of his wandering here (2 Cor. 5:4)... Having turned his eyes once to heaven and seeing with amazement the beauty there, he did not want to turn his gaze back to earth, having seen heavenly blessings, he looked with disdain at the local poverty, and, of necessity, living in body with people, to nothing I didn’t turn my soul to those here. The love of Christ animated him so much that if he had been offered to endure eternal punishment for Christ, he would not have refused it either. He served Christ differently than we mercenaries, out of fear of Gehenna and out of desire for the kingdom; no, - embraced by some other, incomparably better and more blessed love, he endured and did everything for nothing other than to satisfy this love that he had for Christ” 54. Having said that many, having lost earthly wealth or close relatives, indulge in great sorrow, and we, losing our souls through sin, which is worth incomparably more than all earthly blessings, remain indifferent and careless, Chrysostom continues to encourage contrition for sins, among other things, with the following words: “even if the fire of Gehenna had not threatened us and eternal punishment had not awaited us, then only excommunication from the meek and philanthropic Christ, who gave himself up to death for us, and endured everything in order to deliver us from eternal torment and reconcile us with His Father, who were His enemies through sins - this excommunication alone, even if we were not deprived of ineffable and eternal blessings, means more than any punishment and is able to awaken the soul and dispose to constant vigilance" 55 . In conclusion of his words, St. Chrysostom says: “The word could have been spread more, but since I spoke only out of obedience, and not for any other reason, then too much has already been written. I know well that you accurately practice the virtue of contrition and could, even silently, teach it to others if they wished to live with your piety even for a short time and see your difficult life. Therefore, I ask and pray, finally reward me and pay me with your prayers, so that I not only talk about contrition, but also show it in action; because teaching without work not only does not bring any benefit, on the contrary, it brings great harm and condemnation to those who spend their lives in such carelessness. Not everyone, says Jesus Christ, says to Me: Lord, but whoever does and teaches, this one will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19; see 7:21) 56. This composition made such a beneficial and pleasant impression on Dmitry and all the monks of the monastery that soon after this, St. Chrysostom, convinced by the persistent request of a certain hermit Stelechios, was forced to write another word about contrition. “How to do this,” says St. Chrysostom at the beginning of his word to Stelekhius, what do you command, holy man of God? How can words of contrition be born from a soul so weak and cold? Whoever wants to say something good about this subject needs, I think, himself, more than anyone else, to be inflamed and burn with this jealousy, so that the words he utters about this, stronger than a hot iron, cut into the soul of the listeners. But we don’t have this fire; on the contrary, everything inside is ashes and dust. How, tell me, how can we light this fire when we don’t even have a spark, and the wind that would fan this flame doesn’t come, because of the deep darkness that has spread over our souls from so many sins? I don't know; So it remains for you, who give the order, to say how the order can go into action and receive proper execution. We will offer our tongue as a service, and you pray to the Healer of the brokenhearted, the Giver of courage to the timid, that He will kindle in us that fire that consumes all human weakness and destroys all drowsiness and coarseness of the flesh; directs the flight of the soul to Him, and from that vault of heaven shows all the vanity and deceitfulness of real life” 57. Revealing the state of the heart, imbued with contrition, and showing that a person who truly repents, having eyes does not see, having ears does not hear, remains insensitive to everything earthly, dead to the whole world, but lives for God alone and the works of God, trampling underfoot all sensual pleasures, riches and glory, St. Chrysostom exclaims: such is Saint Paul! Among the splendor and splendor of great cities, he was so dispassionate and insensitive to all transitory blessings that he could be considered a dead man. He himself said that not only did the world die for him, but he himself died for the world. Great wisdom is to renounce all earthly pleasures, to look at the world as a soulless corpse; but there is still much greater wisdom to die for the world, to have no attachment to anything earthly. For sometimes we can be attracted to a soulless corpse, or some soulless thing; but when the world has died for us and we have died for the world, then there can no longer be any connection with it, just as two soulless corpses cannot share either feelings or thoughts with each other. St. Apostle Paul was so dead to the world that, while living in body on earth, he was always in heaven with soul and heart; his love for Jesus Christ not only rose to the third heaven, but also passed through all the heavens. He was not tall, but he infinitely surpassed all people in his love and jealousy. If I compare the love of St. Paul to Jesus Christ with a vast fire embracing the entire globe, whose fiery stream, flowing around the entire space between heaven and earth, ascended to the very sky, then even then I will not say enough about it 58. With the same ardor did St. love the Lord. Prophet Elijah, taken to heaven in a chariot of fire; such a strong love filled the heart of the prophet David, who cried: have mercy on me, God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity... Turn away Your face from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. God, create in me a pure heart, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from Me (Ps. 50). In the same way, the greenery of the springs of water desires; my soul desires the sap for You, O God (Ps. 41). We, says St. Chrysostom, would have similar feelings of humility and contrition if we reflected on the disastrous effect of sin, which makes us enemies of God, through the ingratitude of a person who insults his Supreme Benefactor, despite the blessings that are constantly pouring out on us from Him. If we had sacrificed our whole life, adorned with all Christian virtues, our whole heart, full of feelings of tender love, then, one might say, we would still have done nothing to thank the Lord for the ineffable mercies and great blessings bestowed upon us from the beginning of the days of our existence 59 . “Having no need for us, but being self-satisfied, the Lord called us from non-existence into being, breathed into us a soul that he had not given to any of the animals on earth; planted paradise, spread out the sky, spread the earth, lit the brilliant lights; he decorated the earth with lakes, springs, rivers, flowers and trees, and placed a choir of various stars in the sky; and thus made the night useful for us, no less than the day, by bringing us peace and strengthening in sleep... Just as compassionate mothers, when they want to put restless children to sleep, put them in their arms, cover their eyes with a blanket and so put them to sleep: so God, spreading darkness throughout the universe, as if some kind of cover, calms people from their labors... But the night gives peace not only to our body, but also to the soul. What can we really say about the silence and tranquility of the night, about the fact that silence reigns everywhere, there is no noise anywhere, and not a single cry is heard, as happens during the day, when some mourn poverty, others complain about losses, others complain about illness and disorder of the body, others about the death of relatives, others about some other human misfortune, and there are so many of them!.. Of all these misfortunes, night plucks out, as it were, from the waves, and calms the human race in its harbor” 60. St. King David, thinking about the good deeds of God, exclaimed: what is man, for remember him; or son of man, because you visit him; You made him a little lower than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5-6). Revealing the greatness of Divine blessings and human ingratitude, and presenting himself as the most guilty and ungrateful of people, St. Chrysostom says in conclusion: “I ask and implore you, with the boldness that you have acquired before God through your virtues, give us, who are constantly in need, help, so that we can worthily mourn the burden of so many sins and, having mourned, enter on a favorable path that leads us to heaven, so as not to descend into hell, where no one can confess, and not to suffer the fate of the outcasts, from which no one will save us. While we are here, we can benefit from many things from you, and you can benefit us greatly. And as soon as we go there, then we will have to endure eternal torment in sorrow, in deep darkness and the complete absence of any consolation, having become the inexhaustible food of the all-consuming flame" 61 . But just as much as the whole desert received joy and consolation through these letters of Chrysostom about contrition, it was just as indignant and saddened by the pitiful fall of Theodore, Chrysostom’s friend, and the temptation that resulted from it. Theodore came from a good family and possessed numerous wealth. The friendship he had with Chrysostom brought him great benefit. St. John, turning his heart to God, advised him to leave lawyering and devote himself to true philosophy, entering the monastic life 62. Theodore willingly accepted his friend's advice, and soon left the world and retired to the mountains. His conversion was sincere, and at first he showed great zeal for fulfilling the strict rules of monastic life. He surprised everyone with his zeal for self-improvement; Zealously studying the word of God, he spent whole days reading books, and most of the night in prayer. Not infrequently, at the beginning of my life in the monastery, I experienced how good the Lord is and how sweet the hartans of His words are. But it is not enough just to hear the voice of Providence calling for a certain feat; one must also respond to this voice; It is often not difficult to recognize the road, but it is difficult to follow it continuously. And Theodore, little by little, began to relax in his first jealousy; one day the thought of the past caught his attention; he turned his gaze back and worldly thoughts took possession of him. My family is famous for its celebrity, he said; I am still in the prime of my life, I have numerous wealth and could still shine in the world with my mind and acquire a glorious name for myself with my talents. Why despise the gifts of God by burying them in the ground? Why not take advantage of the gifts of happiness, reject fame, and bury yourself alive in the grave? Such thoughts and comparison of his present situation with the past had a harmful effect on his heart and completely destroyed all these good intentions. Theodore, carried away by the stormy impulse of awakened habits and passions, left the desert and returned to the city. There, having surrendered with all his soul to the spirit of the age, like a cleansed church, he became a receptacle for the most evil spirits, pride and vanity, uncontrollably carried away by all kinds of vain, but captivating for youth, pleasures of the world. The covenant concluded by Theodore with God through monastic vows had already lost its high meaning in his eyes, and he, carried away by his love for a young girl, decided to get married. St. Chrysostom, having learned about the fall of his friend, was struck with extreme sorrow. Prompted by feelings of friendship, and his zeal for his salvation, he immediately gave him a helping hand, and made every effort to return him to better convictions and feelings; persuaded and begged him to leave his distracted life in the world and return to peaceful solitude with his friends. “Who will give my head water and my eyes a fountain of tears,” says St. Chrysostom at the beginning of his first word to Theodore, “for I mourn not the destruction of cities, but the devastation of the sacred soul, and the destruction and destruction of the Christian church. Whoever knew well the beauty of your soul, now well burned by the devil, at the time when it shone, does not he groan when he hears that barbaric hands have desecrated the Holy of Holies... for the church of your soul shone not with gold and silver, but with the grace of the Spirit, and had within itself Christ and His Father and Comforter. But now it’s not the same, it’s now empty and naked of its beauty and splendor, it has lost its divine and indescribable decoration, and at the same time it has lost all security and protection: it has neither a door nor a lock, but it is open to everyone’s harmful and vile thoughts. Whether the thought of pride, the thought of fornication, the thought of love of money, or even the most vile of these thoughts wants to enter into it, no one will interfere: but before, like heaven, the purity of your soul was inaccessible to all this. Perhaps my words now seem incredible to those who see the current desolation and ruin of your soul; This is why I grieve and complain, and I will not stop doing this until I see you again in your former splendor” 63. Having shown Theodore the full depth of the abyss into which he had fallen, he convinces him not to give in to despair, but, strengthened by hope in God’s mercy and humble prayer, to courageously rise up to battle the enemy of salvation. “Don’t despair of a change for the better. For if the devil was able to do so much that from this peak and height of virtue he cast you down to the brink of evil, then how much more will God be able to bring you back to your former freedom, and make you not only the same, but also much more blessed than before. Just don’t lose heart, don’t lose good hope 64... The devil plunges us into thoughts of despair in order to destroy our hope in God - this solid anchor, this support of our life, this leader on the path leading to heaven, this is the salvation of perishing souls. For it, like some kind of strong chain hanging from the sky, supports our souls, little by little drawing into this height those who firmly hold on to it, and lifting us above the storm of everyday evils. So, if it weakens and lets go of this sacred anchor, then it will immediately fall and perish in the abyss of sin. Knowing this, when the evil one feels that we ourselves are burdened by the consciousness of evil deeds, he comes running and imposes on us the thought of despair, which is heavier than lead; and, if we accept this thought, then inevitably, immediately carried away by gravity and breaking away from this chain, we will fall into the depths of evil” 65. “So, don’t tell me,” continues St. John, “that you no longer have hope of forgiveness; because it is as if God cannot forgive such a crime as yours. Let us imagine the greatest sinner that can be found; let him be guilty of all the most terrible crimes; Let us suppose that he sinned from childhood to old age, even to his very hour of death; but if he kept the faith, imbued with the consciousness of his guilt and contrition for his sins, I am convinced that his salvation is not hopeless. If God acted out of passion, then the sinner might fear that he would not be able to appease His righteous anger, aroused by so many crimes. But the Lord does not change in His perfections, and if He punishes, it is out of His fatherly goodness, and not out of the spirit of vengeance. He threatens us, He often punishes us in order to force us to enter into ourselves and then attract us to Himself. The doctor not only is not offended by the curses of a delirious patient, but uses all his strength to calm him down. And as soon as the patient discovers a glimmer of intelligence and self-awareness, he rejoices and after this uses stronger medicines, not in order to take revenge on the poor patient for the insults he has caused, but in order to quickly cure him. This is what the Lord does to us when we fall into the depths of evil; He afflicts us with various sorrows, He gives us the most acute medicines, just to get us out of the abyss of sin.”... 66 Who was more guilty than Nebuchadnezzar and Manasseh, and yet God forgave them as soon as they humbled themselves before Him. There is no sin unpardonable for His goodness. He always accepts a contrite and humble heart. Every sinner can be reconciled with God in one minute, if only he sincerely repents: repentance is measured not by time, but by the strength of the feeling of contrition 67 . So, my beloved friend, in the hope of God’s mercy, try to get out of this disastrous state into which you fell through misfortune. The whole misfortune consists not in the fact that you have fallen, but that, having fallen, you do not get up; not that you have sinned, but that you persist in sin 68 . Arise, be of good cheer, and like the young man who squandered his wealth, exclaim: I will arise and go to my father 69 . The enemy the devil, knowing the infinite mercy of God, by which He lovingly accepts all repentant sinners, tries in every possible way to plunge the sinner into despair 70 . If you cannot ascend again to that degree of perfection from which you fell, try at least to get out of this disastrous state in which you find yourself, begin a struggle so useful, and your labors will not remain without reward. Until we experience, and the easiest things sometimes seem the most difficult; but as soon as we use a little effort, the apparent difficulty is destroyed, confidence takes the place of despair, and we easily accomplish what we were afraid to touch 71 . Hurry to drive away from yourself all the dark thoughts inspired by the evil spirit. The devil, knowing that those who have done a lot of evil, when they begin to repent, do it with great zeal, as if they are aware of their sins, fears and trembles so that they do not start this deed. For when they begin, they are already uncontrollable, and, as if by fire, inflamed with repentance, they make their souls purer than pure gold, with conscience and the memory of past sins, as if carried by a strong wind into the haven of virtue... And the most difficult and great thing is to be able to come to the entrance and reach the threshold of repentance, and push away and overthrow the enemy, who is breathing heavily and pressing here. And after that, he will no longer show that fury, having once been defeated and fallen where he was strong, and we, on the contrary, will receive more jealousy and will very conveniently accomplish this good feat. Let us finally begin the return journey, let us flow to the heavenly city in which we were written, in which we were commanded to live. Despair is disastrous not only because it closes the gates of this city and leads us into great carelessness and negligence, but also because it plunges us into satanic fury. The soul, once despairing of its salvation, no longer feels how it is falling deeper and deeper, daring to say and do everything against its salvation... Therefore, I pray, before you drown deeply from this drunkenness, sober up and awaken, give up satanic rejoicing and, if not possible suddenly, at least gradually and little by little... I ask and implore you with the same glory, with the same freedom, that we may see you again at the same height. Have pity on those who because of you are tempted, fall, become more careless, despair in the path of virtue. Now the face of the brethren is overcome with sorrow, and the congregations of infidels and careless youths are overcome with joy and gladness 72 . As a person who has forgotten about that pure joy that fills the heart of a truly pious person, and about that highest consolation that brings the hope of future blessings and eternal communion with God, St. Chrysostom speaks to Theodore about the short duration and insignificance of earthly pleasures, and the eternity of torment in the next century. Have you not seen how those who lived in luxury, drunkenness, gambling, and other pleasures of life died? Where are those now who dressed in silk clothes and emitted fragrances from themselves? Where is this splendor of them now? Where has all this gone now? What became of the body they had so much to please? Come to the grave, look at the dust, the ashes, the worms, look at the ugliness of this place, and groan bitterly. And oh, if only this punishment were limited to this dust! But from the grave and these worms, transport your thoughts to that undying worm, to the unquenchable fire, to the gnashing of teeth, to the pitch darkness, to sorrow and cramped conditions... Think about this, and by contrasting that fire with the fire of lust that has now engulfed you, free yourself finally from this oven... Suppose that you live for many years and do not experience any change in happiness: what is this in comparison with endless centuries and with severe and unbearable torment? 73 .. And what does the enjoyment of local blessings mean in comparison with the state of future blessings, if not the dream of one day in a lifetime? So, is there a person who, because of having a pleasant dream, would decide to endure punishment for the rest of his life 74? This is the word of St. John had a strong effect on Theodore's heart. But earthly glory, love of honor, and especially voluptuous lusts held him firmly in their power; Wanting to drown out the reproaches of his conscience, he tried to justify his actions, giving them the appearance of legality. St. John, moved by love and zeal for his salvation, wrote him another word. “If only tears and sighs could be put on paper,” says St. Chrysostom at the beginning of his second word to Fyodor, “then I would fill a letter with them and send it to you. I cry not because you are preoccupied with your father’s affairs, but because you have erased yourself from the list of brothers, because you have trampled on the covenant with Christ. For I know that violation of this covenant brings great condemnation on those who enlisted in the good army, but through their own carelessness left the ranks. No one will accuse a common man of abandoning military service, but whoever has once become a warrior will be in extreme danger if he is caught fleeing the ranks. The evil, dear Theodore, is not that one falls fighting, but that, having fallen, one remains so... No merchant, having once been shipwrecked and having lost his cargo, gives up sailing, but again swims across the sea, and waves, and vast depths, and again acquires his former wealth... So now you too, because the enemy has somewhat pushed you out of your place; Don’t push yourself into the abyss, but stand strong, and soon return to where you left, and don’t consider this short-term defeat a disgrace... Don’t let it bother you that you stumbled so quickly and at the very beginning. For the evil one soon saw the valor of your soul, and from many things he guessed that you would grow into a courageous opponent to him, so he hastened, woke up, and rose up against you with force... But since he struck you at the very time when you were just getting ready to fight him, he only managed to make you stronger to fight him. For then, as soon as you sailed from the pier, and not when you were returning from trade and carrying a great cargo, a fierce pirate attacked you. And just like someone who decides to kill a strong lion, if he only scratches his skin, he will not harm the lion at all, on the contrary, he will only irritate him more against himself and make him more cautious forward and more elusive; so the common enemy of all, attempting to inflict a deep wound on you, did not achieve this, but only forced you to be more vigilant and careful in the future” 75 . Having further shown all the severity of God's judgment over spiritual gifts that remained without development, he then reveals all the deceptive, illusory beauty of earthly pleasures and the high dignity of a true Christian life. “What in the world seems most blissful and desirable to you? Of course, you say, power and wealth and fame come from people? But what is more pitiful than this when compared with the freedom of Christians? The ruler is subject to the rage of the people and the senseless whims of the crowd, as well as fear on the part of the strongest rulers and concerns about his subordinates... And is glory that falls like a grass flower precious? Is wealth desirable, whose owners are called miserable? For woe is said to the rich (Luke 6:24); and one more thing: woe! trusting in their strength, and boasting about the abundance of their wealth (Ps. 48:7). A Christian never becomes from a leader to a commoner, or from a rich man to a poor man, or from a famous man to an ignominious one: on the contrary, he is rich when he is poor, and high when he tries to humble himself; and the power that he has, not over people, but over princes, subject to the ruler of darkness, no one can steal from him” 76. Responding to Theodore’s desire to justify his act by the legality of marriage, St. John says: marriage is a lawful matter, and I agree to this; for it is said: marriage is honorable, and the bed is undefiled: but God judges the fornicator and the adulterer (Heb. 13:5). But it is no longer possible for you to observe the legality of marriage; because whoever, having married the heavenly Bridegroom, leaves Him and couples with his wife, commits adultery, or rather, what is more criminal than adultery is as much as God is superior to people... 77. Moreover, the unclean pleasures of this life are no different from shadows and dreams: before sin ends, pleasure goes out, and the punishments for it have no end. Sweetness is short-lived, but sorrow is eternal. To have many different desires directed at earthly objects and to want to satisfy them all means to be a slave to many rulers. But he is truly free who lives for Christ: he stands above all calamities. If he himself does not want to do harm to himself, then another will never be able to do it to him. No, he is invincible; he is not tormented by the loss of his property, for he knows that nothing has been brought into this world; let us endure what we can (1 Tim. 6:7); is not caught by ambition or love of glory, for it knows that our life is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); the scolder does not cause him grief, the killer does not irritate. A Christian has one misfortune - to offend God, but he does not consider anything else, such as the loss of property, the deprivation of the fatherland, the most extreme danger as a misfortune; even the very thing that everyone is horrified by - the transition from here to there - is more pleasant for him than life 78... A shadow, even an insignificant shadow - everyday affairs associated with many fears, with many dangers, with extreme slavery. Do not ruin both this and this century, when it is possible for you, if you want, to take advantage of both” 79 . “I know,” says St. Chrysostom concludes, “that I have transgressed the limits of writing, but forgive me, because I did it compelled by love and sorrow. Because of her, I myself forcibly forced myself to write this letter, while many held me back: stop working in vain and sowing on stones, many told me. But I didn’t listen to anyone: there is hope, I told myself, that the letter, if God wills it, will have some effect; if something contrary to our desires happens, we will at least receive the benefit that we will not be able to blame ourselves for remaining silent. So, we did what depended on us; but we hope that you, by the grace of God, will do what is in your power, and we will again see you showing off in the flock of Christ. Oh, if only we, through the prayers of the saints, could quickly accept you, dear head, in true health.” The conversion of a sinner is the work of God; but at the same time there is a matter for a person when he, having the opportunity to persist in his prejudices and bad habits, unswervingly follows the guidance of the grace of God. And the conversion of a sinner to the path of truth is often no less a miracle than the resurrection of the dead. Theodore's conversion presented many difficulties. He neglected the holy title in which he had long remained; he took off his desert clothes in order to put on his former ones, as more flattering to his pride and ambition; his flight was already known to everyone; magnificent chambers, luxury, wealth, theaters, various pleasures of society, and especially criminal love for a woman, completely took possession of him. How to break these strong bonds? How to overcome all these obstacles? But nothing is impossible for the One who holds a person’s heart in his hand. Prayers and tears of St. John was attracted to Theodore by God's favor and remorse awoke in the soul of this lost Christian. He took only one step towards the Lord, and the Heavenly Father, so to speak, had already come to meet him. Stung by the action of grace, he bitterly mourned his sins, his ingratitude and his madness, and, abandoning his property and renouncing marriage, he again returned to the contemplative life 80 . During the reign of Valens, when the Arians, taking advantage of his patronage, launched a strong persecution of the Orthodox, the monks who inhabited the deserts had very great attention to the Orthodox, to maintaining the spirit of orthodoxy in them. Especially those Orthodox who, due to their low scientific education, did not have the opportunity to delve into all the subtleties of theological disputes, saw in the monastics the only leaders to the true and saving faith. According to such Orthodox Christians, the only true and saving Faith is the one that gives its servants the power to perform miraculous signs. And many of the monastics possessed this kind of evidence of the truth and salvation of the Faith. Therefore, their word had powerful power over all Christians, and kept them in the unshakable Orthodox faith, despite all the tortures to which the Arians subjected them for their unshakable steadfastness in the Orthodox Faith. As a result of these reasons, the Arians launched a terrible persecution against all monastics, as the main opponents of their false teaching and the strongest support for the firmness of Orthodox Christians. And since the monastics denounced not only the false teaching of the Arians, but also the vices of Orthodox Christians; therefore, it was not only the Arians who were hostile to them, but also the Orthodox, who were weak in life. When, with the death of Valens, the persecution by the Arians ceased, the weak among the Orthodox Christians continued to be at enmity against the monastics, and did not cease to hurt them, instead of weapons, with slander and slander. Of course, such weapons did not inflict actual wounds on the monastics, but they did harm a lot to the gullible of the laity, who, having been struck by the trust in slander, made themselves incapable of awakening their laziness by the example of the good life of the monastics and of accepting and implementing their edifying words in their home and public life. This state of affairs gave St. John wrote a lot in defense of monastic life and for the admonition of the weak among the laity. It was like this: when St. Chrysostom learned from one of his friends about the insults inflicted on the monks by the inhabitants of Antioch, he was so deeply struck by grief that, bursting into tears, he begged the Lord to tear him out of the world and take him to Himself, so as not to see such temptation and insults inflicted on His faithful servants. When thus St. John continued to grieve in the presence of his friend, and in the sorrow of his soul to mourn the disasters of the Church, the visitor said to him: “Now is not the time to cry, because with these tears you will not save the dead and perishing; and the evil, I think, will not stop there. But we need to take care of how we can put out the flames and stop the infection, as much as this will depend on us. So, having stopped this crying, compose a word of exhortation to these sick and restless ones, for the salvation of both them and all people in general.” St. John did not want to write at first, so as not to expose the moral wounds of Christian society to the pagans and thereby not give them the right to make offensive comments about Christianity itself. But when he learned that the pagans already knew both the torment and reproach endured by the holy men, and the frantic anger of the persecutors, and that they were laughing both at the persecutors of monasticism and at the persecuted monks, he decided to fulfill the request of his friend, and wrote three words against those who rebelled against monastic life 81 . In the first word of St. John proves that those who persecute pious hermits harm not so much them as themselves, and confirms this with the example of the Jews, who, for persecuting the Apostles, suffered terrible disasters described by their compatriot Josephus. He further says that there is no harm to holy men from the insults they make, but a great reward is prepared for patience, and that they will have greater boldness before the Lord for their unfailing love for Him and His commandments, despite all adversities and sorrows: “for a great reward is prepared for those who do good, when, in doing it, they are exposed to dangers and great dishonor for this” 82 . But their oppressors, as persecutors of piety, can no longer be saved unless they repent, and therefore he asks them “not to point the sword at themselves, not to go against the prick, and, thinking of offending people, not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God 83.” Revealing the necessary need for distance from the noise of the city in order to maintain purity of heart, says St. John to the persecutors of monastics: “I would like no less, and even much more than you, and often prayed that the need for monasteries would pass, and that there would be so much piety in the cities that no one would ever need to flee into the desert. But since everything has fallen into disorder, and the cities, where the courts and laws are full of lawlessness and untruth, on the contrary, the desert produces the abundant fruit of wisdom: then justice demands that you blamed not those who, wishing to be saved, are plucked from this storm and unrest and lead to a quiet haven, but those who make every city so inconvenient and unfit for wisdom that those seeking salvation are forced to flee into the desert.”84 ... So I wished, and wish, that we would enjoy such peace, and the tyranny of these evils would be so crushed, that not only those living in cities would not need to retire to the mountains, but and those who dwelt in the deserts returned again to their city. But what should I do? I am afraid that in trying to return them to their homeland, instead of giving them into the hands of evil demons, and wanting to free them from desert and flight, I do not completely deprive them of wisdom and tranquility” 85. Some, wanting to justify their actions and habits, inseparable from life in the city, objected: if the desert is so necessary for achieving the highest spiritual wisdom and maintaining purity of heart, then is it really possible that everyone living in the city, and, consequently, most of the universe, should perish, as it does not contain the highest moral life? To this St. Chrysostom answers like this: “if they point out to me the large number of people living in the city, and with this they think to confuse and frighten me, as if, that is, I would not condemn the whole universe to destruction, then I will take the saying of Christ, and with him I will stand against this objection. I don’t think anyone will dare to do such a daring act as to contradict the determination of the One who will judge us. What is He saying? You bring a narrow gate and a strait path into the stomach, and there are few of them who find it (Matthew 7:14). If there are few who gain, then even fewer are able to complete this path to the end. After all, not everyone who just entered the beginning managed to reach the end of it: no, some at the very beginning, others in the middle of the journey, and many even drowned at the pier itself. And in another place Christ says that the callings are many, but the chosen are few (Matthew 20:16). And so, when Christ declares that there are more who are perishing, but salvation is not achieved by many: why argue with me 86? To support his opinion, he cites the example of the countless numbers of those who died during the Flood in comparison with those who survived. In the second word of St. John represents a pagan possessing vast wealth, adorned with a distinguished family and honors, having in his hands extensive power and a great number of servants and slaves, who harbored sweet hopes of passing on his fame, glory, power and wealth to his son. “But to his misfortune (as the rich man says about the monks who persuaded his son to monasticism), the destroyers and seducers, having taken his son (the nourisher of his passion) away from such hopes, like some robbers, took him to their dens; and they so enchanted him with stories that he was better prepared to go to the sword, to the fire, to the animals, and to anything else, than to return to his former happy life... I have no choice but to add fire and set everything on fire - houses, fields and herds of oxen and sheep. What benefit will all this bring to me when there is no longer anyone who would use it, when he has become a captive, and among the cruel barbarians he suffers slavery, which is worse than any death? In response to this blind, passionate pagan, St. John says that the monk, without using any effort on his part, enjoys those benefits that have value in the eyes of unbelievers living for one land; namely, by sincere and reverent veneration and a powerful influence on the hearts of well-meaning worldly people. He proves that a monk should be called happy and blessed because he, enjoying inner peace, the fruit of an impartial life, and the pure pleasures of an immaculate life and prayerful conversation with God, is not tormented by many needs and worries about their satisfaction, and is not languishing with that fruitless and tireless thirst for pleasures and acquisitions that consume the souls of people devoted to the world. “Truly worthy of pity and tears is such a father who, unable to understand the happiness of his son, mourns it as the greatest misfortune... A person who is not tormented by thirst and not inflamed by carnal love is much more blessed not only than those who constantly thirst and are always inflamed by love, but also those who, although not for long, were subjected to this and satisfied their lusts, more blessed, because he did not experience such a need” 87 . And the son enjoys this happiness... He is rich: because, limiting his needs to the necessary necessities of life, he desires nothing, so that if they were to offer him a lot of gold and other treasures, he would reject it all as a heavy burden and a useless load 88 ... The sorrow of exile and dispossession of lands is inaccessible to him: for he, as the owner of all the land and sea, moves as calmly from one place to another, as the owner of land walks through his fields. Lakes and rivers and springs will provide him with drink everywhere; and food for him: plants, herbs and in many places bread 89. Further, responding to the father’s regrets that his son, with the adoption of monasticism, lost the right to the glory and honors of worldly life, doomed himself to the ignominy of an unknown life in the desert, he says: “neither the desert makes one dishonorable, nor is being in the royal palace glorious and noble, and that glory and nobility are not in place, not in clothes, not in rank and not in power, but in spiritual valor and in philosophy" 90. And after this he gives many examples of ancient philosophers who, having neither wealth nor power in their hands, were respected by the rich and powerful for their wisdom alone. If the greats of the world show respect to those who entered monasticism from a low rank, then all the more will they show surprise and respect to those who neglected both fame and wealth for this life 91 . ‒ Further, continuing to talk about the advantages of monastic life, he says: “in worldly life it is considered a great force to take revenge on those who have offended. But the monk in this case has higher power. For, if in war it is considered the highest dignity not to allow oneself to be wounded, then a monk is like that: for he, possessing Christian meekness and love, not only does not take revenge, but also does not allow himself to be wounded either by slander, or by slander, or by any other weapon prepared in an evil heart. As for pleasures, the monk’s pleasure is incomparably higher than all the pleasures of peace lovers, for “it forever leaves the soul unperturbed, does not cause it any confusion or excitement, but brings pure and immaculate joy, one that is incomparably stronger and more alive than any other” 92 . In a word to the believing father, St. Chrysostom, having first revealed the terrible picture of the global final judgment and the terrible responsibility for neglecting the salvation of others, says that “those who are careless about the salvation of their brothers sin against Jesus Christ himself and destroy the building of God. And the only begotten Son of God, wanting to impress upon us how obligatory this duty is, and that great calamities await those who do not want to fulfill it, said: “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, he will not eat, and let the millstone of the village come down on his neck and drown in the abyss of the sea” (Matthew 18:6) 93. If neglect of every person is subject to strict liability, then neglect of children is all the more criminal and expresses the extreme degree of wickedness when parents, looking with shameful indifference at the spiritual death of their children, not only themselves are careless about their salvation, but also prevent others from doing so, and even take up arms against those who, out of Christian love, are trying to form true sons of Christ from their young children 94 . Further, he proves the great guilt of parents by the fact that they, neglecting the upbringing of their children, suddenly become criminals against human laws, the laws of nature and the laws of God, and, allowing them to be corrupted by sinful habits and passions, subject their soul to death, which is much more terrible than the death of the body, and therefore one can rightly call such fathers the worst child killers 95. Parents, out of ignorance of their minds and hearts, themselves lead their children to destruction, when the motivation for all activities is only earthly benefits and advantages, and in competition - only the glorious ones of the earth, “and no one will remember those who are famous in heaven even one day; even if another decides to remember them, he is persecuted as a person who upsets everything” 96. And thus, “by instilling this in children from a young age, they teach them nothing other than the basis of all vices, instilling in them the two most violent passions, that is, the love of money and, an even more vicious passion, vanity. Each of them, even separately, can destroy everything, and when they both invade the tender soul of youth, then, like stormy streams united, they destroy everything that is good, and bring in so many thorns, so much sand, so much rubbish that they make the soul barren and incapable of anything good 97... And the bad thing is not only that parents instill in their children something contrary to the commandments of Christ, but also that they cover up wickedness with euphonious names, calling constant stay on horse tracks and in theaters - secularism, possession of wealth - freedom, love of fame - generosity, insolence - frankness, wastefulness - love of mankind, injustice - courage. Then, as if this deception were not enough, they call virtue by nasty names, modesty - lack of education, meekness - cowardice, justice - weakness, humility - servility, gentleness - powerlessness, as if they are afraid that children, having heard from others the real name of virtues and vices, will not escape from the infection" 98. With the general corruption of morals, finding it very difficult to keep young men from being carried away by passions, he advises parents to send their children to monasteries to be raised. Some, yielding to the convictions of Chrysostom, but not fully realizing the disastrous consequences of vice for their eternal life, said: “Let the children first take up the verbal sciences, study them successfully, and then move on to this wisdom (i.e., to monastic life). If anyone could, says St. Chrysostom, to imagine a guarantee that children will retain good morality while learning literature, then not only would I not wish that children, leaving the cities, would flee into the desert, on the contrary, I would not praise those who would persuade them to flee, but I would hate them as enemies of the whole society, because they, hiding candlesticks and taking lamps from the city to the desert, would steal from the living the city has the most important amenities. But since no one can promise this, what is the use of sending children to teachers from whom they learn vices rather than literature, and, wanting to acquire less important things, they will lose the most important thing - strength of soul and every good disposition! When the soul is chaste, then there will be no loss from ignorance of eloquence; and when it is corrupted, then the greatest harm comes from it, even if such a person’s tongue was very sophisticated, and even more harm, the more power in the word. For wickedness with skill in speech produces much more evil than ignorance" 99 . And one should give to monasteries for the formation of good morality not for a short time, but until “the fruits sown in the son reach maturity; - Then let him return from the desert, but he shouldn’t have before. Haste will only cause it to never ripen. For whoever is completely deprived of nourishment ahead of time will no longer be fit for purpose at the proper time. But if separation from children is patiently endured, then they will benefit both the father and the mother, and the home, and the city, and for society” 100 . Words of St. Chrysostom’s writings in defense of the monastic life were not fruitless: the hatred of monks little by little subsided, the persecution ceased, the usual silence reigned in the desert, and the eloquent defender more and more gained love and respect during his excellent life. But, despite the glory that he enjoyed and the universal respect for himself, he always looked at himself as the last of all the brothers, he always took the last place, he always took on such work and activities that most humiliated him and kept his mind in a more humble opinion of himself. Simple and modest in all his actions, affable and full of love for his brothers, he always sacrificed himself for their peace, trying with the same care to hide from human eyes with which the ambitious and vain always try to show themselves. But God, in His incomprehensible intentions, wanted this man, who had earned fame for his writings, to be no less famous for his virtues. He, in His Divine goodness, wanted to demonstrate the holiness of His servant through miraculous actions. In the monastery where St. lived. Chrysostom was a holy elder named Hesychius. This St. The elder, standing one day in prayer, was delighted with his mind and saw a vision. It seemed to him that St. John, immersed in contemplative prayer, lay prostrate on the floor of his cell. While he was looking at him with an air of tenderness, two men in white robes, with a face not human, but heavenly, approached the young hermit, and, taking him by the hand, said: stand up, the Lord Jesus Christ has sent us to you. One of the heavenly visitors, handing him a book, said: accept this gift sent to you by God. Know that I am the Apostle and Evangelist John, reclining on the chest of the Lord; with this book you will receive the gift of penetrating the divine mysteries. I prayed that you would be given the grace to explain the Holy Scriptures in an eloquent, simple and engaging manner. Another, similar to the Apostle Peter, gave him the keys, saying: I am the one who confessed the Divinity of the Son of the living God; you will receive the power to forgive sins; I give you these keys, a symbol of the high power of the priest - to bind and loose souls. St. Chrysostom, falling face down to the ground, cried out to them: O holy Apostles! I am unworthy of such great mercy... - and streams of tears flowed from the eyes of the humble hermit. But the holy messengers of God consoled him, and then, giving him the kiss of peace, they ascended to heaven. One young man, named Euplius, since childhood could not see with his right eye. But when he entered the monastery and took on the monastic image, then, through the prayers of St. John, received healing, and could see freely with the sick eye, like the others. After a little time, a wealthy resident of Antioch, who had been suffering for a long time from severe pain in his head and had not received any help from doctors, came to the deserted solitude of St. Chrysostom, asking for his prayers. But this saint, seeing him, said: this disease is a punishment for your cruelty and other sins committed by you. Repent, change your behavior, and God, in His goodness, will heal you. Hearing these words, the sick man fell on his knees before St. John, promising to completely fulfill everything he demands. The Lord, in His mercy, accepted the sincerity of his promises as a real correction, and as soon as the sick man bowed his head under the robe of the hermit, he immediately received complete healing. No less worthy of glorification is the quick healing of the wife of a certain Antiochus, Christina. She suffered from her illness for seven years. All the medical aids she tried, which always turned out to be powerless to alleviate suffering, only led to the conviction that the disease was incurable. Abandoned by all the doctors, she resorted to the miraculous power of the saint. Arriving in the desert, she remained at the monastery gates while her husband, who came with her, went to the monastery to ask for the miraculous prayer of St. Chrysostom. Why are you, said St. hermit, ignoring the means of healing that are in your hands, come for help to a poor and weak person? Tell your wife to tame her irritable temper, be more lenient with the servants, give alms and be diligent in prayer. If she does this, both soul and body will receive healing. When the husband announced to him about his wife’s firm determination to fulfill all this, St. Chrysostom said: go, your wife has recovered. Sometimes a lion of extraordinary size would appear in the surrounding countries and, furiously attacking everyone he met along the way, killing people and plundering herds. The residents, after futile attempts to kill him, resorted to St. John 101, asking him to pray that the Lord would subdue His righteous anger. The saint, having prayed, gave them a cross so that they would put it in the place from which the lion usually came out. The residents carried out his will, and soon, to everyone’s joy, they saw the lifeless corpse of a lion lying at the foot of the cross. St. spent four years John in the company of the Antiochian monks, constantly practicing fasting, vigil, day-night prayers, incessantly praising God, reading and studying St. Scripture, and other works of piety and love. But this life, harsh, terrible for our sinful nature, incomprehensible to those not accustomed to living under the guidance of faith, was not enough to satisfy his piety, to saturate his fiery love for the exploits of self-mortification. St. John was a model for everyone who lived in monasteries in the severity and immutability of his rules, in the spirit of contrition for sins and love for the brethren. But God wanted him to go through all the stages of the ascetic life, and to be also a great example of the solitary life. Moreover, the constantly spreading fame of his exploits, universal respect and trust in him, became difficult for his humility, presenting tempting cases for a sense of pride, while he wanted to live for God alone and be known to Him alone. At a fairly great distance from the monastery, among uninhabited rocks and forests, there was a deep cave, barely accessible to entry, and unknown to any people. In this wild, deserted place, guided by the Spirit of God, St. Chrysostom retired to spend all his time there until his last breath in contrition for his sins. God alone knows the great feats they accomplished there, all the labors they undertook, all the sorrows they experienced, and that fiery prayer that from the depths of the heart ascended incessantly to heaven! And in this deep, dark cave St. John had no bed, no chair, no table for two years, eating only bread brought by one of his friends. Palladius says that St. Chrysostom spent all this time almost without sleep, constantly practicing either in prayer or in reading the word of God; and if he was forced to yield to the demands of nature, he fell asleep leaning on the wall of the cave 102. This difficult feat, the dampness and cold of the cave little by little upset his health. The body is withered, the strength is significantly weakened. Living alone, without outside help, without the ability to satisfy his needs with his own strength, St. Chrysostom was forced to leave his pleasant seclusion, and returned to Antioch in the year 380. And this was, according to Palladius, a work of Providence, which deigned to distract St. with illness. John from the life of a hermit and call him to open service in the Church for the salvation of the souls of others. Instead of accusing the saints of excessive severity, let us attribute to the inspiration of the Spirit of God everything that seems incomprehensible to us in their behavior. When we look at their exploits, we realize our own relaxation. Let us remember that the kingdom of God requires that those who are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with passions and lusts, that in order to reign with Christ, they must suffer with Him. St. Chrysostom constantly reflected on these great truths, and this supported in him zeal and zeal for great deeds. God, showing the right path to achieving his goal, instilled in him a fiery love of solitude, silence and prayer, in order to prepare him for the great trials for which he was destined, and for the great deeds that the Lord wanted to accomplish through him for the benefit of the Church. And indeed, nothing is so beneficial as solitude for those whom God intended for apostolic service. The Lord usually fills with His Holy Spirit those chosen vessels that will subsequently spread the fragrance of Jesus Christ everywhere, imparts courage and fiery zeal to those individuals who will use all their strength to spread His kingdom to the end of the earth, and gives invincible power to those who will use their eloquence, their mind, their love in the service of Christ’s faith. St. Chrysostom, having come from the caves to Antioch, to his great consolation, found there the bishop he deeply revered, from whom he received spiritual rebirth in holy baptism; and thus could again enjoy close contemplation of the high qualities of the soul of the great shepherd - his meekness, love and unshakable faith, witnessed by him with the courageous patience of repeated imprisonment. But also St. Meletius was no less delighted to see his spiritual son, who had shown such marvelous success in the life of the saint. - Desiring to use the high perfections of St. John for the benefit of the Church, he ordained him as a deacon, which was no less desired by all the people, who knew his high virtues well. But St. the bishop in the same year (381) left Antioch, going to Constantinople to attend the ecumenical council convened by the will of Theodosius. But he was not destined to return to his flock, since he ended his life before the end of the Council. Five years later, St. Chrysostom, in one of his eloquent teachings, in the presence of the Antiochian people, expressed the deep respect that he had for the venerable saint, for his living faith, for true Christian love, unshakable courage and for all the excellent qualities of his mind and heart 103. St. Chrysostom, living in the city, due to loss of strength and poor health, could no longer strictly observe the grueling fast and other harsh feats of desert life; however, he always remained faithful to other, more spiritual exploits of monastic life. He forever retained in himself the same spirit of humility and patience, the same fervor in prayer, the same love and unceasing prayerful communication with God. Having become a servant of St. altar, he tried with all care to fulfill this office, comforted the mourning, served the poor, visited the sick and prisoners in prison, and admonished those who were not established in the knowledge of the truth and power of God. During his diaconate, he taught the sacraments of the faith to more than one thousand people who were baptized on the occasion of an earthquake that threatened to overthrow Antioch, without preparation 104. At the same time, he wrote two excellent words to a young widow and a historical essay about the martyr Babylon, three words to Stagirius, also about the incomprehensible and concubines 105. His zeal for every task did not give him peace, he completely forgot his weakness and illness when it came to the glory of God and the salvation of the soul. Let us now tell you the case for which St. John's words to Stagirius, which most excellently explain the incomprehensible ways of Providence in the misfortunes of people and contain the best consolation for those overwhelmed by waves of sorrow. Stagirius was among the close friends of St. Chrysostom. Coming from a famous family, he possessed many blessings of the earth and, having a pious mother, was raised in the fear of God from childhood 106, taught Christian morality from a young age and confirmed in the belief in the Orthodox dogmas of the Christian faith. Although he was brought up in all the abundance of earthly blessings, however, by maintaining purity of mind and heart, he knew how to protect himself from the disorderly actions of poorly managed youth. Moved by the action of grace, he, still young, despite the resistance of his father, had already renounced wealth, pleasures and worldly honors, in order, in the form of monastic life, to lead a more perfect life, and through tears, prayers and good living to acquire the kingdom of heaven. So, leaving everything, he came to the holy mountains, so that there he could breathe the clean air of true freedom, and, although with great difficulty, find the precious pearl of the Gospel. But, unfortunately, his behavior in the new area of ​​\u200b\u200blife did not correspond to the fiery desire that led him to the desert. Alas! we often lack the strength to respond satisfactorily to the calling of grace; We often begin with enthusiasm, but having started well, we end with shame. So Stagirius, having at first shown great zeal for works of piety, began to relax little by little. Prayer was a burden to him, he did not like fasting and vigils, he often turned his thoughts to the vain virtues of his family, listened to fair remarks with a murmur, spent most of his time in the garden, and was more diligent in caring for trees than in reading sacred books and thinking about spiritual subjects. But God showed His special mercy over the unfortunate one, who, after such a sacrifice, through his relaxation was in danger of losing his fruits. Moved by His providential goodness, in order to call the paralytic to his former fervor of zeal, the merciful Lord subjected him to great sorrow. One day, when Stagirius stood praying with other hermits, an evil spirit, by God’s permission, took possession of him and threw him to the ground. But that's not all. The next night, Stagirius saw in a dream that a wild pig, covered in mud, constantly rushed at him and fought with him 107. The evil spirit tormented him again. The monks, awakened by his plaintive cry, hastily ran to him and witnessed the terrible rage of this wild beast. Stagirius, with twisted eyes, foam at the mouth, with convulsive movements of his hands, covered with sweat from a strong shaking of his whole body, emitted a terrible piercing cry. This terrible event threw the entire monastery into confusion. It was so outrageous that Chrysostom himself, having heard the story about it, shuddered with his whole body and thanked God that He did not allow him to witness such a terrible spectacle. These attacks, often repeated from that time in the presence of many witnesses, left no doubt that an evil spirit possessed the unfortunate Stagirius. This terrible blow of God's wrath awakened Stagirius from the sleep of negligence in which he was immersed, and he with all his soul cried out to God for mercy. Fasting, night vigils, various feats of self-mortification, unceasing prayer and other works of piety - everything was put into action just to attract God’s mercy. He made long and lengthy journeys, begging for help from many hermits, known for their piety; visited various churches, graves of martyrs, knelt before the relics of saints, day and night begging the saints of God for liberation from the unbearable suffering of illness; but his strength was weak in order to attract grace-filled help. The illness not only did not decrease, it even increased: for he, lacking proper submission to the will of God, carried away by impatience, often grumbled at God and gave in to despair. Exhausted and exhausted by long suffering, Stagirius finally asked for consolation from St. Chrysostom, explaining his grief through his mutual friend Theophilus of Ephesus. “I beg you,” Stagirius told him, have pity on me, for my suffering is so great that there are not enough words to express it. All the strength of my soul has weakened from unbearable sadness, and sometimes I come to the desperate thought of ending my miserable existence - drowning myself or throwing myself into some bottomless abyss from a height of a cliff. No suffering, no matter how great it may be - no illness of the body, no imprisonment in shackles, no imprisonment in exile, nothing can compare with what I experience!.. In vain I raise my prayers to heaven, God does not heed my voice, does not hear my groans, He is inexorable to me; even His saints, who miraculously heal the illnesses of others, refuse His gracious power to alleviate my suffering. - Why was I left? What is the reason for such a terrible judgment of God against me? What did I do to deserve what I suffered? Why was such unbearable torment sent to me? Why did all these disasters surround me in the desert, during a life more consistent with the rules of Christian morality, while, living in the world, I enjoyed complete prosperity? Constant embarrassment and fear are the feelings I constantly experience! Woe is me! God has left me, I am forever condemned to be a victim of an evil spirit and a prey of hell... But I, my beloved friend, stretch out my weakened hands, have pity on me, whom you loved so much, and, if you can, pull me out of the abyss of despair” 108. These are the words in which the distressed Stagirius expressed the grief that filled his heart. At the sight of the prosperity of his brothers, the feeling of sorrow in him increased even more; but most of all, his spirit was outraged by the fear that the rumor of the misfortunes that befell him would not reach the attention of his father, who, with a proud and irritable character, enjoying general respect and powerful influence, carried away by the stormy passion of anger and vengeance, could do a lot of evil to the monastics and all zealots of the highest piety and holiness of life 109. St. Chrysostom did not change the expectations of his suffering friend; he hastened to calm his grief, trying to establish in him faith in Providence and submission to His good will. In his letters to him, at the very beginning, he shows that everything in the world happens either by definition or by God’s permission; that all the disasters that befall us, the loss of property, health, honors, sometimes serve as a punishment, often as a test, and always in the right hand of God an expression of His favor towards us and a means to our salvation; that He sometimes afflicts those whom He loves with sorrows, and that we must endure courageously and with humility, with faith and hope, all the disasters sent upon us by His goodness. These truths, capable of inspiring courage in the heart of every grieving Christian, are excellently revealed in the letters of Chrysostom to Stagiri. “It would behoove me, my dear Stagirius,” says St. Chrysostom at the beginning of his first letter, “to now be with you and take part in your suffering, and, comforting in word, helping in deed, and using all other means, to somehow alleviate your grief, to the best of my ability. But since bodily weakness and headache, forcing me to stay at home, deprived me of the opportunity to take on such a useful service, I will try to do as best I can, what remains for your consolation and for my benefit. Perhaps this will help you to bear the present disaster generously; even if this does not happen, at least the thought that nothing has been omitted on my part for your peace will finally lighten my soul... and will bring praise from Him who, through blessed Paul, commanded to weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15) 110. “Your suffering, my beloved friend, is great, I believe it, I understand it, I can even tell you that, connected with you by long-standing friendship, I feel grief and sadness from your suffering no less than you. But these sufferings, no matter how great they are, are able to confuse and greatly disturb the soul, however, a weak, inexperienced and careless soul; but if we want to look at them a little more carefully and discuss them piously, then we will scatter all the causes of sorrow like fine dust” 111. “If I were speaking to someone who is unfaithful, or who thinks that everything happens by chance, or who attribute the government of the world to evil spirits; Then I would have a lot of work to do, first of all, to refute the false opinion and convince of the true Providence of the universe, and then turn the word to consolation. But since you, by the grace of God, have known the Holy Scriptures since childhood, and having accepted the true and saving dogmas from your ancestors, you undoubtedly believe that God provides for everything, and especially for those who believe in him 112 ... then it is not difficult to convince that sorrows, temptations and all the disasters that happen to us, as much as the pleasures in life, prove God’s providence for us” 113. Let's open the sacred books and take a look at the actions of Providence in the fate of man. God created man in His image and likeness, and surrounded him with glory and honor and all the blessings of the earth. But Adam, having violated the commandment of God, at the suggestion of Satan, turned out to be ungrateful to his Benefactor, and God expels him from paradise and condemns him to sorrow, labor, illness and death itself 114. This is the punishment for sin; but this punishment is an expression of Divine goodness, for He, defining this, had in mind the salvation of man. For, “if a person, after the devil’s promise to make them, by breaking the commandment, equal to God, remained in the same honor, he would fall into three extreme disasters. Firstly, I would consider God to be unkind, a deceiver and a liar; secondly, - truly a seducer, the father of lies and malice, - a benefactor and friend; and besides, he would continue to sin endlessly” 115. After the expulsion of Adam, the Lord also punishes Cain; but this punishment was supposed to benefit both the criminal himself, admonishing him of his guilt before God and at the same time easing the severity of future torment, and the descendants, rousing them to a speedy repentance of sin 116. If the Lord threatens us with hell, it is in order to protect us from falling into it; if He allows the devil to inflict sorrow on us and tempt us, then in order to accustom us to struggle, to arouse us to vigilance, to multiply our crowns through victory, to confirm us in the spirit of humility and force us to cleave closer to Him.” For whoever sees that an enemy is attacking him quickly runs and cleaves to the one who can help him. Small children, when they see something scary, run into their mother’s arms, grab her clothes and hold on tightly to them, so that sometimes no one can pull them away; but when there is nothing terrible, they do not listen to her call or impulse; she calls them, but they do not heed; She tries in every possible way to lure them to her, but they shy away and don’t even look at the food they have prepared. Therefore, many mothers, when their convictions do not work, make ugly masks and monsters, and thus force their children to turn back and run to them again” 117. This is the benefit of temptations, why the inscrutable goodness of God allows them. “Every day God arranges for our salvation many and great things that are known only to Him alone. And since He benefits our race solely out of His goodness, having no need for glorification from us or any other retribution, He does not reveal very much to us. If he sometimes opens it, then he does it for us, so that we, having given Him gratitude, will thereby attract even greater help from Him. Let us thank Him, not only for what we know, but also for what we do not know: because He benefits us, not only when we want it, but also when we do not want it. “If He cares so much about His enemies (everyone who sins, as if he acts contrary to His will, is His enemy): will He ever leave without care those who believe in Him and those who please Him according to their strength?” 118 So, when you think that for Christ you have left your father, home, friends, relatives, countless wealth and great glory, and are enduring such sorrow, then do not lose heart; for God cannot lie, and He promised eternal life to the one who leaves all this (i.e. father, house, etc.). You have received your sight and left everything: what prevents you from hoping for God’s promise? Is there a temptation that oppresses you now? But God promised us eternal life not here. And even if this promise were to be fulfilled here, even then there was no need to grieve; because a pious and believing person must rely so firmly on the promises of God that, seeing events opposite to them, he does not become disturbed in spirit and despair of the fulfillment of the promises. Look, what promise did Abraham receive, and what, however, was he commanded to do? The promise was that Abraham would fill the whole universe with his descendants from Isaac: and the command demanded that he slay that same Isaac, with whose descendants the whole earth should be filled. So what? Did this bother the righteous man? No, and with such a disagreement and contradiction between the command and the promise, he was not embarrassed, did not hesitate in thought and did not say: it is true that God deceived me and laughed at me. For when God promises, even if there are thousands of obstacles to the fulfillment of what was promised, one should not be embarrassed or doubt the fulfillment. The power of God is especially revealed in this, that it makes the impossible possible. 119 However, not only Abraham, but also Joseph, despite the fact that he was betrayed by his brothers, taken to a foreign country, imprisoned, did not doubt the fulfillment of God’s promise about his high dignity, depicted in the dreams he saw. “Why does God do this, why does he allow events that contradict the promises? In order, firstly, to provide us with proof of His power, i.e., that He can bring into reality promises that are apparently the most incredible: secondly, to teach us to believe Him in everything, even if the events that happen to us seem to contradict the events 120. But do you want to know why, for what purpose the Lord does this to you? To this I will tell you, my beloved Stagirius, that we cannot penetrate into the hidden reasons and goals of Divine actions. It sometimes happens that a father serves his son a bitter drink without revealing to him the reason for this, and we often obey the doctor’s orders, although they disagree with our convictions. Let us submit ourselves all the more unquestioningly to the orders of Providence. If the virtue of faith consists in believing what we do not understand; - then the dignity of perfect devotion and unquestioning obedience consists in the exact fulfillment of the will of God, even if it contradicts our desires, and even if we do not understand the hidden reasons for it 121. But the question still perplexes you: Why do the righteous suffer more often, while the wicked are blissful? Here’s what I’ll say to this: since the kingdom of heaven has been opened to us and reward in the future life has been shown, it is no longer worth exploring why the righteous here endure sorrows, and the wicked live in pleasures. For, if everyone there expects a reward according to their deserts, then why be indignant at the events here, happy and unfortunate?.. But since many do not want to accept the teaching about the future life and resurrection, He still represents here, in a small form, the image of judgment, when He punishes the evil and rewards the good... If here none of the evil were punished at all, and none of the good received rewards, then many of those who did not believe in the teaching of resurrection, they would turn away from virtue as the cause of evil, and would love sin as the cause of good; on the other hand, if everyone here received what they deserved; then they would think that the doctrine of judgment is unnecessary and false” 122. “Let us not grumble at God for what happens to us, but let us give thanks. You, surprised that the evil spirit attacked you not in the old days, when you lived cheerfully and surrounded yourself with worldly splendor, but now, when you have already abandoned all this and completely surrendered yourself to God, you do the same, as if you began to wonder why no one bothers the spectators, but for the one who signed up as a wrestler and went to the place of wrestling - only the enemy attacks him, hits him in the head and hits him in the face... And the enemy, attacking you, he does not humiliate you at all, but, on the contrary, elevates you, recognizing you as a strong opponent and providing an opportunity to gain the glory of a victor over a strong enemy. And that you really benefited from your misfortune, I will now show you. You know and remember your former life, which you led before temptation; look at it carefully and compare it with the present one, which you experience after temptation, and you will then see what benefit has come from this disaster for you. For you are now practicing with great zeal in fasting, vigil, reading and prayer, and have greatly improved in patience and humility; and before I didn’t even think about books, and spent all my worries and labors on walking behind the garden trees; he was proud of the celebrity of his family, the glory of his father and his brilliant upbringing; and how lazy you were during your vigils, you yourself know very well. For it often happened that while others rose hastily in the dead of midnight, you remained immersed in a deep sleep, and were angry with those who woke you. But now, since I entered into this warfare and struggle, all this has stopped and changed for the better. If you ask me why God did not allow this demon to attack you when you lived in luxury and were tied to worldly affairs, then I will answer that this is also the work of God’s providence for you. He knew that then the enemy, having found you easily defeated, would immediately destroy you. Therefore, God called you to this struggle and not immediately as you entered monastic life, but gave you a lot of time in advance for exercise, and when you were already strengthened, then He brought you to this difficult field” 123. “So, continue to fight courageously, and especially beware of despondency, which weakens the strength of the soul. For just as those who dig under walls at night, having turned off the light, can very easily steal property and kill the owners of this property: so the devil, having spread despondency instead of night and darkness, tries to steal all the thoughts that protect us, so that, attacking a soul deprived of all help, covering it with countless wounds... Sadness makes the demon himself stronger, and inspires us thoughts of despair" 124. “But perhaps you feel ashamed and blush when a demon overthrows you in someone’s presence? But this is false shame... Not only do they not reproach, they even praise the one who generously and meekly endures the insult of a shameless person; Why should one be ashamed, as if having done a bad deed, for one who complacently endures the rage of the devil’s worst enemy?.. If you want to see those truly worthy of shame and reproach, then I will show you. Look at those who are seduced by female beauty, those who are addicted to money, those who love power and glory, those who are dying of envy, those who plot evil against those who have not offended them in any way, those who give in to despondency without any reason, people who only chase after the vanities of life. These and similar deeds are insane and worthy of punishment; They deserve reproach, shame and laughter. And if someone is tormented by a demon, and, despite this, shows a lot of wisdom in his life, such a person deserves to be amazed by everyone and adorned with crowns for the fact that, with such chains on himself, he continues such a difficult run, and walks along a path so steep and narrow” 125. But the main thing that can serve to strengthen you in your feat is “remember that the time of rewards and crowns is the future century, and the present is a time of struggle and labor, if only we want to enjoy eternal peace and countless benefits. If anyone among the careless wants to enjoy both the local pleasures and the local rewards prepared for the working people, he deceives and deceives himself... If even at secular games no one receives a crown without labor, and, moreover, having opponents of the same nature: how then, where evil forces are fighting against us, how can we defeat their fury without sorrow and embarrassment? 126. Pay attention to the blessed and valiant ascetics who lived in former times - and you will see that through sorrow they all acquired boldness towards God 127. After this St. Chrysostom lists all the Old Testament forefathers and Prophets and then the Apostles, examining in detail all the events of their lives, filled with sorrows. In conclusion, Stagirius advises above all to beware of despondency, because it is more harmful than any demonic action, for even if a demon rules in someone, it rules through despondency. “Why should one be discouraged?” he said to him: “If you had committed fornication, murder, or another similar sin that expels you from the kingdom of heaven, then no one would keep you from sorrow and lamentation. But if, by the grace of God, you stand far from all these sins, then why are you torturing yourself in vain? 128. Let us now turn our attention to another work of St. Chrysostom to a young widow. The widow to whom St. writes Chrysostom, was the wife of a certain famous and pious nobleman, who died at a flourishing age, after five years of married life. In his first word, St. Chrysostom consoles the sad widow in the misfortune that has befallen her. He tells her that it is impossible not to grieve at the misfortune that has befallen her. If any grief, due to the special sensitivity of women, strikes them strongly, then “it increases several times when youth, and premature widowhood, and inexperience in business, and a lot of worries are added to it, while all the previous time was spent in fun, amusements and wealth.” And therefore, if she “did not go crazy with sadness during the sudden confluence of so many disasters, then this cannot be considered a matter of human strength, but of the Hand of the Almighty, that intelligence that is innumerable, that wisdom that is unsearchable, the fruit of God’s special care for her” 129. However, having carefully examined the reasons that make the widow grieve, one can find, in addition to the invisible help of the Almighty, many visible reasons for consolation. “As long as I lived with you,” St. says to her. Chrysostom, your husband of blessed memory, you enjoyed honor, attentiveness and care for you from him; and when God took him to Himself, He Himself has already taken his place for you. For the blessed Prophet David says: The Lord accepts the orphan and the widow (Ps. 145:9); and in another place he calls Him the father of the orphans and the judge of widows (67:6) 130... And He showed no small proof of His providence in the fact that He kept you healthy and unharmed in the midst of such a flame of worries and sorrow, and did not allow you to suffer any trouble. If He saved you from shipwreck during such a storm, all the more will He protect your soul during the calm and ease the burden for you of both widowhood and the disasters associated with it 131... You, perhaps, want to enjoy the love of your husband... then now you can nourish love for him, just as before: the power of love is such that it embraces, combines and unites not only those who are with us, or close to us, whom we see, but also those who are distant from us; so that neither the length of time, nor the distance of distance, and nothing like that can upset and interrupt spiritual friendship. If you want to see him face to face, then keep his bed inaccessible to another husband, try to equal him in life - and you, of course, will leave here in the same person in which he is now, and you will live with him for boundless and endless centuries 132... If you lament the loss of the glory that you could enjoy through his exaltation; then imagine many who fell from the heights of honor, and carried their wives with them into destruction; for “their wives died partly from poison, partly from sadness itself,” - and you will find a reason not only not to grieve, but, perhaps, even to thank God for salvation from possible unbearable evils 133... “And I hope that soon it will happen to your soul that you, suddenly renouncing everything worldly, will show us the way of heavenly life, and, not long later, you will laugh at this glory, about which you are now crying, noticing how empty and vain its face is. And if you value the peace of mind that you enjoyed with your husband; if you want your property to be preserved, and none of those who take advantage of other people’s misfortunes plot evil against you: then cast your sorrow on the Lord, and He will feed you (Is. 50)... seek heaven and everything that leads to life there, and nothing can harm you here 134... If you want your money to be safe, and even to increase..., then send them to your wonderful husband (through the hands of the poor), - and not only neither the thief, nor the slanderer, nor any other corruption can touch them..., but you will receive even greater profit from them..., you will achieve eternal life and the blessings promised to those who love God, but the eye has not seen them, and the ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not sighed" 135. In the second letter of St. Chrysostom does not advise a widow to enter into a second marriage, in order to avoid the sorrows that are inseparable from it, and even more so to preserve the purity of life. Without condemning the second marriage, as permitted by the Apostle himself (1 Cor. 7:39), he nevertheless considers monogamy to be better than bigamy, and in those who are content with one marriage he notices a greater love of purity than in those entering into a second marriage. “She who was content with her first marriage showed that she would not have entered into this marriage before if she knew this condition well from experience; and who brings another to the marriage bed of her first husband, quite clearly reveals in herself a strong love for the world and a passion for earthly things. She, therefore, did not have love for anyone else during her husband’s life; and this one, although she did not sin with another during her husband’s life, nevertheless looked at many others more than at him 136 ... “She who easily endures the state of widowhood, often, of course, abstained from her husband even when he was alive; and whoever considers this condition unbearable, only with the onset of old age does she barely become abstinent. Therefore, just as the first marriage is a proof of honesty and chastity, so the second marriage is a sign, I won’t say, of voluptuousness, no, but of a carnal and weak soul, and tied to the earth, and never able to conceive of anything great and lofty” 137 ... “To preserve the increase in wealth, it would be better to transfer it to heaven; if the widow is not able to fulfill this, then let her think about the fact that even if she gets married, she will probably not find in him a man who will increase her property. "... But let it also be that the husband will be able to preserve and increase wealth. “But what is the benefit of exchanging freedom for slavery? What is the use of great wealth if you cannot use it for whatever you want? Isn’t it much better to own a little freely than to possess the riches of the entire universe, and yourself, along with them, depend on another? For the wife is always more or less dependent on her husband. “And there is no need to talk about worries, insults, curses, jealousy, vain suspicions, diseases of childbirth and all other troubles,” for they are more or less known to the widow 138 . St. spent five years John in the rank of deacon, serving in the Church of Antioch. Living in the city, he involuntarily becomes a witness to the unrest and vices common in big cities. But at the sight of the humiliation of human nature and the moral poverty of the souls of the majority of the population, zeal for self-improvement grew even more in him, kindling in his heart a consuming fire, a flaming jealousy that was once supposed to embrace almost the entire universe. And now, finally, the time has come to open this lamp; the moment has come at which God wanted to place it on the candlestick of His holy Church; so that he would shine and guide the steps of many souls who were still sitting in the darkness of ignorance and delusion. Flavian, who accompanied St. Meletius at the ecumenical council, was after him the successor to the Antiochian throne in Antioch 139. Born in this city, descended from a noble family, full of meekness and humility, known for his devotion to the will of Providence, and especially for his holy zeal, which he showed in the management of the Church of Antioch during the imprisonment of St. Meletia, he fully deserved this honor. Thus, his accession to the episcopal throne brought great joy to all the faithful, and no less to Chrysostom himself, who hoped to see all the excellent qualities of St. Meletia in his successor. But the joy of St. Chrysostom was soon violated by Flavian himself. This pious bishop, giving justice to the extensive knowledge and eloquence of the holy deacon, and always enjoying his high moral qualities, which, according to Palladius, were the salt that protected the morals of the people from damage, wanted to elevate him to the rank of presbyter 140. Thoughts of St. Chrysostom about the high dignity of the priestly rank, once communicated to his friend Vasily, was not erased from his memory, on the contrary, they were even more strengthened in his soul through reflection on these truths and many years of experience. And therefore, the deep humility that filled his soul did not allow him to take on such a great service, so that neither the conviction of Flavian, nor the pleas of the Antiochian clergy, nor the advice of his best friends could persuade him to do so. There was a need for evidence from above about his calling to this. And indeed, one night during prayer an Angel appeared to Flavian, commanding him on behalf of God to ordain St. John as presbyter. St. received a similar certificate from an Angel about his heavenly appointment. John, humbly submitting to the will of providence, placed himself at the complete disposal of Flavian, and was ordained presbyter by him in the year 386. One amazing circumstance that occurred at his ordination, justifying the election of Flavian, poured complete peace into the soul of Chrysostom. Emperor Leon assures that while Flavian, in full bishop's vestments, during the Divine service, laid his hands on the newly ordained presbyter, a white dove, in the presence of a large assembly of people in the church, sat on the head of Chrysostom, as a symbol of the purity of his soul and the presence of the Holy Spirit that filled his heart. So, no matter how hard I tried to avoid St. Chrysostom had the high service of the priesthood, out of a sense of consciousness of his unworthiness, but finally, the will of God was fulfilled over him: he took upon himself that great service, which he spoke about with such eloquence, and the duties that seem so terrible when one looks closely at them. Once he has taken upon himself this heavy burden, he can never lay it down or lighten it... And how many new worries, anxieties, labor, and responsibilities are imposed along with this! The highest holiness of life for the shepherd becomes a sacred, indispensable duty. He must always show in himself a high example of humility, holy zeal, unchanging loyalty and devotion to the will of God, sincere and selfless concern for the salvation of his neighbors. From now on, his whole life will be a cross and martyrdom, all the days of his priestly service will be a constant burnt offering to God. Such were the thoughts of St. Chrysostom upon receiving the sacrament. But no matter how great the anxiety of St. Chrysostom, presented with the extraordinary difficulties of his new ministry, strengthened by the grace-filled power imparted through the sacrament, and protecting himself with humility and trust in the Most High help and intercession, finally entered the field of pastoral service with the readiness to sacrifice himself for the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbors. Entry by St. Chrysostom's elevation to the rank of presbyter was a very remarkable event for Antioch. The Arians mourned, while the Orthodox believers blessed God for such a strong defender of Orthodoxy. Arians and believers, friends and enemies, all had a high understanding of the extensive knowledge and talents of Chrysostom. But they talked about him no more than about a learned writer, they were surprised in his conversations at the height of his thoughts, the logical harmony and coherence of concepts, the vividness of his imagination, the superiority, sublimity and warmth of feeling and other excellent qualities that characterized him. But his oratorical dignity was not yet known. But Flavian knew his high dignity in this regard, and therefore, soon after his ordination, he entrusted him with the duty of speaking instructions to the people of Antioch. The next day after his ordination, St. Chrysostom, by order of Flavian, in the presence of countless people who had gathered to listen, ascended the pulpit with a heart filled with confusion, fear and anxiety, and so began his speech. “Is what happened to us true? and what has come true has really come true, and are we not deceived? Is the present not night and a dream, but really day, and we are all awake? And who would believe this, that during the day, when people were awake and did not sleep, a wretched and rejected youth was elevated to such a height of leadership. excellent. But even if I flow like never-ending rivers, and the sources of words are hidden in my mouth; and then, with such a multitude of people flocking to the hearing, the stream would immediately stop from fear and the waters would rush back... Therefore, all of you, those in charge and those in charge, equally ask that you, just as much as you brought fear to us by flocking to the hearing, instill as much courage in us with zeal for prayers and beg Him who gives the word to those who bring good news with much power (Ps. 67:12) to give us the word in the opening of our mouths" (Eph. 6:19) 141. “Intending to speak in church for the first time, I wanted to dedicate the beginnings of the introductory conversation to God, who gave us this language. For not only the firstfruits of the threshing floor and the grindstone, but also the firstfruits of words must be dedicated to the Word, for this fruit is more characteristic of us and more pleasing to the revered God Himself. For the bowels of the earth produce berries and ears, feed the currents of rain, 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 granaries” 142. After this beginning, which reflected modesty and humility, St. Chrysostom says that he would like to bring a sacrifice of praise to Divine perfections to the spiritual altar: “but one wise man stops the mouth and frightens, saying: praise is not beautiful in the mouth of a sinner” (Sir. 15:9); and therefore he is content to glorify the works of God, and His grace shining in godly men, His faithful servants. Then, praising Flavian, he speaks of his exploits, night vigils, fasts, his victories over passions, and especially his contempt for wealth and honors. In conclusion, he invites everyone, with devotion to the will of God and with hope in the highest help, to offer prayers to the Almighty, may he preserve the Church of Antioch unshakable and always clean from the chaff of heretical teaching, and may he grant Flavian, the common father, long and blessed years. Then he asks for prayer protection for himself. “If you have any attention to me,” he tells the listeners, then “pray that great reinforcement will come to me from above; for I was in need of protection before, even more so now I need many hands and countless prayers, so that I can return the deposit intact to the Lord who gave it, on the day when those who received the talents will be called and brought in, and will have to give an account. So, pray that I may not be among the bound, nor among those thrown into darkness, but among those who are able to receive, even a small indulgence, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion and worship forever and ever.” 143 St. Chrysostom, protected by the complete trust of Flavian, with submission to the will of God, entered into that high and arduous ministry to which he was called 144. We cannot enter into all the details of his life, nor imagine a complete analysis of his conversations, delivered by him in Antioch, over the course of twelve years, from the time of his assumption of the rank of presbyter to his episcopal service; but we consider ourselves obliged to make a true indication of the works he undertook, the struggles he endured, the virtues that especially shone in him, and, finally, the deeds he accomplished for the benefit of the Church with apostolic zeal. Although Antioch accommodated up to two hundred thousand inhabitants, of whom one half consisted of Orthodox Christians, and the other of pagans, Jews and heretics: but St. John could satisfy everyone: the faithful and the erring, Jews and pagans all gathered to listen to him and all quenched the thirst of their souls from the abundant and pure source of his teaching. And he preached daily during fasting, and two or three times a week on ordinary days, not counting the feasts of saints, martyrs, and special occasions. Having entered into pastoral ministry, St. Chrysostom met in the city of Antioch four enemies with whom he had to fight, and against whom he especially directed the blows of his words: the pagans, who were still numerous, the Jews, almost no less in number, the heretics - Arians, Anomeans, Marcionites, and all Christians, called true believers, but in fact corrupt in their morals. These enemies of faith and piety of St. Chrysostom constantly pursued them in his conversations on every occasion, and often brought about a saving change in their souls. Although his words were filled with power and righteous anger, and sometimes even expressed the holy severity of denunciations, however, they never irritated the people who listened to him. The guilty, although they sometimes recognized themselves in the pictures depicted by the preacher, felt shame and dissatisfaction with themselves in their souls; however, they always gave due justice to the love and holy zeal of the apostolic man and applauded his eloquence. And the struggle with the enemies of heavenly truth was necessary in order to dispel the darkness of error that surrounds them, to open their eyes to the contemplation of the truths of the Gospel teaching, to turn them to Christianity, or, at least, in order to warn the faithful, to protect the weak in the faith from the harmful influence that false piety, the feigned sighs of hypocrites and the cunning objections of pagans could have on them. To achieve this double goal, St. Chrysostom, on the one hand, exposes all the absurd fairy tales, all the absurd inventions of pagan mythology; exposes all the ridiculous beliefs of paganism, its deep immorality, absurd tales about the origin of man, terrible and shameful passions, praised and approved by the example of their heroes and the gods themselves; on the other hand, it shows the simplicity and beauty of Christianity, the height of its dogmas, the purity of morality, its miraculous spread, the high dignity of the saints, the unshakable firmness of the martyrs, the exact fulfillment of all ancient prophecies, in one word it displays all the evidence of its divinity. Gods of the pagans, says St. John, together with the Prophet, are not true gods, but idols of the pagans - “silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; They have nostrils, but do not smell; they have hands, but do not touch; They have legs, but they don’t walk; and they do not utter a voice with their throat. Like them are those who make them and all who trust in them” (Psalm 113:12.16). Or don't you see that an evil spirit controls them and gives prophecies through their lips? This unclean spirit misleads you, wants to incite you to all sorts of crimes, presenting before your eyes these statues with their criminal passions. Is it not worthy of extreme laughter that you prostrate yourself before the gods who owe you the beginning of their existence, whom your hands created? Is it not a great dishonor to give divine honor to trees, vegetables and unclean animals? But what am I saying! Isn’t it a hundred times more disgraceful to kneel before statues, which by their appearance, by their position, preach the most vile passions, outrageous obscenities? Or are these festivals of gods and goddesses, these churches, these dungeons, gloomy assemblies, these sacraments, expressions, monuments and preachers of wickedness and infamy? And what else can I say? Are all their customs not a constant incitement to such cruelties that could make even the demons blush with shame, if only they were capable of it? These obscenities of paganism of St. John exposed, whenever the opportunity presented itself, in all his teachings, and when explaining the passages of St. Scriptures concerning the Gentiles. However, he was not content with revealing to the pagans the absurdity and dishonor of their worship of false gods; With even greater care, he showed them the high dignity and divinity of Christianity. In one of his works, St. Chrysostom provides an excellent example of how Christians should convince pagans of the Divine dignity of Jesus Christ. “If a pagan asks: how is it clear that Christ is God (this must be proven first, since everything else follows from this by itself)? - then let’s not borrow evidence from heaven or anything else like that. For if I tell a pagan that Christ created the heavens, the earth, the sea, he will not accept it. If I also say that I raised the dead, healed the blind, cast out demons; this and that will not be allowed. And if I say that Christ promised the kingdom of heaven and unspeakable blessings, if I tell him about the resurrection, then not only will he not accept this, but he will even laugh. How can we convince him if he is ignorant of anything? What else if not what is unquestioningly recognized by both me and him, and about which he has no doubt? What did Christ do that he cannot dispute in any way, and that the pagan himself admits? The fact that the society of Christians arose from Christ. Of course, even a pagan will not contradict the fact that all churches in the universe were planted by Christ. From here we borrow evidence of His omnipotence, and begin to prove to the pagans that Christ is God; let’s just say: it is not possible for a simple person to cover so much land and sea in the universe in such a short time, to call on such a task people who had poor skill, and who, moreover, were so much devoted to vice” 145. “Think what a great thing it is - in a short time, to fill the entire sunflower with so many churches, to convert so many nations, to convince so many people, to eradicate paternal morals, to destroy ingrained habits, to crush the predominance of voluptuousness, to scatter the very traces of sin like dust, to reduce altars, churches, idols, rituals, vile festivals, unclean sacrifices, and everywhere like smoke to nothing. to erect altars, both among the Romans, and among the Persians, and among the Scythians, and among the Moors, and among the Indus. The Word of Christ is implanted in all souls and is in everyone’s mouth. The whole earth, overgrown, so to speak, with thorns, was cleared, became a good field, and received the seeds of piety. And through whom was this accomplished? Through twelve people, unlearned, ignorant, ineloquent, ignorant, poor, without a fatherland, fishermen, monastery workers, foreign speakers, against whom a fierce war was raised in every nation, city, even in every house. How did this happen? Of course, by the power of Him who sent His disciples to preach. He Himself prepared the way for them, He Himself made everything difficult easy to do. He, who created the world with one Word, planted the Church. He said: I will build My Church, and I did this by deed.” 146 How could all these previously predicted changes take place? How did it happen that the cross, once an object of horror and shudder, now enjoys universal veneration? Why now throughout the entire universe are worshipers of the true God gathering to worship in Bethlehem? Isn’t this the fulfillment of the prophetic words: and you are in Bethlehem, the house of Ephrath, and you have little food to be among the thousands of Judah; From you will come forth an Elder for Me, who will become a prince in Israel; he has come forth from the beginning from the days of the world. For this reason... he will stand and see, and the Lord will provide for his flock with strength, and they will abide in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: he will be magnified even to the end of the earth (Mic. 5:2-4) 147. So, recognize the miracle, and confess with us the Divine dignity of the One who was crucified, died and rose again for the salvation of people. The holy fathers of this century often used the circumstances of the spread of the Christian faith to prove its divinity. And Blessed Augustine, wanting to convince the pagans of this, says: did the Christian religion spread and establish itself with the help of miracles or without them? If through miracles, then she is divine; if without miracles, then this very spread and affirmation of it constitutes the greatest miracle, and serves as the best proof of its divinity. To convince the pagans St. Chrysostom pointed not only to important historical events, but often to miraculous actions that took place in his time, and even in the city of Antioch itself. Similar indications are found, among other places, especially in his praise of St. Babyla and in his reasoning against Julian and the pagans. And this important event, constituting an important proof of the divinity of the Christian faith, is the triumph of St. Babyla, which he showed, even after his death, over Julian and his false gods. Near Antioch there was a famous suburb called Daphne. This place was extremely famous for its cypress groves, fertile and very beautiful surroundings, which were watered by life-giving springs, magnificent fountains, and especially the famous and ancient church dedicated to Apollo. Many young people gathered here who indulged in all carnal pleasures without shame; so that people who were in any way decent were ashamed to come here. Julian's brother Gallus, raised by Constantius to the dignity of Caesar, lived in Antioch and, since he was a Christian, especially honoring the memory of men who suffered for the faith, he wanted to cleanse the mentioned place from pagan superstitions and the filth of depraved people. Realizing that he could easily achieve this if he set up a house of prayer there, he transferred to Daphne the tomb of the martyr Babyla, who gloriously ruled the Antiochian church and was crowned with martyrdom. From that time on, the demon who preached in the Church of Apollo fell silent, and little by little the place began to be cleared of disorderly gatherings and amusements. But when Julian became the independent ruler of the entire empire, he decided to visit Daphne and question the long-silent idol. On this occasion, many sacrifices were made, and the idol, after a long silence, finally said that he did not make divinations in the vicinity of the tomb of the martyr Babyla and other dead people. The king, having heard such an answer, realized that the main reason for the silence of the idol was the tomb of the martyr Babyla, and therefore ordered it to be taken out. Christians of all genders and ages, men and women, young men and virgins, elders and children, who had gathered in large numbers, took the tomb and carried it on their shoulders at a distance of forty furlongs, chanting psalms all the way, in which the greatness of God and the powerlessness and insignificance of the idols were predominantly expressed. When singing psalmody, they often made a refrain: all who bow down to idols, who boast about their idols are put to shame (Ps. 96:7) 148. Julian, offended by such respect for the remains of the martyr, which expressed disrespect for him, subjected many Christians to severe sorrows. But this wickedness did not go unpunished; Fire fell from the sky and destroyed the entire church and the statue that stood in the church. Only bare walls and columns remained as sad monuments of God's righteous wrath at the wickedness of the pagans 149. An ordinary man, says St. Chrysostom, looking at these events, after his death produces nothing, neither small nor great; but St. The martyr, even after his death, performs many miracles, and does not perform for human glory, which he has no need for, but to show the hard-hearted and unbelievers that the death of St. martyrs, there is not so much death as the beginning of a better life. St. Babylon, as soon as he made the return journey (his relics were transferred from Daphne to Antioch), destroyed the power of the demon, declared all the errors of the pagans and showed the entire emptiness of their oracles, closing the lips of one who seemed very skillful in the matter of divination. The miraculous actions of the holy martyr are now known to everyone. Go to Daphne, and you will see there still smoking, so to speak, the remains of the famous temple; look more closely, and the remains of the fire will show you the emptiness of idols, the dishonor of paganism, the power of St. martyrs and the glory of Christianity 150. In his conversations against the pagans, revealing the divinity of the Christian faith, St. At the same time, Chrysostom struck down the Jews. And his denunciations against the Jews are no less remarkable, like those of which we have given some idea. In the time of Chrysostom, although almost all Christians considered the ritual law of Moses completely unnecessary for the present time, there were, however, those Christians who, being weak in faith, or not understanding the spirit of the teachings of Christ, although they did not deviate from church communion, did not apparently fall away from the Christian faith, but, due to their superstition and unreason, considered it possible and not reprehensible to combine Christianity with Judaism, and therefore walked to the synagogues of the Jews, took part in their holidays, fasts and observed some other Jewish rituals 151. What happened from this was that some weak Christians, when the Jewish Passover occurred after the feast of the Christian Resurrection of Christ, continued to wear hair shirts and observe fasting in all severity, while all the faithful celebrated the feast of the Resurrection of Christ with joy and triumph. The delusion of some went so far that an oath pronounced in a synagogue was considered more sacred than one pronounced in a Christian temple. Chrysostom says that he saw one Christian who forced one honorable woman to enter the Jewish synagogue; and there swear in the matter disputed between them 152. St. John, with all his apostolic zeal, armed himself against all the errors and prejudices of the Jews, and strictly forbade Christians to have communion with them. “What is a synagogue? he says; this is a theater in which crowds of pampered people and a crowd of dissolute women gather..., a den of robbers, a den of beasts... and a dwelling of demons" 153. “Think about who you are communicating with? With those who shouted: crucify him, crucify him (Luke 23:21), with those who said; His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:23). If you did not want to approach those convicted of an attempt on the supreme power, then how could you dare to enter into communication with those who insulted God, and celebrate together with those who crucified Your Lord 154. The evil of infatuation with Jewish customs has penetrated so deeply into Christian society that St. John was forced to write, in addition to a special essay against the pagans and Jews, eight words against the Jews. To strengthen the faith of weak Christians and enlighten unbelieving Jews, St. John proves that the religion under the law has already ended, the time for the synagogue has passed. God has rejected Israel, the time has come for new grace; the place of the law of Moses with its sacrifices and rituals was taken by the law of the gospel, based on the sacraments of the life, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. To prove these truths, St. Chrysostom draws attention to the prophetic books and points out their predictions regarding the Messiah. He, according to their prediction, should be born in the city of Bethlehem from the tribe of David, at a time when the scepter of government will no longer belong to the Israelites; will have a Forerunner, and He Himself will serve as a stumbling block for some, and for the majority as a cause of salvation; He will not be recognized by His own, and by His people, He will be rejected, given up to reproach, drunk with gall and pierced hand and foot; that the wicked will kill Him, but He will rise and ascend to heaven in triumph. The Jews will be cursed, will be scattered throughout all countries, will wander without a king, without an altar, without Prophets, waiting for salvation and not finding it. Then St. Chrysostom shows how all these prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He also says that the punishing right hand of God still looms over the ungrateful people, the Jews, that their hopes for its restoration are in vain, and in confirmation of this, he recalls their attempts to restore the church under Hadrian and Constantine, attempts that were unfortunate for them, the consequence of which was their greater enslavement and greater misery 155. And these events are not too distant, he continues, maybe there are still elders who remember them. But in order to show that the scourge of rejection, which has been weighing on the Jews for several centuries, still remains unchanged, I will point out an event that everyone saw, and which even the young men standing here witnessed, which is as clearly open to everyone as the sun. And this event took place under Julian, the apostate. This wicked man, hoping on the one hand to attract the Jews over time to the veneration of false gods, on the other, wanting to provide visible proof of the falsity of the predictions of Christ, who announced the eternal desolation of the church, laid the foundation for the enterprise. Numerous sums were taken from public treasuries, thousands of workers converged on all sides, hundreds of managers were assigned to excite, direct and hasten the work; gold and silver, knowledge and power, everything was united, everything was used. What a guarantee for the success of this reckless enterprise! But He who shames the understanding of the rational and ensnares them in his own nets, was inflamed with anger at wickedness and moved the forces of nature to punishment. He wanted to show these wicked people that the word of the Divine is immutable, the definitions of the almighty will of the Divine, if all human forces were united against them, could not be violated. A terrible fire suddenly erupted from the bowels of the earth, scattered all the stones laid in the foundation, devoured all the workers, mutilated many of those present, and forced stubborn wickedness to stop the criminal deed. The Jews were stricken with shame and fear; and the wicked Julian himself, recognizing this phenomenon as the wrath of God, was forced with the Jewish people to confess their powerlessness and admit defeat. These events are not of extreme antiquity, they happened in our time before our eyes; go to Jerusalem and you will see empty and neglected foundations there, and on the stones scattered everywhere you will read traces of heavenly wrath and vengeance 156. Proving the destruction of the Jewish law by the fulfillment of prophecies and miracles performed, St. Chrysostom also shows the triumph of the Christian faith. “Look at the lucky ones: as long as they live, their glory blooms; but death came - and everything perished! Such a fate will befall not only the rich and mayors, but also the kings themselves.” “With Jesus Christ it’s the opposite. Before His death on the cross, everything around him was sad and gloomy: Judas betrays, Peter is denied, the other disciples take flight, and He remains alone among the crowd of enemies, bound like a villain; many who formerly believed in Him are turning back. But the Lord dies, and so, in order for us to know that the Crucified One was not an ordinary man, the most brilliant and glorious deeds are revealed. Before the crucifixion of Jesus, the first of the Apostles was so afraid of the words of the gatekeeper that he said that he did not know Him at all, although, in fact, he was initiated into all His secrets: but this Apostle after the crucifixion went around preaching throughout the entire universe. Now myriads of martyrs are pouring out to suffer, and they would rather die than say what the first of the Apostles said, frightened by the threat of the doorkeeper. Now all countries and regions, desert and inhabited places resound with the glorification of the Crucified One. Kings, military leaders, city rulers and judges, slaves and freemen, commoners and wise, barbarians and educated, all the peoples inhabiting the sunflower bless His name and worship Him. The very place where the body of the Crucified One rests, so small and cramped, has become more brilliant than the royal palaces and receives greater honor than the kings themselves.” “But here’s what’s especially surprising: what happened to the Teacher also happened to His disciples! During their lifetime they were taken by force and taken everywhere to be humiliated, reviled, imprisoned in chains and subjected to other countless tortures: but after death they are given greater honor than that given to kings. And watch how it's done. In the reigning city of Rome, leaving everything else, kings, rulers, generals hastily flow to the tomb of the fisherman and skin-maker; in the city of Constantine, the crown-bearers themselves commanded to bury themselves not near the Apostles themselves, but only in the vestibule of the churches dedicated to them, and thus the kings became the vestibules of the fishermen. The kings consider such a burial not a dishonor, but a praise and decoration.” “But then you will understand most of all the greatness of the glory of the Crucified One when you reflect on the sign of His death, a death stricken with a curse, the most blasphemous of all types of death. For there is a curse upon this one kind of death. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, says Scripture (Deut. 21:23). But look, how coveted and lovable this sign of the cruelest execution, so terrible and reviled in ancient times, has now become! And in the royal crown the best decoration is the cross, the most precious in the whole world. The image of the cross, once terrible for everyone, now you will find both among rulers and subordinates, among wives and husbands, among virgins and married women, among slaves and freemen; everyone places the sign of the cross on the noblest part of their body, wearing this sign every day on their forehead, as depicted on a pillar. It shines at the sacred meal, on the priestly robes, and together with the Lord’s body at the Last Supper. You see it ascending everywhere: in houses, in marketplaces, in deserts, along the roads, on mountains and hills, on the sea, on ships, on islands, on beds, on clothes, on weapons, in palaces, on gold and silver vessels, in paintings, on the bodies of sick animals, on the bodies of those possessed by demons, in war, in peace, during the day, at night, in feast gatherings and in cells. ascetics. No one is ashamed or blushes at the thought that the cross is a sign of the most blasphemous death: on the contrary, we all consider it to be the most excellent decoration for ourselves, crowns and tiaras and precious stones. What is the reason that the sign of the cruelest execution and the most blasphemous death has become so dear and desired by everyone? What else if not the great power of the Crucified... Why does everyone seem to be vying with each other to this very tree, on which the holy body of Jesus suffered and was crucified?.. Because He who created everything and transforms everything; Who cleansed the universe from the filth of sin and made the earth heaven, He exalted this terrible instrument of execution and this most blasphemous death above the heavens. This sign became a source of blessing for many, an insurmountable wall, a deadly plague for demons, a threat to opposing forces” 157. Such praise of the cross and its almighty power to prove the divine dignity of Christianity is found in many teachings of St. elder of the Antioch Church. “Let no one be ashamed,” he says in the 54th conversation on the Gospel of Matthew, “of the venerable signs of our salvation by which we live, and the beginning of all good things by which we exist... For the cross is the sign of our salvation, the common freedom and mercy of our Master” 158. All the teachings of St. Chrysostom's words against the Jews were pronounced in the first years of his priesthood (in 386 and 387). He began his conversations against the Anomean heretics; but the approaching Jewish holidays and fasts, in which many Christians took part, forced him to turn his accusatory speech against the Jews. In the fourth century some entered into foolhardy inquiries into the nature of the Godhead, the trinity of Persons, and the unity of the Divine essence. Still under the influence of pagan and philosophical ideas, minds wavered, and man tried to explain the truths that must be believed according to the word of God, but which cannot be understood in the weak light of natural reason. Divine nature, the Anomeans said, is simple, uncomplicated; and in simple nature it is impossible to assume two different principles, one giving birth and the other being generated; and from this they concluded that the Son is not consubstantial with the Father, but only similar to Him. But those who followed the Catholic Orthodox teaching argued that in order to make an unmistakable conclusion about this, one must also clearly see and understand the Divine being, as God Himself sees and understands it; and that a simple essence cannot contain two principles, no matter how contradictory they may seem to us, we cannot draw a correct conclusion about this subject, for we do not know what the Divine essence is in itself. St. Chrysostom, wanting to uproot this evil, wrote five words about the incomprehensibility of the Divine being. Seeing that the Anomeans did not run away from him and listened to his teachings with attention, at first he did not make any offensive accusations against them, fearing to remove them from himself; but he was waiting for a favorable opportunity, which was not slow to present itself; for the Anomeans, carried away by the power of his eloquence, themselves asked him about the subjects of their perplexity. In his second conversation, first showing the example of St. Zechariah, how dangerous it is to go too far into the study of divine things, which must be perceived by faith alone, laments the error of the Anomeans, who thought that man, being no more than dust and dust, driven up by the wind, weak and flexible, like the grass of the field, can fully know Him who is eternal, unchangeable, incorporeal, omnipresent, who, being above all, looks at the earth and makes it tremble, Who created the entire universe according to His goodness, before whom all nations, all people from the beginning of the world, even the Angels themselves, are nothing more than a drop of water. Isn't it the greatest stupidity to want to penetrate what St. Paul, through whom Jesus Christ Himself spoke, declared it incomprehensible 159. In his next conversations, St. Chrysostom shows that the divine nature is incomprehensible not only for ordinary people, but also for Prophets, Apostles, Angels, Archangels and for all the powers of heaven. He perfectly reveals this truth from the words of St. Scripture: He alone has immortality, and in the light of life is intransigent, but no one has seen Him; He is from man, he can see below (1 Tim. 6:16), and then is transferred to the most sublime thoughts about the greatness, omnipotence, wisdom and other incomprehensible perfections of God. But since the Anomeans said that if God is incomprehensible, then we worship a God whom we do not know, then St. Chrysostom in response to this says: “There should be no answer to this objection, when it has already been proven from Scripture that it is not possible to know what God is in essence. But since we are talking to you not for enmity, but to correct you; then we will show that not ignorance of what God is in His essence, but the effort to know this is true ignorance of God. Tell me, if of two who argue about knowing the size of the sky, one says that the human eye is not able to embrace it, and the other claims that it is possible to measure it with a span of the hand; then which of them would you call knowing the size of the sky - the one who claims to know how many spans there are in the sky, or the one who admits ignorance? And if the one who does not undertake to determine the size of the sky is the one who knows better: then will you really not show this reverence before God? And what is required of us is to know only that there is God, but not to be curious about God’s essence, listen to what Paul says about this: it is fitting for the one who comes to God to believe because he is (Heb. 11:6). Therefore, for piety it is enough to know that God exists” 160. Having shown the incomprehensibility of the Divine being, St. Chrysostom then proves the Divinity, the personal existence of God the Word and His perfect equality with God the Father. Evidence for this is borrowed from him from the Gospel of St. John. Seeing Me, seeing the Father (John 14:9). I and the Father are one (‒10, 30). Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also the Son wills them and gives them life... Yes, everyone honors the Son as they honor the Father (‒5, 21, 23). These four Gospel sayings express the original existence and personal dignity of God the Word, His power equal to the power of God the Father and the right to equal veneration with Him. To refute, expose and completely overthrow these heretics, St. Chrysostom wrote several words that, in terms of the power of eloquence, the depth of thoughts and the sublime feeling of reverence that convinces the heart more than any evidence, belong to his best creations. These polemical conversations of Chrysostom, perhaps, do not now have the same interest for us, because we all, with the exception of a few ignorant or erring ones, recognize the Divinity and personal existence of God the Word who appeared in the flesh. But in the era we are describing, when the Church, outraged by the Arians, had to defend the main dogma of its doctrine, these accusatory words were very important for all believers. Moreover, not to mention the eloquence of Chrysostom, with which he knew how to make the smallest details extremely entertaining and thereby arouse the attention of his listeners, this holy teacher did not limit himself only to denunciations of heretics, but, using the cited passages from St. Scripture, he was able to extract opinions and strict remarks that were also useful for that part of his listeners who belonged to the true believers. So in his third word, showing the incomprehensibility of the Divine nature even for the heavenly powers, he says: “our mind was tired not from the multitude of thoughts, but from the horror excited by them; for the soul trembles and is amazed, occupied with such contemplations for a long time. Let us bring her down from heaven, and, overwhelmed by horror, we will strengthen her with ordinary consolation. What consolation is this? Prayer that those suffering from this illness will ever recover. If we are commanded to pray to God for those suffering from illnesses, for miners, for people in grave slavery, and for those possessed by demons; then even more so about them, because wickedness is more dangerous than a demon. That fury can be forgiven, but this illness cannot be justified in any way! “Remembering prayer for the demon-possessed, I, by the way, want to say something to your love for the eradication of a dangerous disease in the Church; for it would be indecent for a doctor, taking care of external ones, to ignore his own members. What kind of disease is this? What an incredible multitude of people! Everyone has gathered and listens very attentively to the real word: but at the most terrible hour, I often look for them and don’t see them, and I groan greatly. When a colleague is talking; zeal is great, there is proper zeal, everyone excites each other and everyone remains to the end: but when Christ must appear in the holy sacraments; the church is suddenly empty and deserted. How can I excuse this? Through such negligence you are deprived of all the praise deserved by zeal for listening. For which of you would not condemn me, seeing that the fruit of listening immediately disappears in your souls? If you carefully listened to the word, you had to prove your jealousy with action. And the fact that the listeners immediately leave is proof to the contrary: it means that they did not accept the word and did not apply it again to their hearts. Otherwise, what was said, having been imprinted in your hearts, would, of course, keep you in the church and turn you to those terrible secrets with great reverence. And now you were listening as if to some player in a circus, and, alien to any benefit, you leave as soon as the speaker falls silent. And many people apologize so coldly! They say, I can pray at home, but I cannot hear conversation and teaching at home. You are deceiving yourself, man: of course, you can pray at home, but it is impossible to pray as in church, where there are so many fathers, where the hymn to God is unanimously chanted. You will not be heard so much when you pray to the Lord at home as when you pray with your brothers. For here is something more: here is unanimity, agreement, the union of love and prayer of the priests. This is why the priests are there, so that the prayers of the people, being weak, couple with their strongest prayers, and ascend to heaven with them. Otherwise, what benefit would there be in conversation if prayer were not coupled with it? First prayer, and then conversation. So the Apostles say: we will continue in prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). This is what Paul does, praying at the beginning of his epistles, so that the word may be preceded by the light of prayer, like the light of a candle. If you train yourself to pray with zeal, then you will not need to be instructed by your fellow servants; then God himself, without any intermediary, will illuminate your mind. If your solitary prayer contains such great power; then all the more prayer with the people: for the latter has more strength and much more boldness than the private one who happens at home. Where can you see this? Listen to what Paul himself says: He has delivered us from a great deal of death, and is delivering us; even more with hope, for he will also deliver those who help you also through prayer, so that from many people the gift in us may be given thanks by many for you (2 Cor. 1:10, 11). With this, Peter also escaped prison. For there was no diligent prayer from the Church to God for him (Acts 12:5). If the prayer of the Church helped Peter and overthrew the pillars of the prison: then tell me how you neglect its power, and what will you present in your justification?.. I can explain to you the benefits of public prayer from human history.” “For ten years, some, as you know, have been exposed as striving for tyranny. Then one of the nobles fell under the same accusation, and was led to death with a rope in his mouth. Then the whole city ran out to the hippodrome, brought the artisans there and the whole people rescued the accused from the royal wrath, although he was not at all worth pardoning. At the same time, wanting to soften the anger of the king of the earth, you all flocked together, both with children and with wives; and now, thinking to appease the King of Heaven, and to deliver from His wrath not just one, but the sinners of the whole universe, and to free the demon-possessed from the fetters of the devil, you sit outside, do not flock to one place, so that God will honor your unanimity and free them from punishment, and forgive you your sins. Suppose that at this time you were in the square, or at home, or were busy with necessary matters; but can’t you break your bonds with the power of the lion and come here for general propitiation? Tell me, what hope can you have for salvation, more timely than the present? Now, not only people utter this terrible cry, but also the Angels fall to the Lord, and the Archangels beg Him. And they consider this hour favorable for the success of their offerings. How people come to kings with olive branches to remind them of philanthropy; So the Angels at this time, instead of olive branches, offer the body of the Lord, and beg the Lord for human nature, as if saying: we pray for those whom You yourself previously honored with Your love, and for whom You gave Your soul; we pour out prayers for those for whom you yourself sacrificed this body." “You praise the word; you accept the admonition with great noise and applause: but it is better to express your praise to us by deeds; I seek this praise, this applause by my very deeds” 161 Obeying the instructions of St. Chrysostom, those present while listening to his conversations never left the church until the end of the divine service, so that he subsequently considered himself obliged to thank them for their attention to his words 162. Having noticed in those who remained in the church a lack of proper attention to the divine service, he said: “before we denounced those who abandoned prayer and were at that time outside the church, and now I intend to denounce those who are here in the church, not because they are in the church, but because they, while remaining in it, are no better than those who go outside, for all these terrible moments (i.e. during the very performance of the Holy Mysteries) talking to each other. What are you doing, man?.. How are you not afraid that while you are talking, being careless, giving yourself up to carelessness, some demon, finding your soul idle and confused, your house without doors, will freely enter it?.. Be careful that the demon does not occupy your soul either; and as soon as you notice his presence, quickly run to the Lord, so that the demon, having found your soul warm and awake, will think that your thought is inaccessible to him. And if he sees your absent-mindedness and carelessness, he will suddenly move into you, as if into an empty room: on the contrary, finding you active, vigilant and rooted to the sky itself, he will not dare to fix his gaze on you. So, take care of yourself and block the evil demon from entering your own soul. And nothing protects us from his attack more than prayer and prolonged petition” 163. “But the devil, trying to instill negligence in prayer, invented another great burden of sorrow. Seeing that you were united, as it were, into one body, and that you were listening to what was preached with great care, he intervened in the crowd of some predators, pocket-pickers, and did what was often done to steal gold from many who came here. So, so that this never happens, and sadness about money does not extinguish your zeal for listening over time, I ask and convince all of you that no one enters here carrying gold with them: then your attentiveness during listening will not be a reason for them to commit crime, and your pleasure that comes from being in the church will not be outraged by the theft of money" 164. When St. John with true zeal tried to eradicate the false teaching of heretics; God was pleased to confirm the holiness and truth of his teaching by a miraculous action that demonstrated holiness and the presence of grace-filled power in the preacher. The prefect of Antioch was betrayed by Marcion's heresy; His wife also shared with him his misconceptions. When these people, strong in power and wealth, patronized heresy with all their zeal, using their power and property to try to spread it; the just Lord put a barrier to their wicked jealousy... The prefect's wife suffered greatly from abdominal pain. All medical means were used to cure, but to no avail: the disease not only did not decrease, it even increased. The prayers of the Marcionites were just as little effective. But the sick woman fell into despair from unbearable suffering, and, being in imminent danger of death, with the consent of her husband, she promised to accept the Holy Catholic Faith if she received healing through the prayers of the Orthodox. Thus, when, in accordance with her desire, she was brought to the door of the church, she begged Bishop Flavian and Chrysostom, about whose pious life she had long known, to pray to the Lord for her healing. “Do not reject us,” she said, take pity on those born in sins, pray for us: and the healing of my body will also serve to heal the soul.” St. Chrysostom, touched by her prayers, ordered water to be brought. Flavian, having blessed the water, poured it on the sick woman, and she immediately stood up completely healthy. In expression of their gratitude, the recovered woman and her husband gave thirty pounds of gold in favor of strangers, the poor and the sick, and, in accordance with their previous promise, they rejected the false teaching of Marcion, and also zealously began to defend Orthodoxy. The conversion of such strong patrons of heresy greatly irritated the Marcionites. Carried away by anger and hatred, they allowed themselves to slander and slander Flavian and St. Chrysostom, who exposed their false teaching; but Divine justice soon punished their criminal hatred. A strong earthquake occurred in Antioch, and destroyed the house in which many Marcionites were gathered, and thus they were all buried under its ruins. Some, carried away by unreasonable jealousy, in disputes with opponents of their opinions, were so carried away by feelings of anger and irritability that they anathematized their opponents. Saint Chrysostom, having shown such foolish zealots that those who utter such a word expose themselves to great responsibility before God, shows at the same time the way to act on those who are mistaken. Here is the rule for admonishing those who go astray: “instruct your opponents with meekness: will God not give them conversion to the knowledge of the truth, so that they will free themselves from the snares of the devil, who has ensnared them in his will (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Spread the mound of love so that what is damaged does not perish, but rather is healed. Show that you, out of great affection, want to make your own good common. Throw in the sweet oud of compassion, and thus, having experienced the innermost, remove from the abyss of destruction the mind steeped in it. Teach that what is accepted through prejudice or ignorance as fair is not in accordance with the apostolic tradition. And if a lost person listens to you, then, according to the word of the Prophet, he will live, and you will deliver your soul. If he does not listen, but remains stubborn, then, so as not to remain guilty to you, expose him before witnesses, only with patience and meekness, so that the Judge does not seek his soul from your hand, without being angry, without turning away, without persecuting, but showing him sincere and sincere love... None of you showed such love for Christ as the holy soul (St. Apostle Paul). None of the people except him dared to utter such words; his very soul burned when he said: I am fulfilling the deprivation of the sorrows of Christ in my flesh (Col. 1:24), also: I myself prayed to be excommunicated from Christ according to my brethren (Rom. 9:3). Having such love for Christ, he did not upset anyone, did not cause violence to anyone, and did not anathematize anyone. Otherwise, he would not have attracted so many nations, and entire cities, to Christ, but he did it by humbling himself, enduring blows, strangulations, ridicule from everyone, condescending, asking, pleading. So, when he came to the Athenians and found all of them devoted to idolatry, he did not reproach them, saying: you are atheists and great wicked people; did not say: you consider everything to be God, but you reject only God, the Lord and Creator of all. But what? As he passed, he says, and looked at your shrines, he also found a church, and on it was written: To an unknown God, because you do not know Him, this I preach to you (Acts 17:23). Oh miracle! O fatherly heart! He called the Greeks pious - the idolaters of the wicked. because they, as pious ones, performed their service, thinking that they were honoring God, since they were sure of it. So, I beg you to imitate this and leave behind the great evil that has established itself among you (the curse of the erring). For the one whom you anathematize, either lives; while on earth, or has already died. If he lives, you are doing something bad by excommunicating him when he can still improve and turn from evil to good. And if he died, then even more so. Why? Because he stands or falls for his Lord, no longer being under human power. Leave me, I ask you, from this sin. So I say and testify before God and the chosen Angels that on the day of judgment he will be the cause of great punishment, and will kindle an unbearable fire. For if in the form of virgins - people shining with bright faith and life, the Lord, who sees their deeds, rejected everyone from the palace for lack of mercy; then how will we, who live in complete carelessness and unmercifulness and act towards our fellow tribesmen, be worthy of salvation? Therefore, I ask you not to ignore these words. “Heretical teaching that does not agree with what we have accepted must be cursed and wicked dogmas denounced, but people must, as much as possible, be spared and pray for their salvation” 165. If the holy zeal that filled the soul of St. Chrysostom did not allow him to remain indifferent to the salvation of pagans, Jews, heretics, then this same zeal for what labors and exploits could not move him when it came to improving morals, destroying vices, establishing faith and virtue in the souls of the flock entrusted to his care? Like the great Apostle Paul, whose life he carefully studied, trying to imitate him, St. Chrysostom took care of every soul; to enlighten, teach, lead to God and save everyone - was his main desire and effort. This is the goal to which he devoted his entire life, all the powers, talents and eloquence given to him by God - praying unceasingly, fasting, teaching, comforting the mourning, helping the poor and widows, admonishing the ignorant, reconciling those at war, the weak with the weak, the little with the lower, becoming like Ap. Paul, all things to all men, that he might win all to Jesus Christ. But no matter how great the zeal of this St. shepherd, it was not enough to heal all the evils that afflicted the Antiochian church. In addition to paganism, Judaism, heresy and schism that divided this great region, no less arousing sorrow and regret were the disasters produced among the faithful by ignorance, superstition, theater, the hatred and avarice of the great and the insolence of the lowest and poorest. This is how he himself portrays the depravity of morals in his time. Disasters, says St. Chrysostom, who are now oppressing the Holy Church, no less, - what am I saying? - they are still much more than they were in previous centuries. I am not talking here about omens, nor about fortune-telling, nor about a horoscope (fortune telling by the hour of birth), nor about icons, nor about pendants, nor about witchcraft, nor about the sacraments of magic,” nor about a thousand other superstitious customs that many Christians indulged in. I search among the sheep of the verbal flock for true Christians, but I do not find them. Are there those who would not slander their brothers, who would not have envy, who would not indulge in hatred and revenge, who would not be carried away by voluptuousness or stinginess? What corruption in the young and neglect in the old! Nobody wants to raise children. The pagans look at us carefully; the holiness of our life should lead them to God and excite them to a better life; but, alas! in fact the opposite turns out. And how can they turn from the errors of paganism when they see in us the same desires, the same passions as theirs; when we are in no way inferior to them in love of fame, chasing earthly honors and dignity with the same greed? What can motivate them to accept the Christian faith when they see that you, with the best faith, lead an equally earthly and criminal life, also admire and love wealth, seek the comforts of life and shudder at the mere thought of death? Don’t we express just as little patience in the face of disasters, illnesses and all the disadvantages of earthly life? Don’t we run to the circus and theater with the same speed as they do, only to then wallow in the mire of carnal pleasures? So, can they, looking at our criminal behavior, believe in the divine truths that we preach to them? What can convince them? Miracles? But they are currently not numerous. Sanctity of morals? But almost no one’s life serves as a model for this. The greatness and versatility of our love? But our souls are completely empty, there is not a trace of this warm feeling in them 166. So, we serve as the cause of the wickedness of the pagans, and we will give an account to God for the obstacle to their conversion that we present to them with our corrupt and relaxed morals. Oh! let us ascend into ourselves, awaken from deep slumber, let us lead a heavenly life and strive as fighters for eternal life. In his teachings, St. Chrysostom did not leave a single error, not a single deviation from the path of truth and holiness without reproof; but he especially armed himself against superstition, stinginess, blasphemy, perjury, slander, pride, luxury and voluptuousness, which, rapidly developing, strongly took possession of people of all ranks and status. The holy faith, preached since the time of the Apostles and through the Apostles, has not yet banished all superstitious customs. There were still too many of them during St. Chrysostom. The faithful, even Christians, noticed happy times, days and meetings. St. Chrysostom reproaches them for the fact that, leaving the house, they observed who they would meet for the first time, whether healthy or sick, a poor woman or a noble person, and based on this meeting they determined a good or bad day, he also reproached them for wearing medallions of Alexander the Great on their necks or on their legs, instead of placing all their hope in the cross of the Savior, which lit many wax candles at the birth of children, and these candles were given different names, so that later the child could be given the name of the candle that burned out longer, as an omen of a long life 167; that they hung certain things around the necks of children as means of protection against various misfortunes; and, finally, he reproached them for going to the Jews to cure known diseases, through certain superstitious signs. Through all this superstitious nonsense, the dignity of the cross was abolished, and the deception of demons triumphed, and the sacraments of salvation and redemption of people were degraded 168. Various disorderly actions that the inhabitants of Antioch indulged in on the Kalends holiday, which took place on the first day of Genvar, aroused the jealousy of St. shepherd, and forced him to write an accusatory word in 387. “Now we must fight, he says in this word, not with the barbarians who raided, but with the demons who walk solemnly around the square. For the devilish revelry that continues all night today, laughter, curses, night dancing, and this funny comedy led our city into captivity, which is more painful than any enemy. While those who sin so much and those who do not sin should have lamented, cried, and been ashamed, some looking at their sins, others looking at the lawlessness of their brothers, our city is having fun, showing off, all crowned; The square, like a luxurious and rich woman who loves clothes, is decorated with care today, putting on gold, precious clothes, shoes and the like; Every artisan, showing off his work, wants to outdo his comrade. Such competition shows a childish mind and a soul incapable of great, sublime thoughts... If you want to decorate, then decorate, not your workshop, but your soul; not the area, but the mind, so that the Angels marvel, and the Archangels approve of your work, and the Lord of the Angels rewards you with His gifts. And this boastful panache produces either laughter or envy. But competition is not yet worth much blame. What saddens me most of all are the games that are taking place today in hotels, filled with debauchery and wickedness; - wickedness: because those who engage in them notice the days, guess and think that if they manage to spend the first day of the year in pleasure and joy; then the whole year will be absolutely the same - debauchery: because at dawn, both women and men fill glasses and cups with wine, and get drunk without any measure... It is extremely crazy to conclude from one happy day that the same will happen throughout the year; Not only is this crazy, but the devil teaches you to reason in such a way that in the affairs of your life you must rely not on your own activities, but on daily appeals. The year will be happy for you in everything, not when you get drunk and drunk on the first day, but when on the first and on other days you do what pleases God... If you think like this, and if you are so disposed, if you spend every day in prayer and giving alms, then the whole year will be happy for you. But if, having neglected virtue, you expect happiness from the beginning of months and the numbering of days, then nothing good will happen to you. The devil knows this, and in order to more successfully stop our achievements in virtue and extinguish the good disposition of our soul, he teaches us to attribute happiness and unhappiness to days 169. Drunkenness became such a common vice that they even laughed at those who drank little wine. Wine, says St. Chrysostom, it was given to us in order to amuse and strengthen us, and not in order to humiliate and destroy. Little wine was accepted, says St. Apostle Paul to Timothy, stomaha for your sake and for your frequent illnesses (1 Tim. 5:23). If St. the bishop, weakened by numerous affairs and illnesses, was awaiting permission from his teacher in order to drink only a little wine, what kind of responsibility should you be exposed to, indulging in extreme intoxication while in completely good health! Intemperance serves as the grave for prudence, humility, justice, modesty and all virtues. An intemperate person is lower than cattle. The holy presbyter rebelled against blasphemy with no less force, as can be seen in his various teachings. So in his first word to the people of Antioch, showing all the horror of blasphemy and blasphemy, he says: “I want to tell you about blasphemy: instead of a reward for my labors, I ask you for one favor, to expel and even punish blasphemers. Whether on the street, at crossroads, or in the square, wherever you hear blasphemous words against God, approach the blasphemer, rebuke him forcefully, without fear; use violence if necessary; stop his wicked lips, and know that all the reproaches you give him will sanctify your lips.” The society of the Roman Empire was too corrupt and deeply immersed in sensuality. In judicial places they traded justice; the people suffered, either from a countless number of officials, or from the cruelty and extortion of the stingy rich; luxury was visible everywhere, in the construction of buildings, in the splendor of clothes, in the exquisite decoration of the chambers, in golden wallpaper, in precious paintings, in magnificent and brilliant columns, in artistically arranged gardens, in a multitude of servants, in dinners and festivities. But if in this very society, on the one hand, it was clear to see wealth, delicacy and splendor, then on the other hand, poverty, misery and all kinds of deprivation reached the last degree. St. Chrysostom tried to bring these two extremes together. He spoke to the poor about the blessing associated with poverty, about the spiritual benefits that it brings, and about attention and respect for those who, due to external wealth or internal merits, are placed above them; and to the rich, of whom there were very many in Antioch, about the duties prescribed by love, and about the dangers and bitter consequences to which luxury leads. Then, speaking about the saving fruits of mercy for eternal life, he tried to tear their hearts away from attachment to earthly riches, destroy miserliness and incite the lucky people of the world to give alms. None of the fathers spoke, neither so often, nor with such eloquence with which St. spoke. Chrysostom is about the unfortunate fate of the stingy rich, and about the need for alms. In the 64th conversation on the Gospel of St. John, these are the terrible colors in which he describes the disaster of stinginess and love of money; “This disease, he says, has transformed everything, corrupted the truth. Gifts, it is said, blind the eyes of the wise, and like reins on the lips, they turn away reproof (Sir. 20:29). She makes slaves of the free too. We talk about it every day, but there is no benefit. We are worse than animals, we rob orphans, we expose widows, we offend the poor, we add grief to grief. We achieve nothing with requests, nothing with advice and exhortations: therefore, all that remains is to cry." Perhaps through this we will be able to heal from illness those who build bright houses and acquire fields by theft. And you, robbed and offended, will take part in my cry. “But let us cry not for ourselves, but for them: they did not offend you, but they destroyed themselves.” You will receive the kingdom of heaven for an offense; but they, for a wrong acquisition, will be subjected to Gehenna. Therefore, it is better to be offended than to offend... Let us weep bitterly with Isaiah, and say: woe to those who join together house to house, and village to village, so that they may take away from their neighbor: food shall dwell alone in the land... the houses will be great and good, and those who dwell in them will not be (Is. 5, 8-9). Let us not mourn the one who has already died, but we will mourn the predator, the covetous, the money-lover and the insatiable. 170 “When you see the enemy of God rich, surrounded by bodyguards and many flatterers, then do not be discouraged, but sigh, cry and pray to God to turn him into one of his friends, and the more the enemy of God succeeds in his affairs, the more mourn him. Sinners should always be mourned, especially when they enjoy wealth and great prosperity, like the sick, when they are satiated and drunk. “But some cry bitterly and say: I am worthy of tears, because I have nothing.” Truly you are worthy of tears; but not because you have nothing, but because you place your bliss in what someone else has. “Whoever, being healthy, begins to call a sick person lying on a soft bed blessed, is much more unhappy and ill-fated than him, because he does not at all feel his own well-being. The same thing happens with these people; That’s why our whole life was filled with turmoil and disorder. Such words destroyed thousands of people, betrayed them to the devil, and made them more miserable than those who were dying of hunger. Truly, those who wish for more are poorer than the poor themselves, because they suffer greater and more severe spiritual sorrow, as can be seen from the following. Once upon a time, our city suffered from rainlessness; everyone trembled for their lives and prayed to God to deliver them from this fear. Then one could see the sky as copper, as Moses says (Deut. 28:23), and death, the most terrible of all kinds of death, expected every day. But then, glory to the philanthropic God, beyond all hope, extremely abundant rain poured down from above, and everyone began to rejoice and triumph, as if emerging from the very gates of death. Meanwhile, among such blessings of God and with universal joy, one of the richest people walked mournful and despondent, as if deadened by grief, and when many asked him why, in the midst of universal joy, he alone was sad, then he, unable even to hide his painful passion, prompted by the strength of this illness, openly declared the reason: having, he said, many measures of wheat, I don’t know how I can now sell it. Are we really going to please him after such words for which he should be stoned, as a man of the cruelest of all beasts and a common enemy? What are you saying, man? Do you mourn that everyone did not die so that you could collect the gold? Have you not heard what Solomon says: he who sells wheat stingily is cursed by the people (Proverbs 11:26). And you still walk as the common enemy of the prosperity of the universe, the enemy of the love of mankind of the Lord of all; friend, or better yet, slave of mammon? Shouldn't your tongue have been cut out? Shouldn’t the heart that uttered such words be torn out” 171? But St. the presbyter of the Antiochian church was not content with showing stinginess and love of money in all its ugliness and with all its disastrous consequences; he tried to console the poor, presenting all the benefits of poverty. “Why,” he says, are you afraid of poverty? Why do you crave wealth so much? Are you afraid, you say, of going to the extreme - needing bread and depending on the help of others for everything? But how can you not see the folly of your fear and the impossibility of completely freeing yourself from addiction? Are there any days in our life, and is there any task of any importance that we could accomplish without needing the help of another at all? Don't we all, throughout our lives, necessarily need the services of one another? A warrior needs a craftsman, a craftsman needs a merchant, a merchant needs a farmer; The master needs the servant, and the servant needs the master; a rich man cannot accomplish anything without the help of a poor man, and a poor man without the help of a rich man” 172. But the one who receives alms is much more useful and necessary in life than the one who gives; if there were no poor, then alms would not be important, and through this our salvation would be in greater danger. Almsgiving heals the wounds of our soul. When we see a poor man, we must learn a saving lesson for our pride. For the poor man, by his very appearance, seems to be telling us: do not be exalted in your thoughts; but think about the short duration and frailty of all the blessings of this world; Remember how quickly and almost inevitably youth gives way to old age, beauty to ugliness, strength to weakness, honor to contempt, health to illness, wealth to poverty 173 . The hand of the poor is the altar on which we offer a fragrant sacrifice to God - a treasury in which precious treasures are stored for immortal life. The poor are representatives of Jesus Christ himself, who accepts as action for Himself everything that is done for His suffering members. Poverty is the teacher of patience, prudence and all virtues. Inequality of fortune and poverty are necessarily included in the plan of the Divine government of the world. If there were no poor people, where would we get sailors, navigators and other working people? Who would want to forge iron, hew stones and carry lime? Who would tan leather, sew shoes and dresses? Who would want to do mechanical work? Wasn't it poverty that gave rise to the invention of various arts and brought them to perfection? Wasn’t it she who often stimulated brilliant minds and encouraged them to invent various arts and crafts? If everyone were rich, then everyone would fall asleep on a bed of laziness and carelessness; the harmony of the world would be disrupted and society would perish. The true poverty of St. Chrysostom called it a safe refuge, a calm haven, a constant exercise in true wisdom, an imitation of the angelic life and a path to heaven. The soul of a money lover, he says, is torn to pieces by a thousand worries and cares, and, like clothes worn out by moths, not a single place is intact; it is covered with rust, poisoned and ulcerated by a thousand sinful movements. But the soul of a true poor person - a Christian and submissive to the will of Providence - is far from such a state. She shines like gold, she shines like pearl; she is fresh and fragrant, like a rose; she is not undermined by the worm of envy, is not plundered by the insatiable passion of acquisitiveness and is not outraged by changes in caring for this life. True, she does not command people either, but demons obey her; she is removed from the great rulers of the earth, but for this reason she approaches God Himself, she does not wage war with people, but for this reason she has the Angels themselves as collaborators in the spiritual struggle; she does not own bars of gold and silver, does not have any treasures, but she is so rich in her poverty that she considers all the wealth of the world to be nothing 174. But this praise does not apply to all poverty, and is not appropriate for every poor person, but only for the poor according to the Gospel teaching, those who endure their poverty with humility and devotion to the will of God. Gospel poverty does not consist in the deprivation of wealth, but in the absence of attachment to it. You can be poor to the point of lacking the most necessary things, but at the same time very rich in thirst and desire for wealth, and on the contrary, you can have all the benefits of earthly happiness, and, however, have no attachment to anything. Poverty of St. Chrysostom was completely sympathetic; this can be seen in his deeds, which always strictly agreed with his words. Having remained the heir to vast wealth, he not only sacrificed his income, but also used his entire fortune to help the poor, so that he himself fell into extreme poverty. Virgins and widows, altar servers and poor sinners, wanderers and the sick, all experienced the beneficial effects of his love and care. More than three thousand persons were under his care, and his indefatigable zeal and his own property, as well as the income of the Antiochian church, which he disposed of, were all offered to alleviate the disasters and satisfy the needs of these unfortunates. Not a single poor person ever left him without receiving help or comforting advice in their sorrow. His charity was so great, his love for the poor was so well known that the inhabitants of Antioch not only did not get bored from his constant reminders of almsgiving, but, on the contrary, listened to his teachings with special pleasure, and always applauded him when he appeared as a defender of the poor. He demanded that alms be given, and given willingly and with a generous hand. “I see that you sow,” he said, “but not with your full hand; That’s why I’m afraid that you won’t reap a bountiful harvest, according to the proverb: what you sow is what you reap. What a dishonor it is for us to be so attached to fleeting things, to be so chained to the earth, and so little attentive to the poor, who are also the children of one Heavenly Father, in whose person Jesus Christ Himself appears to us! For the endless love of the Lord Jesus, it was not enough to endure the cross and death itself for us; He also deigned to give us the opportunity to testify to His love and gratitude - to appear to us in the person of the poor, strangers, prisoners and the sick. He seems to be telling us through the mouths of these unfortunate sufferers: 175 if you did not want to be grateful to Me for everything that I have done and endured for you, at least have compassion for My poverty; if My poverty does not touch you, at least take pity on My sufferings, which exhaust Me, on My chains, which weigh down My hands and feet. If My suffering, My poverty, My chains do not touch you, at least think about how little and insignificant what I ask of you; I do not require valuable offerings from you; no, I ask you only for one piece of bread, a poor shelter from the dark night, one kind word and good advice. But if My sufferings do not touch you, at least take care of your own benefits, give Me alms in order to increase your merits, in order to acquire the right to those heavenly rewards that I promised to the merciful. If all these reasons do not soften the cruelty of your heart, try, at least, to come to natural compassion when imagining that dishonor, those sorrows, suffering and poverty that I once endured, and which I still endure under the guise of the poor. I still hunger, thirst, naked, endure cold, hardship, illness and various sufferings in the person of My lesser brothers, in order to attract you to Me, to give you an opportunity for works of mercy, and for this to reward you in eternity. I do not say to you: free Me from poverty, make me rich, although I Myself became poor in order to make you rich; but I ask you not a lot of bread and a few scraps of clothes that are unnecessary for you; I do not demand from you that the chains be removed from Me, although I Myself broke the chains of eternal condemnation for sin for you, but I ask you only to visit Me in prison: for Me the consolation that your heartfelt participation will bring Me will be sufficient, and as a reward for this I promise you a blessed heaven. I could have crowned you in heaven without this, but I want to be in your debt, I want to give you the joy of having at least some right to a reward; That is why I, having contentment in Myself, nevertheless come into the world to ask for alms, standing at your door with an outstretched hand; solely out of love for you, I want to sit at your table, so that on the great day of the world judgment I can put you in front of the whole universe, confess your good deeds, praise your compassion and say before everyone: these are the ones who fed Me!” At these words, the entire church began to move, the entire multitude of the people present stretched out their hands to the preacher, emitting cries of joy, and applause was heard from all sides. The exclamations of the people temporarily interrupted the conversation of the defender of the poor. But these exclamations and applause were unpleasant for his humility, and he cried out to the people: what do I need your praise and applause for? I do not ask you for words and exclamations, but for deeds of mercy and abundant alms. Your generous donations are what constitutes praise for me; they will adorn me with a crown more brilliant than the royal diadem, and for you they will become the greatest treasury of grace and merit. So, when you leave here, with the hands of all the poor, weave an immortal crown for me, and prepare for yourself peace and prosperity in this life, and eternal bliss in the endless age.” Conversations of St. The presbyter was often crowned with applause, but the actions of the listeners did not always correspond to his desires. He often expressed sorrow that his words did not always bear the desired fruit regarding helping the poor. At one time he complained bitterly about the cruelty of the rich, and, to further convince them, he made a statistical survey of the poor who were in Antioch. In this city, he said, there are 20 thousand of the richest inhabitants, 60 thousand also with abundant income, 80 thousand who live without labor on the fruits of their education and the labor of their hands, and only 20 thousand, the so-called beggars. If all these persons with abundant wealth would divide among themselves the poor who need daily food and necessary clothing; then there would be barely one or two for ten. The Antioch Church feeds up to three thousand needy people, despite the fact that its income is not nearly as great as the income of one of the richest citizens of the city. What kind of apology will we present at the judgment of God, in what way will we find salvation for ourselves, spending our lives in feasts, bliss and voluptuousness, while the poor die of hunger, cold and other disastrous consequences of poverty. Instead of consolation, these are the terrible words we will have to listen to: Depart from Me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel. For you were hungry, and you did not give Me food: you were thirsty and did not give Me a drink: you were strange, and did not know Me; sick and in prison, and not a visitor to Mena (Matthew 25:41‒43). At this time, among persons who lived by alms, one could see a lot of disorderly actions, immoral acts, harmful habits and, in general, deep corruption of morals. Some were dominated by laziness, a passion for vagrancy, fraud, cunning and an inclination to lie; in others, hatred of the rich, envious and greedy desire for other people's property, contempt for the rules of justice, forgetfulness of God and neglect of Christian duties were too obvious. And this multitude of unfortunates was for the most part at the doors of the church; but some of them sat on the streets or in other public places, exaggerating their misfortunes, often even fictitious, with lamentable groans. Some walked with bare legs, covered with randomly made wounds, and some went to such brutal cruelty that they gouged out the eyes of children, just to arouse greater compassion in those passing by, and through this acquire greater alms. Such immoral actions greatly upset the kind and noble heart of Saint Chrysostom, and he reproached them for this, but with meekness and complacency, he lamented this, but at the same time he attributed all these disasters to the cruelty and inhumanity of the stingy rich. On the other hand, he strongly denounced the unjust complaints of the poor against their benefactors, and only, driven by a feeling of love, he asked the latter not to deprive the unfortunate people of their beneficial participation and to help them. “The merciful Lord Jesus Christ commands us to accept even the most despicable, and to those who do not accept them, he determines punishment: since you have not made the least of these, neither have you made one with Me (Matthew 25:45). And above it is said about these lesser ones that whoever receives them receives Himself. For even if the one you received was neither a disciple, nor a prophet, nor a righteous man, he is nevertheless a man who lives in the same world with you, sees the same sun, has the same soul, the same Lord, partakes of the same sacraments with you, is also called to heaven, and has absolutely the right to demand charity from you, being poor and in need of necessary food. When in bad weather they come to you with flutes and pipes, they wake you up from sleep in vain and idle and disturb you, they leave you with considerable gifts; and those who rub themselves with soot and make everyone laugh receive rewards from you for their mischief. And if a poor man comes to you and begins to ask for bread, then you will say a lot of curses to him, you will slander him, reproach him for idleness, shower him with reproaches, offensive words and ridicule, and you will not think about yourself that you also live in idleness, however, God gives you His blessings. Don’t tell me that you yourself are doing something, but show me what you are doing that is practical and necessary. If you tell me that you are engaged in trade, innkeeping, trying to save and increase your property; then I will tell you that practical activities are not this, but alms, prayers, protecting the offended and other virtues that we completely neglect.” “And yet God never told us: since you live in idleness, I will not shine the sun on you; because you do not do what is necessary, and I will extinguish the moon, shut up the bowels of the earth, stop the lakes, springs, rivers, take away the air, and not give rain at the right time. On the contrary, God supplies all this in abundance, allowing all this to be used not only by those living in idleness, but also by those who do evil. So, if you see a poor person and say: I’m annoyed that this young, healthy man has nothing, wants to feed himself by living in idleness, or maybe he is still a runaway servant who has abandoned his master; then apply all this that I have said to yourself. Or better yet, let him tell you with greater courage, which he can tell you with greater right: and I am annoyed that you, being healthy, live in idleness and do nothing that God commanded you; and like a slave who has fled from the commands of his master, you wander as if on a foreign side, spending your life in vices, drunkenness, intemperance, theft, predation, and the destruction of other people's houses. You reproach you for idleness, I reproach you for bad deeds, when you plot, swear, lie, kidnap, when you do a thousand similar things.” “However, when I say this, I am not defending idleness; on the contrary, I really want everyone to do business; for idleness taught all vices; but I only admonish you not to be unmerciful and cruel... But you will say: the beggar lies and pretends a lot. And in this case he is worthy of regret; for he has reached such an extreme that he is not even ashamed to lie like that (to get bread). And not only do we have no pity for him, but we also add the following cruel words: didn’t they give you both once and twice? - So what? Does he really not need to eat again because he ate once? Why don’t you lay down such a rule for your belly, and don’t tell it: you were full yesterday and the third day, so don’t ask now. On the contrary, you satiate this belly excessively, and refuse a beggar when he asks you for little, although you must give him alms for the fact that he is forced to come to you every day. If you don’t feel any other motives, then for this alone you should give him alms. For extreme poverty forces him to do this. You have no pity for him, because when he hears your words, he is not ashamed, but need is stronger than shame. “But you not only have no pity for him, but you also mock him, and while God commanded to give alms in secret, you publicly revile the one who came to whom you should show compassion.” If you don’t want to give, then why else do you reproach the poor man and crush his sorrowful heart? He came to you as if to a pier and asks for a helping hand; Why do you raise waves and make the storm fiercer? Why do you abhor his poverty? Would he have come to you if he knew that he would hear such words from you? If, knowing this in advance, I came to you; That’s why you need to take pity on him and be horrified by your cruelty, which is why you, at the sight of the most extreme need, do not become more compassionate. You cannot imagine that the fear of hunger alone serves as a sufficient justification for his shamelessness, but you reproach him for his shamelessness, and you yourself have often been more shameless than him in the most important matters.” “They ask us for healing, and we add to their wounds. If you don’t want to give, then why are you hitting? If you don’t want to show mercy, then why do you offend? - But he won’t leave without that? - Do as the wise man commanded: answer him peacefully in meekness (Sir. 4:8). He inevitably acts so shamelessly. There is no person who would want to become shameless without any need; and even if thousands of proofs were presented, I would never believe that a person living in abundance would decide to beg for alms. So, no one assures us otherwise, but although Paul says: if anyone does not want by works, let him eat, however, he says this to the poor, and not to us; on the contrary, he tells us this: do not be discouraged when you do good (do not become discouraged)” (2 Thess. 3:13). “So, let us give alms, but not reproach, not beat, not scold; a beggar, coming to you, hopes to receive healing, not wounds, alms, not beatings. Tell me, perhaps, if they throw a stone at someone, and he with a wound on his head, covered in blood, runs past everyone else under your protection, will you really throw another stone at him and inflict another wound on him? I don’t think you would do that; on the contrary, you will faithfully try to heal the wound inflicted on him. Why are you doing wrong to the poor? Don’t you know how much one word can either encourage or depress, for it is said: “Better is a word than a gift” (Sirach 18:16)? “Don’t you realize that you are lifting a sword against yourself and inflicting a severe wound on yourself, when the beggar you cursed leaves you silently, sighing and shedding tears? God sends a beggar to you. So, when you offend him, think about who you are offending, when God Himself sends him to you and tells you to serve him. On the contrary, you don’t give in, but you still scold him when he comes to you. If you don’t understand how bad this is, then look at others, and then you will know the full importance of your crime. If your servant, on your orders, went to another servant to take your money from him, and returned to you not only empty-handed, but also complaining of an insult, then what would you do to the offender? What kind of punishment would he be subjected to? Judge God in the same way. He Himself sends the poor to us, and when we give, we give from God. If, having not given anything, we drive away from ourselves with abuse, then think how much thunder and lightning we deserve for such a thing” 176? During his twelve-year stay in Antioch, St. Chrysostom was the support of the weak, the consolation of the grieving, the patron of widows, the refuge of the homeless, the father and educator of virgins and orphans, and in general the soul of all works of mercy. His wise and ardent love found abundant sources of help; his exemplary continence, the simplicity of his clothes, gave him the means to alleviate the suffering of his brothers, the poor and mourning; he gave everything that he had, - when he had nothing, then, to arouse compassion in others, in the cathedral church, in the presence of a large congregation, he expressed with his soul-penetrating eloquence the groans and suffering of the poor. He was the patron saint of the poor and sick; but the Lord wanted him, in even more difficult circumstances, to be the protector and comforter of the rich themselves and all his fellow citizens. The Great Theodosius, descended from a noble Spanish family, was very famous for his military exploits and great wisdom in councils. Having inherited name and glory from his father (who was the commander of the army in the main African army during the reign of Valentinian), he preserved and elevated them with his own merits. Rising rapidly in the ranks of military honors, he occupied an important position in Mysia, and finally, was the chief manager of all Gratian's troops. After the death of Valens, Gratian, finding it difficult to manage his vast empire, and wanting to somehow reward Theodosius for the unjust execution of his father, named him Augustus in 379 and gave him control of the east, and left the west for himself 177. These two great sovereigns, with their common strength, tried to repel the barbarians, destroy paganism, and weaken the power of the Arians, who had outraged the Church for many years. While all the nations, under the wise and strong rule of these sovereigns, were enjoying peace and tranquility, Maximus, the chief commander of the army located in Britain, driven by ambition, rebelled his soldiers against the legitimate authority, and declared himself Emperor of the West. Without hesitation, he crossed the sea and arrived in Gaul. All cities, when he appeared, submitted to him, and all nations recognized his dignity; Gratian, abandoned by his troops, was captured and killed in 383 by the cunning of Andragathius, the military leader of Maximov. The soul of Theodosius was filled with excessive sorrow when he suddenly learned about the disastrous death of Gratian, his benefactor, and about the danger that threatened Valentinian the second, Gratian’s brother, who reigned in Italy. But, concealing his grief, he hurried to put the internal affairs of the empire in order; then, having expelled the barbarians from the borders of the state, he made peace with them; After this, no less immediately, with a large army, he set out against the tyrant, the thief of royal power, who had already managed to take possession of many provinces of Italy. But in order to ensure the necessary excess expenses in wartime, he was forced to impose a new tax. Did the people themselves find this tax burdensome for themselves, or was it the excessive severity of the officials involved in this collection that was the reason that this new tax caused a murmur everywhere; An outrageous movement was noticeable in all cities, but nowhere was the uprising against the royal power revealed with such force as in Antioch. The royal decree had not yet arrived, but the people were already grumbling. But finally, a formidable command was received on the evening of February 26, and the next day in the morning the ruler of the city gathered the main members of the city. And as soon as the reading of the royal decree was over, all those present gave themselves over to grief and despair. The whole meeting was in great confusion. The city members, despite the prohibition of the city ruler, rushed out of the meeting hall, tore their clothes and, running out, shouted: everything is lost! everything died! the city was thrown into the abyss; thunder and lightning want to break out over him; they want to starve our wives and children to death; a terrible tax will ruin Antioch! The cries of city officials echoed in all parts of the city; the people's outrageous cries were the answer to their cries. Horrible death threats against the emperor and murmurs against his administration were heard everywhere. Crowds of people, inflamed with anger, no longer recognized the laws, the king, or the authorities. They rushed into the houses of eminent leaders of the city, overthrew statues, destroyed all kinds of decorations, set fire to the houses of some private individuals, overthrew royal statues in all public places, subjected them to various insults and ridicule, and finally broke them. The fury of the people reached the point that they did not even spare the statues of the deceased wife of the king Flakilla and her father Theodosius; but having toppled them from their pedestals, they dragged them around the city on ropes, finally smashing them into pieces with impudent ridicule and curses 179 . When the mob, incited by some strangers, unknown people, malicious and harmful 180, indulged in all the excesses, many of the citizens and officials, the wiser ones, struck by horror, hid in their homes, thinking only about saving their lives. At first, the ruler of the city himself with his troops did not dare to rush into danger in order to suppress the uprising and protect the statues of the emperor and empress. But by evening the popular storm subsided, and two military officials, appearing with an armed detachment of soldiers, dispersed the crowd of rioters. In place of the storm there was silence, but a silence of fear and embarrassment. The most guilty, the most ardent rebels, freed from the feeling of irritation that had taken possession of them, could not look at their actions without embarrassment. The presentation of the stained and disfigured images of the emperor, the remains of statues lying here and there in the streets and in the mud, made a terrible impression on them. Shame, regret, painful remorse appeared in the soul instead of unreasonable infatuation; Instead of exclamations, there was mortal silence. All the streets, all the public places, where so recently a crowded crowd was seething, presented a terrible desolation. The whole city was in anguish and great sorrow; it was impossible to think that everything that happened happened not in a dream, but in reality; It was impossible not to assume some supernatural cause for such a rapid and terrible incident. And indeed, “they said that on the night preceding the day on which this disturbance occurred, the king saw the ghost of a woman, of extraordinary size and terrible image, who, passing through the air over the city streets, struck the air with terrible blows of a whip. From this it is clear that some evil demon insidiously instigated that rebellion” 181. But no matter how sincere and how deep the repentance of the people was, since it was already too late, it could not stop the actions of the formidable justice. Couriers were already rushing from Antioch with sad news to the emperor: while the civil authorities were vigilantly searching for the guilty, the courts were open day and night, and all the dungeons were filled with citizens of every age and condition, somewhat suspected of indignation. But the real disasters, no matter how great they were, did not make such a terrible impression on the unfortunate inhabitants of Antioch as those they expected from the inevitable and well-deserved wrath of Theodosius. In moments of being carried away by the spirit of indignation and riot, the people did not think about their sweet-talking presbyter, they forgot his wise words and delightful eloquence; but in his hours of sorrow he had the happiness of finding it again. This holy, loving shepherd, during the indignation and after the indignation, did not cease to raise his hands to heaven, begging God for mercy towards the people; for no one understood better than he the ingratitude and disaster that befell his fellow citizens. Having no strength to stop the violent uprising of the people, he hurried to at least give helping hands to the repentant criminals and support them in deep sorrow. However, during the seven days following the indignation of St. Chrysostom did not give a single conversation to the people 182. Heartfelt sorrow did not allow his word to flow freely from the heart, and the despondency that covered the souls of the Antiochians, like an impenetrable cloud, did not allow the teacher’s word access to them 183 . But after a week, when misfortune humbled the minds of the inhabitants of Antioch, softened their hearts and disposed them to accept the word of consolation and edification with humility and trust, the great soul of the shepherd-comforter, struck with grief for the distressed people, poured out with inimitable eloquence in the holy church before a large assembly of fellow citizens. “What should I say and what should I talk about?” - this is how he began his first word to the people. “Now is the time for tears, not words, sobs, not speeches, prayers, not sermons. So grave is the crime, so incurable is the wound, so great is the ulcer; - it is above all medicine and requires heavenly help! So Job, having lost everything, sat on a rotten heap, and when his friends heard about this, they came and, seeing him from afar, tore his clothes, sprinkled himself with ashes and groaned greatly. All surrounding cities should do the same now - come to our city and mourn with full participation what happened. Then the devil attacked the herds and livestock and all the property of the righteous: now he poured out his fury on the whole city. However, both then and now God allowed this: then in order to glorify the righteous more through grave temptations; now in order to make you more humble by this excessive disaster. Let me mourn the present. For seven days I was silent, like Job’s friends: let me now open my lips and mourn this common disaster... Nothing was more glorious than our city; now nothing became more pitiful than him. The people, so quiet and meek and always submissive to the hands of the rulers, now suddenly became furious, so much so that they did such insolence that it is indecent to even talk about. I cry and sob now, not about the greatness of the threatened punishment, but about the extreme recklessness of what was done. If the king is not offended, does not become angry, does not punish us and does not give us over to torture: then tell me, how will we bear the shame of our deeds?.. Nothing was happier before than our city; now there is nothing more sad than him. Its inhabitants, like bees buzzing around a hive, crowded into the square every day, and everyone hitherto considered us lucky for such a large crowd. But now this hive is empty; because like the smoke of bees, fear drove us away... There is nothing more kind than the fatherland; but now there is nothing sadder. Everyone is fleeing their hometown as if from a network; they leave him like an abyss, jump out of the fire. Just as from a house engulfed in flames, not only those living in it, but also all the neighbors flee with great haste, trying to save at least a naked body, so now, when the king’s anger, like fire, threatens to fall from above, everyone is in a hurry to leave and save the naked body before this fire reaches him too... Recently our city was subjected to an earthquake, and now the very souls of the inhabitants are shaking; Then the foundations of houses shook, now the very foundation of everyone’s heart trembles. We all see death before our eyes every day, live in constant fear, and endure the punishment of Cain, suffering more than those imprisoned, and enduring an extraordinary and new siege, more terrible than which one cannot imagine... And how it is not safe for the besieged to go beyond the city wall because of the enemies surrounding him; so for many of the city residents it is not safe to leave their houses and appear in the square, because everywhere they catch the guilty and the innocent, they grab them in the middle of the square and drag them to court indiscriminately... And if someone, free from this fear and anxiety, wanted to go out into the square; then her sad look would have immediately driven him home; he would see that where a few days before there were more people than waves in the river, one, many two people were wandering, and then with a downcast face and in deep despondency” 184. Expressing his grief and mourning the disasters that befell his hometown, St. Chrysostom tries to cheer up the despondent spirit of the citizens. “Give me your souls; bow your ears,” he exclaimed, “throw away your sadness: let us return to the previous custom, and just as we are accustomed to always being here with complacency, so now we will do it, placing everything on God. This will also serve us to end the disaster, because when He sees that we listen to His word with attention, and in the most difficult times He does not abandon wisdom; then he will soon give us help, and will make a good change and silence in a real storm. A Christian must differ from the infidels in this way, in order to endure everything complacently, and, inspired by the hope of the future, soar to a height inaccessible to human disasters. The faithful one stands on the rock, and therefore is inaccessible to the blows of the waves. Let the waves of temptation rise, but they will not reach his feet: he stands above any such slander. Let us not lose heart, beloved! We are not so concerned about our salvation as God who created us; It is not so much that we care so that we do not suffer any calamity, but rather the One who gave us a soul, and after that also gives us the same many blessings. Let us inspire ourselves with such hope, and let us complacently wait for what will please the Lord to do with us” 185. And it is not difficult, however, to explain the confusion of the people and the grief of the saint. Chrysostom. From the first day of the indignation, judges almost did not leave the courts; many unfortunates were brought to them as criminals, interrogated, subjected to various painful tortures and finally executed. The instruments of execution were in constant motion: the voices of the executioners were heard, the cries of the unfortunate victims, which were answered by the cries of relatives and friends. The entrances of the courts were filled day and night with many women who, begging for mercy for their fathers, children or husbands, emitted a terrible cry and soul-tearing sobs, often throwing themselves from powerlessness in unconsciousness to the ground. The dungeons turned into courts of justice, and many citizens, in order to escape from the hands of merciless justice, hid in the mountains. And while the interrogations and persecutions ceased, the fear of Theodosius’s anger did not weaken its strength. True, everyone knew the kindness of this sovereign, but everyone also knew his inexorable justice; they knew that in the heat of anger, he could go to terrible extremes, which he subsequently showed over the inhabitants of Thessalonica, of whom up to seven thousand were killed on his orders. And the more they feared the wrath of the emperor, the more favors had previously been shown to the city of Antioch. And these fears were very well founded. In the midst of such confusion of the people, a rumor suddenly spread that the fate of Antioch was decided, that the estates of the citizens would be taken into the treasury, all the inhabitants would be executed by death, the city would be destroyed to the ground, and that Theodosius had sworn to drive a plow through it to the fear of the ungrateful and restless peoples. At this terrible news, a cry of grief and despair burst from everyone’s lips; despondency and sorrow spread their cover over the entire city. The guilty and the innocent all saw inevitable death before them; It even seemed to them that the entire city was already surrounded by legions of armed warriors, thirsting for blood, robbery and impatiently awaiting the fulfillment of the formidable will of the vengeful emperor. Confused crowds of people, placing all their hope in one miraculous help from the Almighty, ran to the patriarchal chambers, and, surrounding Flavian and St. Chrysostom, with an air of inconsolable grief, begged them to take pity on their unfortunate condition and soften the emperor’s anger. This happened a week before Lent. The holy archpastor, prompted by his children, who were dying of grief, and himself, lamenting their disastrous condition, did not hesitate in his determination to intercede for them. No longer paying attention to either his advanced years, or the weakness of his strength, or the difficulty of the long journey, or his love for his only sister, who was then at her last breath, he, amid the tears and sobs of the assembled people, went to Constantinople, deciding either to die or to bend the king’s anger to mercy. Everyone’s hearts, filled with love and desire for success, rushed after the elder; many, however, were strengthened by the sweet hope that the emperor, out of his natural kindness, would not refuse to listen to St. representative and show mercy to Antioch. During Flavian's absence, the people, being between life and death, showed comforting experiences of living faith and repentance. This city, previously noisy and cheerful, suddenly changed its appearance: the baths and theaters were empty; there are no more games, no holidays, no disorderly feasts, no depraved songs or voluptuous dances are heard; all the people stand daily in the churches of God; the whole city seemed like a monastery. The day after the departure of the holy bishop, the inhabitants of Antioch gathered in the cathedral church, and St. Chrysostom, their comforter, began his speech with a memory of the absent Flavian. “When I look at this throne, idle and abandoned by the teacher, I rejoice and cry at the same time: I cry because I don’t see my father here; I rejoice because he set out on a journey for our salvation, and went to save so many people from the royal wrath. It is an adornment for you that you have such a father; It is a crown for him that he is so loving towards his children, and in his very deed justified what Christ said. Hearing that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11), he went ready to lay down his life for us all, although many things prevented him from going on the road and forced him to stay here... If Christ, he said, gave Himself for us: then what kind of apology and forgiveness will we be worthy of, who have been entrusted with the government of such a numerous people, if we do not decide to do and endure everything for the safety of those entrusted to us?.. and he decided to endure every danger, and nothing could keep him here. And I hope that our hopes will be successful; because God will not despise such zeal and care, and will not allow His servant to return without success. I know that as soon as he appears and sees the pious king, he will be able to immediately tame his anger with just his appearance; because among saints, not only their words, but also their very faces are filled with spiritual grace” 186. Then, turning to the people, he says: “Let us also call on the Lord and pray to Him; - And He will undoubtedly tame the king’s anger and deliver us from all the sorrows that threaten us. The father intercedes there; and here we will intercede before the King of Heaven and help him with prayers. The whole church can do a lot if we offer prayers with a grieving soul and a contrite heart” 187. Throughout Lent, St. Chrysostom spoke teachings to the people, with heartfelt sympathy, trying to calm them from fear and wipe away their tears. While the people, submitting to the will of God, remained in the city, the philosophers, who had previously been proud of their courage, scattered. “Where now,” exclaims St. Chrysostom, where are now those people with big beards and long robes who, with sticks in their hands, once walked along the streets of the city with such arrogance and inflated pride? Alas! they scattered; They left you inconsolable grief, and you yourself disappeared into the mountains.” While the rich buried their wealth in the ground, philosophers fled from the city, as if infected with a deadly disease, true philosophers - desert monks, leaving their caves and secluded cells, came to the city to give consolation to their grieving fellow citizens. They knew how to inspire in some renunciation of the world and contempt for death, others to confirm their hope in the help of the most merciful God, who is strong to soften the anger of the emperor; and everyone was assured that they would not leave them until the mercy of the monarch returned to them, or die with them. The calm that the city enjoyed amid the sudden anxieties and fears that befell it was mainly due to St. Chrysostom. The people gathered in great numbers to listen to him; the unfortunate ones seemed to forget their fear and apprehension, standing before the holy altar; word, voice of St. Chrysostom, sympathy for the mourners, expressed in his very pronunciation, all this established calm in souls outraged by the terrible anxiety of feelings and thoughts. In the absence of Flavian, St. Chrysostom doubled his zeal and love for the people. He uttered 19 words, which, in the strength of their convictions and inimitable eloquence, surpassed everything that Rome and Athens produced in terms of eloquence. Without knowing definitely what decision Theodosius could pronounce, St. Chrysostom encourages his fellow citizens with the hope of forgiveness, and at the same time, taking advantage of the circumstances, instills disdain for wealth, contempt for pleasures and indifference to death itself, and finally, convinces them without embarrassment, with complete devotion, to submit to the orders of Providence. He then enters with participation into their sorrowful feelings, trying to breathe into them courage and strength; then, trying to awaken a feeling of fear, he fixes their gaze on their misfortunes; then to encourage them he transfers them from earth to heaven; sometimes, in order to dispel real fear, he forcefully instills in them the fear of future punishments; sometimes he reminds them of the sins they have committed, and, turning their gaze to the punishing right hand of God, makes them forget about the threatening right hand of the emperor. In order to form a more accurate understanding of the power of the eloquence of Chrysostom’s conversations, spoken during Lent, let us make brief extracts from them. In his second conversation to the people of Antioch, inviting them to assist with their prayers Saint Flavian in his undertaking to pacify the emperor, St. Chrysostom says: “let real fasting be our companion and assistant in this good intercession... With the onset of fasting, this spiritual summer, like warriors, let us clean our weapons, like farmers, sharpen the sickle, like helmsmen, let us oppose our thoughts to the waves of disorderly wishes, like travelers we will begin the path to heaven, like fighters we will prepare for the fight... Take the path leading to heaven, enter the narrow and cramped path, exhausting and enslaving your body; because on the narrow path obesity greatly hinders satiation. Tame the waves of disorderly passions, calm the storm of evil thoughts... and for this, let fasting be our field and teacher; I don’t mean fasting the kind that many maintain, but true fasting - abstinence not only from food, but also from sins; because fasting in itself cannot save those who observe it if it is not in accordance with the established law” 188. “Are you fasting? Prove it to me with your deeds. If you see a beggar, give alms; if you see an enemy, make peace; if you see your friend happy, don’t be jealous; if you see a beautiful woman, pass by. Let not only the lips fast, but also sight, and hearing, and hands, and feet, and all the members of our body. Let your hands fast, remaining clean from theft and covetousness. Let your feet fast and stop going to illegal spectacles. Let your eyes fast, learning not to be drawn to pretty faces, and not to gaze at the beauty of others. The most absurd thing would be, when considering food, to abstain from permitted food, and to devour with your eyes what is forbidden. Don't you eat meat? Do not taste immodesty with your eyes. Let your hearing also fast; and the fast of hearing is not to accept slander and slander: let him not accept hearing is vain” (Ex. 21 ch.) 189. “Let the tongue also fast from foul language and swearing. What good is it when we abstain from birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers? He who slanderes devours the body of his brother, gnaws at the flesh of his neighbor. That is why Paul said threateningly: if you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be destroyed from one another (Gal. 5:15). You did not sink your teeth into the flesh of your neighbor, but you thrust evil speech into the soul, wounded it with evil rumors, did a thousand evils to yourself, to him, and to many others; because by judging your neighbor, you made the one who heard you worse. If this is a sinner, then he becomes careless, having found an accomplice in sin; and if he is a righteous man, he falls into pride and becomes arrogant because of someone else’s sin, receiving a reason to think highly of himself. At the same time, you have damaged the entire Church, because everyone who hears does not condemn the sinner, but afflicts the entire Christian people with reproaches. It is not heard that the infidels say that such and such is a fornicator and a debauchee; but instead of the culprit, they blaspheme all Christians. Therefore, you have given a reason for the humiliation of the glory of God, because the name of God is glorified when we live well, but when we sin, it is blasphemed and dishonored. Finally, you shamed the one about whom you are spreading bad rumors, thereby making him more shameless, and making an enemy and an enemy in him” 190. Giving consolation in real sorrow, St. Chrysostom draws attention to the spiritual fruits produced by sorrow in the souls of all those who are attentive to themselves, and together shows that the beneficial or evil influence of temptations actually depends on those who are tempted, and not on the temptation. “Misfortune did not overcome your wisdom, fear did not weaken your vigor, sorrow did not extinguish your jealousy, danger did not cool your zeal, fear from people did not overcome your love for God, grave temptation did not crush your zeal - and not only did not crush, but strengthened, intensified and inflamed. - The square was empty, but the church was filled; This one excites sadness, this one gives joy and spiritual joy. And therefore, beloved, when you go out into the square and sigh, seeing it empty, run to your mother - and she will immediately comfort you with the multitude of her children, show you the full face of the brothers, and drive away all sadness from you. In the city we look for people as if we were living in the desert, and when we run to church, we are embarrassed by the crowds. When the sea is agitated and furious from a strong storm, fear forces everyone to flee from there to the pier: so now the waves of the square and the storm of the city force everyone to flock from everywhere to the church and bind the members together in a union of love” 191 . “If we stay awake, not only will we not suffer any evil from this tribulation, but we will also receive a thousand blessings. If we are careless, then peace will destroy us. To the careless, both harm, but to the diligent, both benefit. Just as gold retains its shine even when it lies in water, and becomes even brighter when it is thrown into a furnace; on the contrary, clay and hay, having fallen into the water, the former blurs, and the latter rots; and having fallen into fire, the first dries up, and the last burns up: so the righteous and the sinner are the first and, enjoying peace, remain bright, like gold immersed in water, and, having been subjected to temptation, become even brighter, like gold tested by fire; and the sinner, having tasted peace, melts and rots, like hay and clay thrown into water, and, having been tempted, burns and perishes, like hay and clay from fire” 192. “If you have sins, they will easily be destroyed and fall into sorrow. If you have virtue, sorrow makes it brighter and more brilliant. If you become constantly awake and sober, you will be above all harm, because the cause of falls, as a rule, is not the nature of temptations, but the carelessness of those who are tempted. So, if you want to be cheerful and enjoy peace and pleasure, do not seek pleasure or peace, but try to ensure that your soul has courage and is capable of patience, because if you do not have these qualities, you will not only be overcome by temptation, but will even more quickly destroy you and overthrow your peace.” 193 “Just as strong trees are not uprooted by gusts of wind, no matter how much they rush at them or attack them from all sides; on the contrary, these pressures make them even harder and stronger; so the pressures of temptations and sorrows do not overthrow a holy soul and live a pious soul, but excite it to even greater patience, just as they made blessed Job more glorious and venerable” 194 . In those who are coming they find proof of the great benefit from the sorrow that has befallen them. “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 modest, the carefree has become more caring, those who have never seen a church, but spent all their time at shows, now spend whole days in the church” 195. “Let us strengthen our soul (with obedience and devotion to the will of God), and then we will be more blessed than all, even if the loss of wealth befalls us, even if death, so long as no one steals our piety. So, do not be discouraged, even if you have to lose wealth, even your body, even real life, even everything, just to preserve piety; because if you go away with him, God will return everything to you in greater splendor, and will resurrect your body in greater glory, and, instead of wealth, will give you such benefits that no word can express 196. Shows that there is no reason to be afraid of death, and that true misfortune is one sin. “Of all human evils, one sin is a real evil, and not poverty, not illness, not insult, not slander, not dishonor, and not even death - this, apparently, is the most extreme of all evils. These misfortunes for the wise are such only in name, and not in reality: to anger God and do something displeasing to Him is a true misfortune! Really, what's scary about death? - Tell me. Is it that it rather leads you to a quiet haven and to that serene life? Even if a person does not kill you, then the very law of nature, at a certain time, will not separate your body from your soul? Let what we fear not happen now, but it won’t happen much later. I say this not because I expected anything terrible or sad, but because I am ashamed of those who are afraid of death. Do you expect such blessings, but you have not seen them with your eyes, you have not heard them with your ears, and you have not sighed into a person’s heart (1 Cor. 2:9), and you are not in a hurry to enjoy them? Are you negligent and procrastinating, and not only are you procrastinating, but you are also afraid and trembling? And aren’t you ashamed to grieve over death when Paul sighed over this life?” 197... By imagining the torment of Gehenna, he tries to drive out the fear of real disasters and death itself. “Do you want me to tell your love why we are afraid of death? We were not wounded by the love of the kingdom, nor inflamed by the desire for future blessings; otherwise we, like Blessed Paul, would despise everything present; Moreover, we are not afraid of Gehenna, therefore we are afraid of death; We do not know the unbearable severity of the punishment there; That’s why we are afraid, instead of sin, of death. If that fear settled in our soul; then this one could not enter it... Until the fear of death overtook us, we were worried about the loss of property: when those lawless insolences were done, the fear of death that set in drove out the grief over the loss. In the same way, if the fear of Gehenna had possessed our souls, the fear of death would not have taken possession of us; but just as in bodies, when two illnesses befall us, the stronger usually suppresses the weaker, so it would happen now. If there were fear of future punishment in the soul, it would suppress all human fear, so that whoever constantly remembers Gehenna will begin to look at every death with a smile; and this will not only free him from real sorrow, but also deliver him from that flame 198. Theodosius, having learned about the rebellion of the Antiochians and their criminal ingratitude for the benefits and benefits shown to them, indulged in all the swiftness of the terrible anger, so common for him, the first manifestations of which were always terrible. Antioch was deprived of all privileges, awaiting the moment of terrible vengeance, which was to overthrow all the houses and walls of the city, and destroy forever its name and the very memory of it. It was not so much the personal insult that irritated the emperor, but the one inflicted on the memory of his father and especially the deceased Empress Flaquilla, whom he loved so much that he could not remember her without grief. Meanwhile, St. Flavian continued his journey to Constantinople, although not as quickly as he would have liked. This old man, bent under the weight of old age and old age, was exhausted from the fatigue of such a long journey; but the love and care for his flock, his tears and desperate grief, which he was an obvious witness, the thought of the disasters that threatened the children, inspired his courage and seemed to give him wings. He well understood how great the confusion of the Antiochians was, who were between life and death, awaiting every day with inexpressible longing in their souls the arrival of the royal legions; who went to bed in the evening with a terrible uncertainty whether they would wake up in the morning amidst murders and a terrible fire. Finally, the venerable saint arrived in Constantinople; enters those chambers where pomp and splendor reigned, and now stands before the face of Theodosius. But first, as soon as “he entered the royal chambers, he stood far 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) 199. “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 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 punishment? No, leaving all these words, he composed a speech in his defense, full of modesty and importance, counting his benefits, which he only showed to the city throughout his reign, and with each one he said: did I have to suffer for these benefits? For what offense did they take this revenge on me? In what small or great way can they blame me for insulting not only me, but also the dead? it was dissatisfying to stop the rage on the living; no, they thought that they would not do anything great if they did not insult those buried. I offended the way they thought of me: so it was necessary to spare the dead who had not committed any offense. Didn’t I always prefer this city to everyone else, and didn’t I consider it more pleasant than my native city? And wasn’t it always my vow to see this city, and didn’t I take this oath in front of everyone” 200? “Here the saint, groaning bitterly and shedding the bitterest tears, did not remain silent any longer, for he saw that the king’s justification served to lead to a greater accusation. So, he groaned heavily and bitterly and said: We confess, and cannot deny, sir, this love that you have shown for our fatherland, and that is why we especially cry, because the demons were jealous of such a beloved city, and we turned out to be ungrateful to our benefactor and angered him who loved us greatly. 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. For what could be worse than this, that we found ourselves angry, without reason, by a benefactor and so much loving one - that the whole universe knows this and accuses us of extreme ingratitude?.. And now, when your favor is taken away and the love that protected us better than any wall goes out, to whom will we finally resort? Where else can we look, irritating such a kind ruler and meek father? So they (the Antiochians) committed an intolerable offense: for this they suffered more than anyone else; they do not dare to look at a single person, they cannot freely look with their eyes and at the sun, because shame squeezes their eyelashes from all sides and forces them to close. Having thus been deprived of spiritual freedom, they are now more miserable than all the captives, they suffer extreme disgrace, and, thinking about the greatness of their evils and the insolence to which they have reached, they cannot even sigh, because they have set up all the people inhabiting the universe as accusers, more severe than the offended one himself. But if you want, sir, there is a cure for this wound and a remedy against 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 also, instead of heaven, opened heaven to us, thereby demonstrating His love for mankind, and punishing the devil even more. 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. And if you want to punish the demons who arranged this, show us even greater favor and again write the city into the number of the first cities you love. If you destroy it, dig it up and destroy it, then you will do what they always wanted; but if you leave your anger and declare again that you love him as you loved before, then you will inflict a mortal wound on them and subject them to extreme punishment, letting them know that not only was there no success in their plan, but something completely opposite to what they wanted happened. And you will act justly if you do this, and you will have mercy on the city, which the demons envied because of your love: if you had not loved it so much, then they would not have envied it so much” 201. Further St. the shepherd, begging the king to grant forgiveness to the people, says that his love for mankind will weave for him a crown incomparably more precious than his diadem, and will 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 golden, 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 will be amazed and love you, as if they themselves received a benefit” 202. He also says that not only the glory of his reign, but also the glory of Christianity depends on his generous act towards those who offended him. “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 both the Jews and the pagans, and 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 never shown. The Christian God is truly great: He makes angels out of people, and places them above all natural necessity! “Do not be afraid of that vain fear, and do not listen to those who say that other cities will be worse and will show even more disrespect if this one is not punished.” Of course, this should be feared whenever you are not in a position to punish; and those who did this had greater strength than you, or were equal to you. But when they are struck with horror and have already died of fear; when in my face they ran to your feet, and every day they expect nothing else but destruction; when they say common prayers, looking at heaven and asking God to come and intercede with us; when everyone has already ordered their affairs, as if being on their last legs: “Isn’t such fear unnecessary? 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 evening. Many even became prey to animals after they fled into the desert and moved to impassable places; not only men, but also small children, and noble and beautiful wives hide for many nights and days in caves, abysses and desert ditches. 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 invisible, and they are more miserable than captives, and the movement of one leaf frightens them every day” 203. So, do not think that other cities will be worse. He also points out to the king this case as the best way to acquire the love of the people, which another could not easily achieve even with the greatest sacrifices 204, and together to seek forgiveness of sins from God, according to the word of the Savior: if you forgive a person their sins, your heavenly Father will forgive you your sins (Matthew 6:14) 205. Having said this and even more than this, 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 at those who have offended us - at people - we are human beings, when the Lord of the universe, having come to earth and for our sakes becoming a slave, and being crucified by those favored by Him, prayed to the Father for those who crucified him like this: let them go: for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23, 24); so amazing; if we forgive slaves like us” 206. 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, gave him a letter to the Antiochians, and urged him to return to them as soon as possible. “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.” When the saint began to urgently ask that the king send his son, he, wanting to show clearly that he had completely destroyed all the anger in his soul, said: “Pray that these obstacles will be removed, that these wars will subside, and believe me, I will come myself.” When the saint crossed the strait, Theodosius sent some of the court officials to assist and encourage him to travel as quickly as possible, so that he could arrive in his city before the holiday of Easter. Although Flavian himself was in every possible hurry to return to his flock; however, not wanting to deprive his people of a single moment of joy, he sent a letter from the emperor by a special courier. Finally, Flavian himself arrived in Antioch on the very day of the bright Resurrection of Christ. The whole city gathered in the patriarchal church to pay due respect and gratitude to their shepherd. On this occasion St. Chrysostom spoke a special word. Beginning his speech, he exclaimed... “Blessed is God, Who has vouchsafed us to perform this sacred celebration with great joy and gladness, Who has returned its head to the body, to the sheep of the shepherd, to the disciples of the teacher, to the warriors of the leader, to the priests of the saint! Blessed be God, create according to the abundance of what we ask or understand (Eph. 3:20). We would consider ourselves content if only we received deliverance from the disasters that oppressed us; and for this they prayed to the Lord with all diligence. But the philanthropic God, who always gives us more than we ask, has returned our father to us beyond all hope... and we now enjoy joy all the more vividly, the more unexpected his return. Let us give thanks for all this to the humane God; Let us glorify His power, goodness, wisdom and mercy, which He showed to our city. The devil, having aroused us to commit a daring deed, thought by this to arrange the destruction of the entire city: but through this very incident the Lord glorified the city, the saint, and the king, and clothed everyone with new splendor” 208 . After this introduction, in front of a large gathering of people, amid loud applause, St. Chrysostom outlined all the difficulties that Flavian endured during the journey. Since the residents, upon receiving news of forgiveness, indulged in various amusements, St. The presbyter advises them, throughout their lives, to adorn themselves not with flowers, but with Christian virtues, and to light the lamps of good deeds in their souls. Having received the joyful news of all-merciful forgiveness, he says, you “crowned the marketplace, lit lamps, set up beds in front of your workshops, and celebrated as if at the rebirth of your city; do the same at all times, only in a different way, decorating yourself not with flowers, but with virtue, lighting the lamps of good deeds in your hearts, rejoicing in spiritual joy. Never cease to give great gratitude to God for all this, not only because He delivered us from grave disasters, but also because He allowed them to happen to us. - For with both He glorified our city. About all this, according to the prophetic saying, teach your children, and your children to your children, and their children to another generation (Joel 1:3), so that all the people who will exist until the end of the century, having recognized the love of God shown to our city, will please us, who have been granted so much mercy, honor our king, who thus raised the overthrown city, and finally, with this by example they were aroused to piety. Truly, not only ourselves, if we constantly remember this, but also our descendants can derive great edification from the story of what has now happened to us 209 . The storm, which almost destroyed Antioch, had a beneficial effect on all classes of Antiochian society; rich and poor, great and small, faithful and unfaithful, everyone recognized and blessed the mercy of God, which saved them from destruction. All the disturbances of the city were hidden; churches took the place of circuses and theaters; the heretics remained silent, the Orthodox became more zealous in matters of piety, even the pagans, abandoned by the philosophers and admonished by the monks, turned to Christianity in large numbers: Antioch completely changed its appearance. And this change in everyone’s souls and outward actions was a consequence of the deep impression made by the events described. But when time, activities and the inseparable absent-mindedness in business weakened the feeling of jealousy, previously so alive; worldly vanities, pleasures and various disorderly actions little by little began to acquire their former power over people. And Antioch soon returned to its former state, becoming a lustful and criminal city, a vast field, but thorny, to be developed, which Saint Chrysostom rushed with his usual zeal and love. We will not talk about how he, sitting in hospitals on the same bed with the sick, consoled them, how he entered the huts of the poor, into the houses of widows and orphans, let us pass in silence and how he consoled the mourning, received the strange, exerted his beneficial influence on many families, taught the people the rudiments of the Christian faith and piety, admonished deacons and priests, and encouraged and strengthened hermits with his advice, who lived in the neighboring cities of Antioch. But in order to form an idea of ​​his living faith, of his unlimited love for God and holy zeal for the salvation of souls, let us look at him as a preacher of the word of God. We could, of course, refer the discussion of this subject to the end of history; but since most of the teachings that gained him the surprise of all centuries and the glorious name of Chrysostom were pronounced in Antioch, we find this place suitable for discussing his excellent gift of speech, received from God, of which he made such excellent use. Whether you look in his conversations at the depth of his thoughts or at the very form of their presentation, you always find them amazing and beyond all praise; in them everyone will find edification and admonition for themselves, no matter who reads them, pagan, Orthodox or heretic. Saint Isidore, who lived in the same century as him, expressed surprise and regret when he learned that his writings remained unknown to one of his friends. “I am extremely surprised,” he said, by your ignorance of the writings of John Chrysostom, the fame of which, after his death, spread everywhere. Not knowing such beautiful creations also means 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? After the inspired Apostles, no man proclaimed to the world the mysteries of eternal salvation with such eloquence; fascination and at the same time awe-inspiring importance are inseparable in all his conversations. While remaining understandable to the simple, he retained his sublimity of spirit and greatness, involuntarily inspiring respect that surprised the philosophers themselves. This is a deep, wide, never-ending river, flowing with honey and milk! He imperceptibly took possession of the minds of his listeners; His every word always brought some light into the souls, and inevitably stung the heart. He always fought with brilliant success; he pursued vice in its deepest recesses, and until then he did not leave it alone until he had completely overthrown it. The human heart was not an inaccessible abyss for him; he knew, he knew how to penetrate into all its secrets, to reveal its most hidden bends. Sometimes he attacks, sometimes he defends; here he expounds, there he explains; affects and causes painful wounds to the heart; convinces, softens the heart, moves, frightens, advises, assures; sometimes it throws to the ground, but always in order to uplift souls and recreate. His style is simple, but sometimes high; expresses his thoughts clearly and naturally and always majestically. He speaks to people living on earth, but his mind, rising above everything transitory, inspired by faith, soars in the heavens, and from there teaches people the secrets of the Divine and eternal truths. So, it is very fair that contemporaries and all subsequent centuries recognized him as the personification of eloquence and called him Chrysostom, God's mouth, Christ's mouth. But not content with general remarks, let us pay attention separately to the works of this amazing mind, and firstly to his writings and works performed by him in the last decade of his stay in Antioch. Having entered the field of pastoral ministry, he had a difficult task before him, the solution of which was required of him. This was not an age of martyrdom, in which, in order to bring triumph to the true faith, it was enough, with the help of God’s grace, to confess one’s faith and die; but an era of scholastic debate and refined research. Christianity was internally outraged by a multitude of heresies, which, having been generated by rationalism, passing through refined research and mutual contradiction, constantly increased and diversified; and from the outside it had to withstand attacks from paganism, which, aware of its relaxation, gathered its last strength, in the person of philosophers and noble people, in order to protect its altars, overthrow Christianity and regain lost power over the world. In the course of thirty years, from the time of Julian, it ascended the throne of the Caesars three times. There were still a great many pagans; they could be seen at court, in the army, in cities and in the poorest villages. Iamblichus, Livanius, Maximus and the prefect Symmachus strongly regretted the pitiful fate of paganism, defended the altar of victory, begged the emperors for the restoration of sacrifices, threatened the empire with the wrath of the gods and tried to instill contempt for Christian worship. But God did not abandon his Church; indicated a real medicine against the disease; raised people strong in word and deed to defend Christianity. While Theophilus of Alexandria and Saint Martin, bishop of the Church of Tours 210, one in Egypt, the other in Gaul, overthrew the churches of false gods, and St. Ambrose and Blessed Augustine, one in Italy resisted the malicious actions of the pagan Symmachus, and the other in Africa struck with his words the errors of the Manichaeans and Pelagians; St. Chrysostom defended Christianity in Asia. We will not talk here about how he refuted the errors of paganism; but let us only mention the evidence that he used to affirm the divinity of Christianity. Explaining the words of Ap. For Christ did not send Paul to baptize me, but to evangelize me; not in the wisdom of the word, lest the cross of Christ be vain (1 Cor. 1:17), draws the conclusion that human wisdom was not only not needed for the spread of the word of God and the establishment of the doctrine of the cross, but could also be harmful. If wisdom is hostile to the cross and contrary to the Gospel, then we should not boast, but be ashamed of it. That is why the Apostles were not such wise men, not for lack of talents, but so that the preaching would not suffer harm” 211. “And if God, who had no need for scientists in the beginning, accepted them later, he did this not because he began to have a need for them, but because he did not look at the difference between the learned and the unlearned. Just as He did not need wise men to fulfill His intentions, so afterward, when they appeared, He did not reject them. It is not to dishonor, but to the glory of the Apostles, that they, being such, appeared more glorious than the whole universe. For these simple, unlearned and unlearned - the wise, strong and powerful, boasting of wealth, glory and everything external, defeated as if they were not people. From this it is clear that the power of the cross is great and that everything was not accomplished by human strength. For such things are not in the nature of things, but above nature. And when something is done not according to the laws of nature, but much higher than nature, and at the same time worthwhile and useful, then it is obvious that this is accomplished by some Divine power and help. Look: a fisherman, a tabernacle worker, a publican, a simple, unlearned man, come from the country of distant Palestine, rebel against all the philosophers, rhetoricians and skilled people in their homeland, and in a short time, in the face of many dangers, when they were faced with strong obstacles, the passage of time and inveterate habits, when demons took up arms against them, and the devil armed himself and used all his efforts, ‒ they defeated kings, rulers, peoples, languages, cities, barbarians, Greeks, philosophers, rhetoricians, sophists, writers, laws, judgments, various torments, countless and varied kinds of death. All this was revealed during the broadcast of the fishermen and disappeared like light dust swept up by a blow of a strong wind? 212 And it is not so much surprising if a naked man (showered with many arrows) does not receive wounds, as it is surprising if simple unlearned fishermen defeat such strong ones, despite neither their ignorance and poverty, nor the dangers and inveterate habits, nor the severity of the rules they propose, nor the daily threat of death, nor the multitude of those who are seduced, nor the importance of the seducers” 213. To confirm the divinity of the Christian faith, St. Chrysostom, in addition to this evidence, also points to the unshakable courage of the martyrs, to the exact fulfillment of prophecies, to the holiness of the Apostles and the early Christians, who convinced more with their lives than with words; and in order to destroy with one blow and uproot all the objections of a blind mind, he shows its powerlessness and the need for faith not only in spiritual objects, but also in visible objects and in all circumstances of our life.” “There is nothing strange or unexpected in the fact,” he says, that madmen laugh at great things. Such people cannot be convinced by human wisdom; and if you begin to convince them in this way, you will do the opposite; for that which exceeds reason requires faith alone. Truly, if we, through the judgments of reason, want to explain to the pagans how God became man by dwelling in the womb of the Virgin, and do not recognize this as an object of faith, then they will only laugh. Those who wish to comprehend this through the judgments of reason are perishing. What am I saying about God? If we do the same in relation to created objects, then we will produce great laughter. Let, for example. A person who wants to be convinced of everything by the judgments of reason will require you to explain to him how we see light? Try to explain this to him through the judgments of reason. No, you couldn't do that. If you say, it is enough to open your eyes to see: then you are explaining the method of vision, and not the matter itself. He will object to you: why do we not see with our ears and hear with our eyes? Why do we not hear with our nostrils and smell with our ears? If he, having not received an explanation for his bewilderment, laughs; then shall we not be more subject to ridicule? These feelings have their origin in the same brain, these members are so close to each other; why can't they produce the same effect? We cannot explain either the cause or the manner of this inexplicable and varied action; and if we begin to explain, we will be ridiculed. Let us leave this to the power and infinite wisdom of God, and let us remain silent. So, exactly, if we want to explain divine objects with the help of external wisdom, then great laughter will follow, but due to human foolishness” 214. St. Chrysostom waged war not only against external enemies, proving the divinity of Christianity, but with no less zeal he fought against internal ones, such as numerous heretics, throughout Asia and in Antioch itself. He asserted the trinity of divine Persons against Noetius and Sabellius, the incarnation and divinity of the Word against Cerinthos, Arius, the Anomeans and other followers of the same errors, the reality of the body of Jesus Christ against the followers of Basilides and Apelles, who argued that God the Word took upon Himself only a ghostly body, and that Mary was not His matter, finally, the existence of ancestral sin and the necessity of grace. He also often refuted the errors of the Valentinians and Marcionites, of whom the first argued that matter is eternal, others that the world was not created by God, that the Old Testament did not come from Him, that Christ was not resurrected, and that after this life there will be no eternal torment. The Manichaeans were denounced by St. Chrysostom for non-recognition of the law of Moses, the patriarchs and prophets, and for rejecting the resurrection of the dead. There were many other misconceptions, none of which escaped his vigilant attention. And St. Chrysostom denounced all these errors not only in private conversations, but more and mainly in public ones, spoken to the whole people gathered in the church. One word or text of St. The Scriptures gave him the opportunity to reject any error, expound the true teaching, expose vice, awaken them from carelessness, and arouse their listeners to fulfill the rules and advice of the Gospel. During the three or four years of his presbytery service until 390, he especially tried to eradicate the criminal, but deep-rooted custom of making false oaths, and to correct corrupt morals. From 389 he was engaged in the interpretation of St. Scriptures, and thus delivered to the people of Antioch 75 discourses on the book of Genesis, 58 on the Psalms, 90 discourses on the Gospel of Matthew, 88 on the Gospel of John, 32 discourses on the Epistle to the Romans, 74 on both epistles to the Corinthians, one interpretation on the Epistle to the Galatians, 24 discourses on the Epistle to Ephesians, on both epistles to Timothy 28 conversations. He also gave several discourses about Lazarus, about repentance, 21 discourses to the people of Antioch on the occasion of the uprising, teachings against the Anomeans and Jews, and many discourses on various occasions. But among all his works, the first place is occupied by conversations on the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle to the Corinthians. The interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew is the best of all known interpretations. This book, together with this one, can serve as the best means to remove vice, restore virtue and correct the people. So in his works St. Chrysostom is not only an eloquent speaker, but also an interpreter of St. Scripture, a teacher who explains the dogmas of Christian teaching, an apologist who firmly defends the Orthodox teaching of the Church, and refutes the false teaching of heretics and all unjust thinkers, a teacher of morality and an ascetic, revealing the rules and advice of the Gospel teaching, denouncing vice, and especially rebelling against the unrest common to the inhabitants of Antioch. Not tolerating luxury, arrogance, pomp and vanity, he with extreme force pursued these vices, so rooted in society; himself, being free from all excesses, he firmly denounced the dazzling and ruinous pomp and splendor of buildings, halls shining with gold, luxurious furniture, chariots lined with gold and silver, and many servants; He also struck with his reproaches the lush clothes, transparent bedspreads and other decorations, which, while occupying the soul with appearances, did not give it the opportunity to turn inward. “Do you want to appear,” he says, “beautiful and decent? Be content with the way the Creator gave you. Why do you hang gold, as if correcting the image of God? Do you want to appear decent? Put on mercy, put on humanity, put on chastity, put on humility. All this is more valuable than gold; all this makes the beautiful even more beautiful and the ugly more beautiful; for whoever looks at a face expressing kindness will express his opinion out of love, but no one can call evil, even if it is beautiful, beautiful: an indignant heart does not pronounce the correct opinion. That Egyptian woman was adorned, and Joseph was adorned: but who is more beautiful? I’m not talking about the time when the first was in the royal palace, and the last in prison. This one was naked, but was clothed in the robe of chastity; and she was dressed, but she turned out to be more shameful naked, because she did not have chastity. When you decorate yourself too much, wife, then you are more shameful when naked, because you take away your decency. Eve was also naked; but she became more shameful when she got dressed: for being naked, she was adorned with the glory of God, but having put on the clothing of sin, she became shameful. So you, having put on the accessories of panache, appear more shameful... The faithful wife was given by God a different garment - the Only Begotten Son of God Himself. Elitsy, he says, was baptized into Christ, put on Christ. Tell me: if someone gave you a royal robe, and you took it and put on the rags of a slave on top of it, would you not have suffered punishment for this, in addition to shame? Have you clothed yourself with the Lord of heaven and the Angels, and are you still revolving around the earth? I said this with the purpose of showing that panache in itself is a great evil, even if nothing else came from it, and even if one could indulge in it safely. But it leads to vanity and arrogance, and then from embellishment many other things are born - obvious suspicions, untimely expenses, reasons for covetousness. Tell me, why are you decorating? To please your husband? So do it at home. But here it turns out the opposite. If you want to please your husband, others don’t like you; and when others like you, you can’t please your husband. So, when going out into the square, or entering the church, you had to put aside all decoration. Moreover, the husband doesn’t like it the way he likes harlots, but especially the way he likes free wives. What, tell me, is the difference between a wife and a harlot? Because this one looks at only one thing, how to attract a loved one with the beauty of the body; and she manages the house, and treats the children, and is in charge of everything else. You have a little daughter: be careful that she does not borrow anything harmful from you; for children somehow love to imitate the morals of their teachers and imitate the rights of their mothers. Be an example of chastity for your daughter." 215 St. Chrysostom armed himself with no less force against the dishonest luxury of some effeminate young men, who, with the same frivolous care as women, took care of the cut of their dress, the beauty of their faces, and even the refined elegance of their shoes. In his conversations, St. Chrysostom also persecutes sins that are opposite to love. He greatly strikes with his words the slanderers and slanderers, the haters and the vindictive, and, having shown how hatred is contrary to the rules of the Gospel, he convinces his listeners to live in the unity of peace and love; which serve as signs of the children of God and distinguish them from the sons of darkness and destruction. Let us flee, he said, slander, a sin so great and, unfortunately, so common among us! Let us not dwell, like annoying flies, on the wounds of others; Let us better imitate the intelligent bee, which always sits on flowers. A bee makes a honeycomb of pure honey from different juices; and the fly only irritates and poisons the wound it touches. This arouses hatred and annoyance against itself; the other, on the contrary, deserves love and respect. So, let us always focus our attention on the virtues of holy men, like precious flowers, and we will try to spread more and more the fragrance emanating from them. Let us close our mouths to slander, and awaken in ourselves love for the brethren, without which it is impossible to please God. St. Chrysostom spoke no less eloquently and convincingly when he touched upon the circus and theaters in his conversations. In his time the stage was, one might say, a school of the most outrageous immorality; there the most outrageous words and songs were heard, actors and actresses appeared on stage almost completely naked and taught lessons in the most terrible, criminal lust; their costume, their gait, their body movements, everything irresistibly excited and ignited passions. In one of his conversations on the Gospel, Matthew, making a comparison of the pure pleasures of the desert life of the monks and the beneficial influence on others with the criminal pleasure sitting in the theater, says: “let’s look at this host of prodigal wives and lewd youths gathered in the theater, and their amusements, with which very many of the careless youths are lured into their networks and compare with the life of the blessed monks. Here we will find as many differences as there are between Angels, if you heard them singing harmoniously in the sky, and between dogs and pigs who squeal while rummaging in the dung. Christ speaks through the mouth of some, and the devil through the tongue of others... In the theater, the listener is immediately inflamed with the fire of unclean love. If the look of a harlot is not enough to ignite the heart, then her voice leads to destruction... and not only the voice and the look, but also the very clothes of the harlots confuse the audience... In the theater, when they look at the harlot in a golden headdress, the poor man will begin to cry and sob, seeing that his wife does not have any of these decorations; and the rich, after such a spectacle, will despise and disgust their spouses. As soon as the harlot presents to the audience her clothes, her gaze, her voice and her steps, and everything that can arouse lust, they leave the theater, inflamed with passion, and return home as captives. This is where insults, dishonor, enmities, battles and everyday deaths come from, and life is not life for such a captive. His wife is no longer sweet to him, his children are not as kind as before, the whole house is in disarray; the very light of the sun seems unbearable to him” 216. Elsewhere, St. Chrysostom, showing that many, out of criminal absent-mindedness and carelessness about the shrine of the church, allow themselves, even in the most sacred and important moments of the liturgy, during the consecration of gifts, to direct passionate gazes at beautiful women, and thus commit fornication in their hearts, forgetting about the invisible presence of God, says: “all this is taught to you by seductive spectacles, this ineradicable ulcer, harmful poison, snares from which it is difficult for those caught in them to escape, pleasure and at the same time death for the voluptuous. Therefore, the Prophet in his denunciation said: your eyes are not what your heart is, below is your goodness (Jer. 22:17). It is better for such people to be blind, it is better to be sick, than to abuse their eyesight like this” 217. The passion for theater was so ingrained in the inhabitants of Antioch and Constantinople that at one time the people, having forgotten God, were at the horse race on Good Friday, and the next day at the theater. Jealousy of St. Chrysostom could not remain silent under such temptation. On this occasion, on the day of the bright resurrection of Christ, he said the following: “Can this be demolished? Can it be tolerated? I want to complain to you myself. After my preaching for so long, and after so many teachings, some, leaving us, ran to look at the lists of horses, and reached such a frenzy that the whole city was filled with disorderly screams and exclamations, arousing great laughter, or better yet, crying. Sitting at home and hearing the screams, I suffered much more than being overwhelmed by the waves. For just as these, with each blow of the waves into the sides of the ship, await the end of themselves in horror: so I was struck by these unbearable exclamations. I lowered my gaze to the ground and closed myself in shame when some, sitting on elevated places, were disorderly, while others, located below in the square, applauded the horsemen and shouted more unbearably than them.” “What should we say, and how should we justify ourselves, if a foreigner says reproachfully: “Is this an apostolic city?” Is this the city where there was such a teacher? Is this a Christ-loving people, a spectacle of truth and spirit? They did not even respect the day on which the signs of the salvation of our race took place. On Friday, when our Lord was crucified for the salvation of the universe, when such a great sacrifice was made, when paradise was opened, and the thief entered the ancient fatherland, when the oath was destroyed, sin was destroyed, long-term enmity ceased, when God was reconciled with people and everything was transformed: on that day on which it was necessary to fast, confess and send thanksgiving prayers to the One who created a lot of good deeds to the world: at this time, you, having left the church and spiritual sacrifice, the meeting of the brethren and the importance of fasting, surrendered into captivity to the devil and set off to see this spectacle. Can this be demolished? Can it be tolerated? “I will not stop repeating these words often. For three days before this, the torrential rain carried everything with it and, so to speak, stole their food from the very lips of the farmers, overthrew the shaggy ears of corn, and devastated everything else with the power of its moisture, walks and prayers were made. Then our whole city, like a stream, strove for the apostolic places. We have chosen Saint Peter, Blessed Andrew, and not a duo separate from the Apostles, Paul and Timothy, as our intercessors. Then, when God’s wrath ceased, we boldly crossed the sea, cutting through the waves, and resorted to the supreme Apostles: Peter, the foundation of faith, and Paul, the chosen vessel. We celebrated a spiritual festival, preached their exploits, triumph and victories over demons. But you were not struck by these terrible events, nor were you taught by the great exploits of the Apostles; but so quickly that only one day has passed, and you are jumping and screaming, not thinking about the fact that your soul is captive to passions. If you wanted to look at the lists of cattle, then why didn’t you curb your bestial passions, violence and lust? Why didn’t you place the good and easy yoke of Christ on them?.. Or don’t you know that God will demand from us an account of the days of our life, in what we spent every day? What will we say? How will we justify ourselves when a report is required on this day? For you the sun rose, the moon illuminated the night, and a varied chorus of stars shone; for you the winds blew, the rivers flowed; for you grass arose and plants grew; for you, the course of nature followed its own order: day came, night passed. All this was done for you: and you, with such creatures serving you, fulfill the lust of the devil, and, having rented such a house, this world, from God, you do not pay him what is due. The first day was not enough for you; and the next day, when although you should have given yourself a little peace after the wickedness you had committed, you went back to the theater, threw yourself out of the smoke into the fire, and from one abyss plunged into another most dangerous one. The old men disgraced their gray hair, the young men ruined their youth, the fathers took their children there, and at the most innocent age plunged them into the abyss of depravity. The one who, instead of the name of the fathers, calls them murderers of their children will speak rightly. For with such corruption they destroy their souls.” “But you say: what kind of debauchery is this? That’s why I’m crying because you, being sick, don’t know that you’re sick and don’t want to look for a doctor for yourself. You have become an adulterer, and you say: what kind of debauchery is this? Have you not heard the words of Christ: everyone who looks at a wife with lust has already committed adultery with her (Matthew 5:28)? So what, you say? I didn't look with lust. But how can you assure me of that? Whoever does not refrain from the view, but still seeks it with such effort, how can he remain unshaken in the view? Is your body a stone? Is it iron? You are covered with flesh, and with human flesh, which rather burns with lust than hay with fire." “I won’t stop saying the same thing. Are you really more successful in the Christian life than these great and famous men who fell from one view? Have you not heard what Solomon says: If he binds fire into the depths, will he not burn his own garments? Or whoever walks on coals of fire will not burn his feet? Like a stranger who comes to his wife (Proverbs 6, 28, 29). Although you did not mingle with a harlot, but copulated with her lust, sin was committed in your heart. Not only in the theater itself, but also after it closes, when she has already disappeared, her image, words, body movements, glances, steps, flexibility, dexterity, prodigal songs remain in your soul: you leave with thousands of wounds. Isn’t this why houses go bankrupt? Is this not the reason for the loss of chastity? Isn’t this why marriages are dissolved? Is this not the reason for enmity and quarrels? Isn’t this where the displeasure for no reason comes from? For when you return home, being filled with thoughts about her and having become her captive, then your wife no longer seems so good to you, and your children are no longer sweet, and the servants are unbearable, and the house is boring, and ordinary worries about the household are annoying: everyone who comes is boring and unbearable for you. And the reason for this is that you do not come home alone, but bring a harlot with you, not openly, not openly, which would be easier, because the wife would immediately throw her out; but it is in your thoughts and in your heart, and ignites the Babylonian, or even stronger, fire within. For it is not flax, not oil, not resin that provides food to this fire, but what we said above, and everything is consumed." “Oh, shame! A wolf, a lion and other animals, being struck by an arrow, flee from the hunter; and a man gifted with reason, being struck, runs after the one who struck him, in order to receive a new wound from the most dangerous arrow, and is glad of his wound. This is most unfortunate, because the disease becomes incurable. For whoever is not bored by his wound and does not want to get rid of it, will he seek a doctor? That’s why I complain so much, that’s why I’m so sick, that you return from there with such an infection, and that for little pleasure you remain in continuous torment. For, even before Gehenna and the future life, you are subjecting yourself to extreme punishment here. Tell me, is it not an extreme punishment to harbor such lust, to be constantly inflamed by it, to carry within oneself everywhere the furnace of shameful love and a reproach of conscience? How will you approach these sacred doors? How do you begin the heavenly meal? How will you listen to the word about chastity when you have such serious wounds and ulcers, and when your mind is enslaved to shameful passion? However, the pastoral activities of St. Chrysostom’s purpose was not only to expose vice. But since the Christian life consists not only in avoiding evil, but also in doing good, he constantly excites the people to practice Christian virtues. His voice, like a trumpet, aroused souls and called to deeds for the Lord, to acts of mercy, to unchanging love, to patience in business and to maintaining purity of heart. Presenting Anna, Samuel’s mother, as an example of the firmness and constancy of the feat of prayer, she says: “And we all pray before God. Someone who, while his body lies on the ground and his mouth utters words thoughtlessly, has a soul wandering everywhere - at home and in the square: can such a person say about himself that he prays before God? One prays before the Lord who has completely gathered his soul and has nothing in common with earth, but has moved to heaven itself and expelled every human thought from his soul, as this woman did then. For she, having collected all of herself and strained her mind, called on God with a sorrowful soul... and her prayer was short, for she did not expand in words and did not continue the prayer for long... but she constantly continued the same prayer, and did not cease to utter the same words for a long time. Christ also commanded to pray in this way in the Gospel, telling His disciples not to pray and say unnecessary things, like the pagans, instilling that the one who prays can be heard by God not for the multitude of words, but for the vigilance of the soul” (Matthew ch. 6). “And Paul exhorts, saying, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:18). So, Christ and Paul commanded to perform short but frequent prayers, with short intervals. If you spread your words, you will often do it without attention and give the devil greater freedom to approach you, overthrow you and distract your thought from what you are saying. But if you say prayers frequently, occupying all your time with such frequent prayers, you can easily be vigilant and begin to say your very prayers with full attention” 218. “People hear only the outer voice, but God, before this voice, hears the inner cry. Therefore, one can be heard without saying a word; You can even walk around the square and pray mentally with great zeal; and sitting with friends, and doing whatever it is, you can call on God with a great cry, that is, an internal cry, inaudible to anyone present” 219. And prayer should be combined with thanksgiving. “For where there is prayer and thanksgiving, there comes the grace of the Holy Spirit, from there demons are driven away and all enemy forces retreat and take flight” 220. Many of the faithful became so relaxed that they reported to St. secrets once a year, and then not with due attention and with proper preparation. St. Chrysostom, in order to dispose them to properly prepare for this sacrament, informs them of its importance, and the concept of the preliminary activity that they must have in order to proceed without judgment to this so important matter. “Christ gave us, he says, His holy flesh for food, He offered Himself as a sacrifice: what excuse will you have when, by taking such food, you sinned so much? By eating the Lamb, do we become wolves? When devoured by a sheep, are we as ravenous as lions? This sacrament requires that we be completely clean, not only from theft, but also from minor enmity. He is the sacrament of the world, and does not allow the pursuit of wealth. The Lord did not spare Himself for us: what will we be worthy of when, while saving wealth, we do not save our soul, for which He did not spare Himself?.. Let us avoid this abyss (love of money), and we will not consider it sufficient for salvation if, having robbed widows and orphans, we bring a gold vessel decorated with precious stones for the saint. meals; if you want to honor the sacrifice, then offer your soul for which the sacrifice was made; make your soul golden. If it is worse than lead and clay, and the vessel is gold; What good does it do you? Therefore, let us take care not only to bring golden vessels as gifts, but also to bring from righteous labors. For more valuable than gold is anything acquired without covetousness. The Church is not meant to be used to melt gold or forge silver: it is a solemn gathering of Angels. Therefore, we demand your souls as a gift, for God accepts other gifts for souls... Do you want to honor the body of Christ? do not despise when you see Christ naked. And what is the benefit if here you honor Him with silk coverings, but outside the church you leave Him to endure the cold and nakedness? He who said: This is my body (Matt. 26:26), and he who confirmed this in a word also said: You saw Me hungry, and did not feed me; and further: Because you have not made the least of these, neither have you made them to Me (‒25, 42). This mysterious body requires not coverings, but a pure soul; The people of Christ, that is, the poor, have great need of our care. Let us learn to be wise and honor Christ as He Himself wants. What is most pleasing to the honored one is the honor that He Himself desires, and not the one that we recognize as better. And Peter thought to honor the Lord by not allowing Him to wash his feet; however, it was not respect, but something contrary to that. Therefore, honor Him with such honor as He Himself commanded, that is, spend your wealth on the poor. God does not need golden vessels, but golden souls. Although God accepts deposits, alms are much better. There, a gift is sometimes a reason for vanity; but here everything is done out of mercy and love for mankind. What is the use if Christ's table is full of golden vessels, and Christ Himself is languishing with hunger? First feed His hungry, and then use the rest to decorate His table” 221. We cannot convey in detail all the works of piety that he taught, and all the Christian virtues to which he led the inhabitants of Antioch, but we will say in general that he especially instilled faith in the sacraments of faith, respect for St. Church, diligent reading of St. Scriptures, frequent use of the sign of the cross, daily prayers, prayers before and after dinner, teaching and caring for children, reverent remembrance of death, invocation of saints, reverent veneration of saints for their relics and imitation of their virtues. In order to arouse in his listeners an aversion from sin and a love for virtue, he often reminded them of the severity of God’s judgment, of the account that they would have to give to Him in all their actions and thoughts, of embarrassment, of painful remorse, of the joy of the righteous and of the torment of hell. He always tried to tear them away from attachment to the world, showing the deceitfulness and vanity of all riches, honors and earthly pleasures. “Why do you turn away from Him who loves you so much”? he asks. “Why are you working for the world? Why do you pour a broken vessel into a vessel? For labors for real life are similar to this. Doesn't every art have a purpose? Everyone knows this. Show me the purpose of everyday care; but you cannot show it: for vanity of vanities and all kinds of vanity (Eccl. 1:1). Let's go to the tombs: show me my father, show me my wife! Where is the one who clothed himself in golden robes, sat in a chariot, had troops, a royal belt, and heralds; who put some to death, and threw others into prison, who, of his own will, both killed and freed? I see nothing but bones, worms and cobwebs. All this is earth, all this is a fable; all this is a dream and a shadow, an empty story, an image in a picture. Oh, that this would be the end of the disaster! But now honor, pleasure, celebrity are one shadow, one word; and what comes from them is no longer a shadow and words, but remains and will go there with us and will be known to everyone” 222. Knowing that nothing can stimulate better activity like a pious example, St. Chrysostom brings to their memory the holy life of the leading Christians and, in particular, the struggle, courage and triumph of the holy martyrs 223. “The saints,” he says, were tied to a tree and their sides were planed, holding reins on them, as if blasting the earth with a plow, and not the body, tearing it apart, so that the very insides of the body could be seen: the sides and chest, being torn apart, opened up. But the cruelty of the bloodthirsty beasts was not yet satisfied with this: having removed the martyrs from the tree, they stretched them on iron grates over burning coals, and here was a new, most terrible sight of all! Double streams of blood and melted flesh flowed from the bodies. But the saints, reclining on the coals as if on roses, looked at the spectacle with joy!.. Sometimes the flames of fire embraced them from all sides, the sparks invaded their wounds and gnawed at their bodies more cruelly than any ferocious beast; and they remained as if adamantine, as if they themselves had not endured, but had seen this torment on the bodies of others; unshakably, and with the courage characteristic of confessors of Christ, they stood in the confession of faith, remained steadfast despite all the efforts of their enemies, clearly revealing both their courage and God’s power.” Inciting prayerful vigil during the night, he says: “Are you lying prostrate on a soft bed and don’t want to get up? Remember the martyrs who lay on iron bars, under which were placed not beds, but coals” 224. The holy martyrs, having shown themselves to be courageous, invincible heroes of St. faith during life, remain strong defenders from enemies visible and invisible even after death. “The bodies of saints protect cities better than any stronghold, and like high rocks visible from everywhere, they not only repel the attacks of visible enemies, but also all the intrigues and slander of demons. All human means used to protect the inhabitants, such as walls, ditches, weapons, troops, etc. the enemy can overcome by other, even stronger means. But if the city is protected by the bodies of saints, then no matter how much the enemies try, they cannot oppose them with anything equivalent. And not only in the fight against people and demons is this precious treasure useful to us: but also in the eyes of an angry God it atones for many of our sins. If in former times people who performed wonderful deeds called for help the names of holy men, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and from the mere recollection of these names received great benefit for themselves, propitiating God with them: then all the more can we propitiate Him, who resort not only to the recollection of the names, but also to the very bodies of those who labored for the name of God 225 . “Looking at these holy martyrs, courageous and patient ascetics, who have been given to us instead of luminaries, let us begin to conform our lives to their patience, so that after our migration from the earth, through their prayers we may be worthy to see them, to greet them, and to move to their heavenly dwellings 226. Proving the invincible power of saints over demons, St. Chrysostom points to some experiments that took place at the tomb of St. Martyr Julian, when demons, only those possessed by demons, were brought to St. the remains of the martyr, they immediately left them 227. “That the martyr’s wounds are more brilliant than the heavenly stars,” he says, you will see from the following. Both people and demons look at the sky and its stars: but only believers look at the wounds of the martyr, and the demons do not dare to raise their eyes to them, and when they intensify to look at them, they cannot bear the brilliance emanating from there, and are immediately struck by blindness. I will prove this not only by ancient events, but also by real events. Take someone possessed by a demon and raging, bring him to St. the tomb where the remains of the martyr rest, and you will see that the demoniac will run away from there. As if he had to walk on hot coals, he was afraid to approach the threshold of the church, he did not dare to raise his eyes even to the cover of the coffin” 228. In the city of Antioch there were many relics of saints at that time. In their memory, churches and their most holy remains were even on the outskirts of cities, by the way, in Daphne. On the days of celebrations celebrated in memory of the saints, people gathered in large numbers in churches dedicated to their names and to St. the presbyter, taking advantage of this circumstance, spoke teachings in praise of the martyrs, with his usual zeal and eloquence, rousing those who stood by to imitate the life of the saints. In addition to teachings on the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, he spoke words in praise of the saints of Antioch, Meletius, Eustathius, Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Julian the Martyr, St. martyrs Juventinus and Maximus, holy martyr Vavila and others. In three sermons he praised the courage and suffering of the Maccabean brothers, St. Egyptian martyrs and all martyrs in general. In a word of praise to everyone in general, St. The martyrs, having spoken about the terrible instruments of execution of the martyrs, about their unshakable courage, and about the bliss that they enjoy in heaven, says that now there is an opportunity to accomplish similar feats and deserve the same glory. “Don’t you regret,” he asks, that now is not the time for torment? But we can also strive as during martyrdom. Did the martyrs despise life? You despise pleasure. Did they throw their bodies into the fire? Throw your property into the hands of the poor. Did they trample on burning coals? You extinguish the flame of carnal lust. Is it difficult? But useful. Look not at present sorrows, but at future blessings; not for real disasters, but for hoped-for bliss; not for suffering, but for rewards; not for labors, but for crowns; not for exhaustion, but for repose; not for illness, but for sighing; not for the burning fire, but for the kingdom to come; not on the surrounding tormentors, but on the crowning Christ” 229. Thus St. Chrysostom, like a faithful servant, cultivated the Lord's field with tireless zeal. True, it was difficult to awaken the people who carelessly indulged in vices, to stop the stormy flow of various disorders that had become established over time, to dispel the darkness of ignorance of the truths of faith and piety that surrounded people, to fight against prejudices and deep-rooted passions: but the zeal of St. Chrysostom was so great in fulfilling the duties of a presbyter that nothing, as experience showed, could stop or weaken his saving activity. When Flavian laid on St. Chrysostom had the duty of preaching the word of God, he was so zealously engaged in this matter that Flavian rarely entered the pulpit, and sometimes even yielded it to the eloquent presbyter, at the request of the people who were accustomed to listening to him. So one day, expounding the doctrine of equality in the Divinity of the Son of God and God the Father, and noticing the desire of the Antiochians to hear Chrysostom about this, he stopped speaking and allowed John to continue what he had begun 230 . With the exception of special cases that required teachings from Chrysostom, he usually spoke to the Antiochian Christians twice, or at least once a week, and sometimes taught them almost daily, as was the case in the days of St. fortnight during an exposition on the book of Genesis. And he delivered his teachings sometimes before the liturgy, and sometimes even before sunrise, so that those present in the church, without feeling the heat and stuffiness, could listen to him longer and with greater attention, and partly in order not to interfere with their daily activities; and sometimes he used to speak in the evening, as happened on days of repentance by fasting. He spoke his teachings for the most part in the so-called ancient church, founded by St. Apostles. Often during the recitation of St. While teaching Chrysostom, Flavian sat opposite the pulpit in a place specially prepared for him and with his presence confirmed the immutability of the truths proclaimed by the presbyter. St. Chrysostom never found it difficult to choose a material. His deep and comprehensive information, his piety and fiery zeal for raising his listeners to the heights of Christian life and activity were an abundant source of thoughts and feelings, which he willingly shared with a large gathering of people who flocked from all over the city and even from surrounding villages. But the main principle and the main strength of his conversations was the deep study of the Holy Scriptures, the literal meaning of which he understood well, as well as the historical and mysterious meaning, and, deriving from the Divine Scripture the rules for activity, he conveyed his thoughts about this with fascinating eloquence. When he began to interpret any of the books of Holy Scripture, he explained in order, text by text, however, without arbitrarily giving the meaning of St. Scripture, but always guided by the accepted and approved teaching of the former saints. fathers and teachers of the Church. Presenting his conversations in clear, simple, intelligible language, he always, no matter what truths he explained, dogmatic or moral, tried to make applications to the establishment and clarification of the objects of faith and to the correction of morals and the eradication of harmful customs that had become established in any way among the people. When starting to explain any book or chapter of St. Scripture, he often began his conversation with some kind of suggestion, which was either some particular circumstance, or the celebration of the day, or some incident that happened in the city. Then he calmly got down to the matter itself, explained the subject, dispelled prejudices, little by little captured the attention of the listeners, and thus, when those present were sufficiently prepared, he was inflamed with jealousy, denounced, forbade and, like thunder, struck with just reproaches. His conversations were always full of denunciations and consolations, wise sayings and irresistible evidence. His speech sometimes appeared like a fast stream, which, rushing down the steepness of the mountains, overthrows and carries away everything; and sometimes it seemed like a majestic river, which brings fertility and abundance everywhere with its waters. Lively and inspired descriptions, comparisons, contrasts, amazing pictures of the imagination, you find everything in his writings! Heaven, earth, sea, science, art, the ordinary needs and activities of social and family life, all of nature with all its phenomena and works, he made all this with extraordinary ability serve for the explanation, proof and triumph of truth and virtue. The Word of God served as the main force of Chrysostom’s teachings. It was for him a light that dispels darkness, spiritual bread, a fire that destroys spiritual rust, water that washes away its impurities, a divine weapon, an impenetrable shield, an impregnable fortress in which he could rest without fear of shipwreck. He always looked at humility as the unshakable foundation of a spiritual building, the mother of all virtues, the beginning of philosophy, the source of true wisdom, the true guide to the kingdom of heaven, with whose assistance the repentant thief entered paradise before even the apostles. On the contrary, he considered pride to be the root of all evil, a pitfall against which those who for a long time resisted the storms of passions and various temptations were often broken. According to his teaching, prayer is light and wings for the soul, a connection that connects us with God; an impenetrable shield, an arrow terrible for demons, a fragrant flower of mercy and fasting, a pier open to all those overwhelmed by temptations, an anchor of salvation for those floating among the rising waves of passions, troubles and misfortunes. When St. Chrysostom urges almsgiving, presents it as a loan made useful to us by God, as a great treasure hidden in a safe place, as a fertile seed that should in due time produce a bountiful harvest. Almsgiving is a majestic decoration on the day of universal judgment, an easy path to heaven; The poor are the breadbasket of God, the doctors of our souls, intercessors and defenders. Does he have a chance to talk about the Church? he points out in it a calm pier, a safe refuge during bad weather, a ship steered by Christ Himself, who, sailing with full sails, considers the strongest gusts of winds, the most terrible storms to be nothing. Life of St. Chrysostom always represents a kind of constant struggle, a battle that he often compares to the Olympic Games. “A Christian,” he said, is a fighter, warrior, farmer, traveler, navigator, who must constantly direct his path to the pier of the heavenly fatherland. Death is nothing more than sleep, tranquility, release from the bonds of the flesh.” Much could be said about his high merits, revealed in his writings, but we are afraid to move too far from the main subject. However, in order to form an idea of ​​the beauty and richness of the imagination of the holy speaker, what we have said is enough. The ease with which he expressed his thoughts, the deep knowledge he acquired, were not for him an incentive to laziness. Despite his many activities, he always carefully prepared his conversations. However, sometimes, taking advantage of some unexpectedly presented circumstance, he left the word intended for pronunciation, and spoke without any preparation, according to the opportunity that presented itself, and the listeners, using shorthand, wrote down his words. One day, walking through the narrow streets of the city and then through the square, located between the houses and the church, he saw many beggars and wretched people, and was so touched by this that, having arrived at the meeting of the faithful, he left the teaching that he had prepared to speak in order to say a few words in favor of the poor. “I have now come to you in order to express my intercession for others, which, however, will be no less pleasant and useful for you. Now I can’t find a more decent subject for conversation with you than the poor of our city. And their unhappy state, which I saw, disposed me towards this. Walking towards you through the square, I was amazed at the deplorable sight. I saw many beggars in extreme poverty; some of them, completely relaxed, lay prostrate on the damp and cold ground; others could barely move from place to place. Some of them were blind, others had no arms; and some were covered with purulent wounds, which they kept open in order to arouse compassion in those passing by; and they all seemed half-dead from hunger and cold. I could not be indifferent when looking at this terrible picture, and at the same time I thought that it would be too inhuman on my part if I did not take care to bring this to the favorable attention of your compassionate love. So, I also intercede for them with you; and on this occasion I leave the subject about which I should talk to you now, in order to talk to you about alms. And I find it all the more fitting to talk about this because now it is winter, and a harsh winter, and that we ourselves have a need for the goodness and mercy of God.” After this introduction, he sets forth the motives that could dispose them to give alms: the severity of winter, the miserable situation of the poor, the pious example of the Christians of Macedonia, Rome and Galatia, and the blessings associated with alms. He advises them to give alms joyfully and hastily always, and especially on Sundays; He also advises giving alms according to your condition, and never examining the lives and morals of the poor in order to know whether they are worthy of compassion; for if it were possible to experience the lives of the poor and the rich, no one would be worthy of mercy. Convinces us to imitate the Lord, Who makes the sun shine on the good and the evil, and rains on the righteous and the unjust; give generously, be compassionate towards the poor, so that you yourself may find mercy on the day of judgment. The poor, according to him, are like the doctors of our souls, our patrons and benefactors; because we receive much more than we give; for we will be given a blessed heaven in exchange for a small amount of money. How washbasins are arranged near prayer places, so that one can first wash one’s hands and then raise them to heaven; Likewise, the poor are at the church gates so that before performing prayers we can wash our hands with alms to the poor. Water has the property of washing away dirt from the body, and alms destroy spiritual impurities 231 . However, for a preacher it is not enough that he knows and well understands the meaning of St. Scripture, clearly and with all accuracy set out the dogmas of faith and rules of morality, spoke freely and eloquently; but he must soften the hearts of the listeners, convince them and bring them to tenderness. He must win over his listeners; to conform one's reasoning to the degree of development of the concepts of those to whom one speaks, to be simple with the simple, learned with the learned, to rise or be humbled, depending on the circumstances; with the art of changing the two springs of the human heart, fear and hope, combining reproach with request, the importance of a judge with fatherly tenderness. He must live, so to speak, in heaven with God through prayer, humility, meekness and all the virtues that he preaches to others, and together remain on earth among people with fiery zeal for the salvation of others and love for them. Prescribing such rules to the presbyter in his conversations about the priesthood, St. Chrysostom himself observed them and, as needed, spoke about all subjects and all classes of society in a language that corresponded to the needs and degree of understanding of them. This excellent quality, which is clearly indicated in all his conversations, he owed in part, perhaps, to the lesson that the poor woman taught him in the first years of his presbytery. At one time, when St. Chrysostom preached with much greater eloquence than always, and the entire assembly of learned and noble people admired the sublimity of his thoughts, the elegance of his language and the excellence of his presentation; one poor woman, simple, modest and pious, came up to him and said with frankness: venerable and beloved father! I bless God, who has given us such an eloquent preacher as you, and I thank Him for the blessings poured out through you on Antioch. I myself would like to take advantage of the word of God preached through your lips; but, alas! I, poor thing, am not educated enough, my mind is too insufficiently developed to follow all the modifications of your eloquent speech. And now, especially, I listened with attention, but I could not take advantage of your conversation, because I did not understand, and while everyone, admiring your speech, applauded, I alone shed tears, mourning my ignorance. Hearing the just sorrow of the poor woman, St. From then on, Chrysostom tried to speak more intelligibly to everyone. The holy presbyter was so devoted to the benefit and salvation of his flock that he tried to turn not only public disasters, such as pestilences, droughts, wars, popular disturbances, earthquakes, but also private circumstances to their advantage, extracting decent edification from them. So at one time he heard that some of his friends and listeners in general were complaining about the length of his introductions, and he took advantage of this opportunity to give them useful instruction. Having ascended the pulpit the next day, he said: Some of my friends came to me with a complaint about the length of my conversations; Whether they are fair or not, you will see from my words, which I will say in my defense. But, firstly, I must say gratitude for such an announcement, because I am sure that they did this not out of wishing me harm, but out of friendship for me and participation in my benefit. I love my friends not only when they praise me, but also then, and even more, when they tell me about my shortcomings and reproach me for them. A true friend praises what is worthy of praise, while a false friend showers praise on both good and bad. An enemy's praise is suspicious; a friend's remarks are always pleasant to me. This one, reproaching me, makes me happy, but he also upsets me with praise. A flatterer's kiss hurts me, but a friend's wounds heal. At the same time, he shows the benefit of friendly remarks and the means to use them. Then he begins to make excuses. He uses lengthy introductions, he says, for three reasons: 1) because the company of his listeners does not always consist of people who, while diligently studying the Holy Spirit, The Scriptures do not need lengthy explanations to understand them, but among them there are also those who not only do not bother reading the sacred books at all. Scriptures, but, constantly occupied with the vain affairs of this age, rarely attend church meetings, and which, consequently, always have the need for a lengthy explanation for a convenient understanding of what is being said; 2) because his listeners stood at different degrees of understanding and zeal for the work of piety, therefore it was necessary to encourage the zeal of some, and awaken others from negligence; 3) because he sometimes spoke two or three conversations on the same subject, and therefore it was necessary to repeat the end of the previous conversation in order to show the connection between the previous and the subsequent to his listeners who, having forgotten the past, could find it difficult to understand the present. The second reason given by St. Chrysostom, in his justification, reminds us of his zeal with which he excited the people to listen to the word of God. The number of his listeners was not always the same, but varied due to various circumstances. He often complained about the small number of his listeners, most of whom were distracted by public games, folk festivals or the theater. He grieved greatly then, and bitterly complained about their indifference to the matter of salvation, and encouraged and inspired the zeal of those present 232 . If the faithful did not properly use his conversations and the teachings of St. Scriptures, he admonished them with greater meekness. The farmer was reluctant to cultivate a field that did not bear fruit according to his labors, he said; the doctor leaves the patient when he stops following his instructions. But one of them cultivates the land, the other heals the body; but I must cultivate your souls and work to heal them, and to the extent that the soul is superior to the body, to that extent my work is superior to a doctor. And therefore I try to intensify my zeal so as not to weaken, especially since my reward would not perish if the listeners did not want to take advantage of my advice 233. St. Chrysostom spoke with such eloquence that his listeners shed copious tears and sometimes, imbued with a strong feeling of contrition, hit themselves on the head; sometimes they came to fear at the thought of the great truths he proclaimed, sometimes they were imbued with a feeling of surprise, listening to his teaching, pronounced with such power. It often happened that they suddenly interrupted him, and the church was filled with applause and numerous exclamations: Chrysostom! golden lips, golden lips! The humble preacher was greatly upset by this, and begged them to listen in silence and not waste their applause needlessly; he said that neither the truths proclaimed by him, nor he himself at all needed their noisy applause; but if they want to praise him and properly reward him for his care for their salvation, then let them reflect with due attention on these truths and consider their behavior with him 234. In the midst of such a triumph of his eloquence and universal praise of St. Chrysostom always maintained imperturbable modesty. Sometimes it happened that he began his teachings with the caution and timidity of one just entering the field of preaching ministry. “I rejoice for you,” he said to those present, seeing you flocking in such multitudes and with such haste to listen to the sacred servants of the altar. Such zeal of yours serves as the best proof of your success in virtue and deeds of piety. The desire to listen to the word of God is evidence of the good condition of your souls, just as the need for material food is evidence of the good health of the body. Your ardor for spiritual enlightenment pleases me, and I thank the Lord for you; but I am afraid whether I will give you food that is satisfactory and suitable to your needs and desires. However, like a mother, although she does not have much milk, she nevertheless gives them to her child, and I will offer you today what I have. God help me according to my desire 235. The cares and paternal care of St. The presbyter's care for his flock did not go unrewarded: God blessed his labors. Despite the unrest that is inseparable from human actions and so common in large cities, piety flourished in Antioch, holidays and Sundays were celebrated with due triumph, the praises of God were sung in the churches; the Divine Liturgy was always performed, private and public prayers were performed without fail, family life was well-ordered; Many of the parents, wanting to teach their children good behavior and pious life, sent them for this purpose to the hermits who lived in the mountains. The habit of swearing by many was completely abandoned, theaters were visited less often and not in such numbers as before; pagans, Jews and heretics, exposed by the holy presbyter, could no longer raise their voices. Saint Chrysostom was the soul, the life, the joy for Antioch, since Antioch was his favorite subject. When the frequent illnesses of the holy preacher forced him to retire to the village or stay at home to improve his health; when in this way the large crowd of people who usually came from distant parts of the city to the church to listen to the sermon was not visible along the streets; it seemed that some kind of disaster had befallen the city, or that death had taken the place of life and movement. But when, after several days of absence, Saint Chrysostom, weak, languid and still sick, again appeared in the church, how many cries of joy and blessing came from everywhere! And Saint Chrysostom, seeing the people’s disposition towards him, what tender love he was filled with, joy involuntarily shone through his emaciated face! Always warmed by fatherly love for the people, Saint Chrysostom did not spare his strength and health for the good of his flock, and wanted to strive in the field of presbyterian service until the end of his life; but then, when his strength weakened and he could no longer proclaim the word of God, he hoped and wished for peace to return to the mountains and settle among the hermits, whom he loved so much, and to whom he sent his listeners in order to amaze and excite them with the spectacle of high Christian virtues. The solitude of the mountains was a calm and safe haven to which his desires were always directed; he hoped to die there, and this hope consoled him. But his hopes and desires did not come true; when he was mentally consoled by the peace he saw in the distance, the breath of the Spirit of God plunged him into the midst of storms and unrest. God called him to a new struggle, to constant imprisonment, countless persecutions and, in some way, to martyrdom. Emperor Theodosius, having defeated external and internal enemies, died in 395. With all the zeal of a pious Christian king, he patronized the Orthodox Church. Dying, he left his kingdom to his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius; the first of them ruled the eastern part of the empire, the other the western. These two young sovereigns, having received such a famous royal throne from their father, inherited his piety together. During the reign of these royal brothers, the Archbishop of Constantinople, Nektarios, died (September 29, 397), successor of St. Gregory the Theologian. After his death, they began to elect and appoint a successor for him. The extraordinary importance of this city, which became the second Rome since Constantine the Great chose it as the main place for his residence, and the important influence that the Archbishops of Constantinople enjoyed at court, aroused ambition in many presbyters and bishops. Many people were proposed who were worthy, in the opinion of voters, of this chair, and some, driven by lust for power and ambition, through various unauthorized means, sought this place themselves. “Oh pitiful people! exclaims Palladius: priests in name, but unworthy of the priesthood! - Many of the pathetic ambitious people went to the palace almost every day, groveling at the feet of the courtiers, whose influence was strong on the king and on church affairs, some curried the favor of other important officials with low flattery, begging for their intercession; others tried to attract leniency with gifts; and some even went so blind that, on their knees in the street, they begged the people to intercede for themselves. Alas! to what baseness can an ambitious and selfish priest reach when, forgetting about the glory of God and the salvation of souls, he seeks only his own glory and his own benefit. But the Orthodox, and many, especially from honorable and noble persons, looked with indignation at such actions of ambitious seekers, and begged the emperor to reject with indignation all these low seekers, and to find a man skillful and knowledgeable in the Divine Scripture, capable of edifying others with the holiness of his life, and therefore worthy of such a high place. While the court was indecisive and did not know who to choose for the idle position of the saint, the eunuch Eutropius, the first minister of the Emperor Arcadius and who had very great influence over him, pointed out to the sovereign John, presbyter of Antioch. He recognized him during his journey to the east, and besides, the fame of the eloquence and holiness of Chrysostom’s life spread throughout the empire. And as soon as the name of John was pronounced, the indecision ceased, all unanimously and in one voice, the people and the clergy elected him to the place of the Archbishop of Constantinople. The people were extremely happy on the occasion of this election, and they were only perplexed as to how to carry out their choice. For they knew the deep humility of this holy man, and the high concept that he had about the episcopal rank, about the high duties that are imposed on him, and those great virtues that are required of him; Moreover, they recalled his behavior when the bishops gathered in Antioch wanted to confer the rank of hierarch on him, and therefore they were afraid that, having learned about his election, he would not want to free himself from it by flight. Moreover, they were perplexed how to take him from Antioch, from his beloved city and fatherland; without arousing a general murmur, or even an uprising of the people who looked at St. John, as his wise mentor, for his glory, as an intercessor and comforter during terrible events that carried the entire city to destruction. Under these circumstances, a prudent, secret and quick abduction was necessary. Eutropius found a way to bring this so important and at the same time difficult matter to a happy end. On behalf of the emperor he wrote to Asterius, the Eastern ruler. Having notified him of the election of St. John to the see of Constantinople and about the difficulties we had mentioned, and therefore the need to act carefully, he ordered that he be taken by some kind of deception and sent to Constantinople. The order was carried out to the fullest extent. While St. Chrysostom was thinking only about the exact fulfillment of his title, when he suddenly received a letter from the eastern ruler, who invited him to come to the church of St. martyrs, who was at the Roman gates, for a meeting about an important matter. St. Chrysostom, not suspecting anything, hastily appeared at the appointed place. But as soon as he arrived, Asterius, without saying anything, invited him to sit in the carriage, and then, going with him to the station, there he handed him over to messengers from the emperor, 236 who brought him to Constantinople with extreme speed. In Constantinople they were eagerly awaiting the new shepherd so that his ordination could be performed with greater solemnity; The emperor convened a council, to which Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, was invited, as the eldest of the bishops. But this patriarch looked at the election of Chrysostom with an envious eye. He could not desire this pulpit for himself; but he tried, through various intrigues and his influence, to deliver this place to a certain presbyter Isidore, whose talents, too ordinary, could not be an obstacle to his ambition. Theophilus owed him gratitude for the fulfillment of one very important assignment. They say that during the uprising of the tyrant Maximus, Theophilus gave Isidore a letter of congratulations and gifts, which he ordered to be given in Rome to the one who wins, Maximus or Theodosius; but the letter was stolen before the end of the war, and Isidore fled to Alexandria. In addition to the feeling of gratitude that prompted Theophilus to contribute to the rise of Isidore, Theophilus hoped, by making him bishop of Constantinople, to see in him a zealous collaborator of his plans and through him to have influence at court. But he could not expect this from Chrysostom. And therefore, from the moment I saw him, I tried to prevent his election. Theophilus understood that, according to St. John on the episcopal see, he will completely lose all influence at court and in Constantinople. For this reason, hiding his secret motives, he came up with obstacles and, under various pretexts, opposed his ordination. But the emperor, the entire court and the people wanted his election so much that it was difficult for him to resist. And in order to quickly resolve the matter and put an end to Theophilus’ machinations, Eutropius called him to him, and in an important and decisive tone, showing him various complaints against him from the presbyters and bishops, he told him to decide either to ordain St. John, in accordance with the wishes of all the bishops, or, otherwise, would prepare to respond in front of the entire council to the complaints filed against him. Theophilus agreed with the opinion of the bishops. The whole city rejoiced, but Chrysostom lamented what had happened. At first he complained about the violence done to him, pointed out the weakness of his strength and his unworthiness; but when he saw that neither his tears nor his objections brought any benefit, he submitted to the election of bishops, in whose actions he saw the determination of God, and with humility and reverence accepted the dedication on February 26, three hundred and ninety-eight 237. Before we begin the story of the works of St. Chrysostom, raised by him during his episcopacy, it is necessary to present information about the church and flock entrusted to his care. The presence of the emperor and his court in the newly created city of Constantinople, in a short time, attracted many people to the capital city, foreigners from different directions, who came to take advantage of the privileges promised to the first settlers. This crowd gathered from different countries and regions brought with them their customs, vices, errors and prejudices. In addition, soon after Constantine the Great, under the emperors Constantius and Valens, the see of the Church of Constantinople was almost constantly occupied by Arian bishops. The consequence of this was that the Orthodox Faith was suppressed by Arian errors, the Orthodox were subjected to all kinds of insults, errors of mind and vicious aspirations of the heart and will were given full scope. St. Gregory the Theologian, during his short stay in Constantinople, as a preacher of Orthodox teaching and Archbishop of Constantinople, at least managed to achieve that under Emperor Theodosius, all the churches located in Constantinople were provided for the use of the Orthodox, who had not previously had a single church, and that, as a result of his eloquent and convincing teachings, Orthodox teaching quickly and strongly triumphed over the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of Constantinople, so that the city of Constantinople could be called completely Orthodox. There are relatively few Arians left in the city, and they are allowed to have public meetings for prayer only outside the city. But created by St. Gregory the Theologian, under his successor, it became unstable and fell into disrepair. Nectarius, successor of St. Gregory, ruled the Church of Constantinople for sixteen years: but he had neither the knowledge, nor the zeal, nor the holiness of the life of his predecessor 238 and therefore church affairs under his leadership fell into decay: piety weakened, the old disorders were renewed, many new abuses were introduced, so that Constantinople came to almost the state in which it was before the reign of St. Gregory. And thus the Church of Constantinople represented a field overgrown with thorns, which was to be cleared and sowed with new seeds of piety by the new archpastor - St. John. And St. Chrysostom, strengthened by the new gifts of the Holy Spirit, zealously took up the feat of pastoral service set before him. A few days after his dedication, he, in the presence of a large gathering of people, uttered his first word; but this word has not reached us. From his subsequent conversations one can see that his subject was the struggle between David and Goliath. He showed in it that the Philistines, fully armed, protected by armor and shields, strengthened with swords and spears, were scattered from one blow of a young shepherd, who had neither armor nor sword for his protection, armed only with faith and trust in God's help. This St. Chrysostom wanted to show his listeners that he, like David, came to them without weapons, without eloquence and without any human aid, supported only and inspired by living faith and a fiery desire for their salvation. For the weapons of our army, he exclaimed with Paul, are not carnal, but are powerful in God to destroy the firmament: casting down the thoughts and every exaltation charged to the mind of God, and taking every mind captive into the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5). This word had a striking effect on the listeners, and it was all the more powerful because the Christians of Constantinople had not heard such an eloquent preacher for a long time, because Nektarios, partly due to his old age, partly due to lack of the gift of eloquence, could not make a strong impression on them. After this, even more people gathered in the new church to listen to the second conversation of the holy bishop. “I haven’t talked to you more than once,” said St. Chrysostom at the beginning of the word - and I have already loved you with such strength, as if I had always lived with you. I feel that I am tied to you by strong bonds of the closest love, as if I had been on friendly terms with you for a long time, and this feeling of friendly love for you comes not from the tenderness of my heart, but from the consciousness of the excellent and most amiable qualities of your souls. In fact, is it possible, without surprise and love, to think about that fiery jealousy, about that tender love that inspires and about that strong attachment that you have for your teachers and superiors, about the peace and harmony that reigns between you, and about those rare qualities that adorn you, which are able to win over the coarsest hearts? - After this introduction, St. the pastor spoke a lot about the dangers surrounding the Church from attacks by heretics, denounced their errors and affirmed the truth with arguments from the Holy Scriptures. Scriptures. The people listened with heartfelt emotion to the words of their new saint. At the following meetings, excluding some private circumstances, what were the public entertainments that attracted a lot of people and to which St. Chrysostom complained greatly - the number of his listeners constantly increased until the Lord was pleased to test the firmness and constancy of the love of His servant through sorrows. In the royal city, the wondrous experiments of eloquence and zeal of Chrysostom, carried out by him in Antioch, were repeated: countless people of all conditions and classes came running from all over the city, even from surrounding villages, to listen to him. Everyone tried to get as close to him as possible and looked at him with deep attention, afraid to utter even one word, sometimes they were in awe, amazed at the terrible pictures of God’s justice over sinners, sometimes imbued with a genuine feeling of contrition for their sinfulness, they shed springs of tears; but it also happened that, amazed at the wondrous beauty of Chrysostom’s inimitable eloquence, they filled the air with deafening applause and exclamations, and thereby interrupted his conversation, leading to great confusion of the humble preacher. And the zeal of the people of Constantinople was not fruitless for him. The zeal and enlightened mind of St. Bishops always found means to satisfy all their needs. Here, too, he preached to the people as often as in Antioch, without difficulty in choosing subjects for conversation. He continued to offer explanations on the Holy Scriptures; Acts of the Apostles, Epistles of St. Ap. Paul to Philippiseys, to Colossae, to Hebrews, inspired him with many excellent thoughts and feelings, which he shared with the people, who were always eager to listen to him. And here, as in Antioch, he strongly rebelled against the general corruption of morals, against the abuse of wealth, excessive luxury in clothing and home decoration, and his accusatory words had more place in Constantinople than in Antioch. With all the strength of holy zeal, he armed himself against ambition, passion for wealth, love of spectacle and social games, the custom of swearing, and in general against all the vices that served as a destructive poison for society. We would like to trace all the movements of this noble struggle that he had to withstand, and indicate the means that he used to overthrow various errors and deep-rooted passions: but this is impossible due to the numerousness of his teachings. In order to have a true and clear understanding of Chrysostom as a teacher and speaker, one must look at him in those important and difficult transformations he accomplished with the help of God, which reflected his zeal for the salvation of souls and the well-being of the Church, which were, if not an accident, at least a distant cause of those countless sorrows and persecutions that he subsequently experienced. Starting to review the activities of St. I. Chrysostom in the rank of saint, let us first of all pay attention to the liturgy currently known under the name of the liturgy of Chrysostom. What St. John Chrysostom compiled the order of the liturgy; this is beyond any doubt. ‒ Proclus, disciple of St. Chrysostom and subsequently the Patriarch of Constantinople, who had every opportunity to know about his social activities, in his work on the liturgy, says that St. Chrysostom shortened the rite of the liturgy, which had previously been shortened by St. Basil from the ancient order of the Jerusalem Church. - Proclus gives the reason for this reduction as Chrysostom’s condescending love for the people, who were burdened by the duration of the ancient liturgy and therefore sometimes did not attend the liturgy, or when attending were not attentive enough to the liturgy. After Proclus, St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (c. 644), not only says that St. Chrysostom, like Basil the Great, left behind the liturgy, but also generalized the use of Chrysostom: “now, he says, more than others in respect is the sacred service of the great Basil and John Chrysostom with the liturgy of the presanctified.” That the liturgy of Chrysostom, known today, was indeed the same liturgy in the time of Chrysostom, one can be convinced of this by comparing it with those places of the conversations of St. John, where he exhibits certain parts of modern liturgy. It should be noted, however, that St. Chrysostom in none of his numerous conversations offered an actual explanation of the liturgy in the order of its celebration, but, due to circumstances, mentioned only some parts of the liturgy, and therefore in his Constantinople conversations one can only find a few words taken from the liturgy. When the head of the church (bishop) entered the church, he said: peace to all 239. St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem says that before the litany the deacon exclaims: “Bless the Master,” and the priest says: “Blessed is the kingdom.” ‒ The Liturgy of the Catechumens began with the litany: “Before the uninitiated, says St. Chrysostom, we perform common prayers for the weak, for the fruitfulness of the earth, for the earth and the sea" 240. - The same objects of prayer are contained in the current first litany. - The litany was followed by readings from the Old Testament 241, preceded by exclamations from the deacon and the reader. “The deacon exclaims: let us rise.” This is the general voice of the church and no one listens... After him the reader begins: the prophecy of Isaiah, and then no one heeded... Then he proclaims out loud: this is what the Lord says, and no one listens 242. As a result of this carelessness, readings from the Old Testament were left in many churches even under St. Chrysostom, and were replaced by the singing of only antiphons, that is, selected verses borrowed from some psalms. - Currently, readings from the Old Testament are offered only during Lent, but at other times they are part of evening and morning services, and only for holiday ones. At liturgies nowadays, in addition to the holiday antiphons, on Sundays and polyeleos days the 102nd and 145th psalms and verses about the beatitudes are sung antiphonally, and on ordinary days some verses from the 91st, 92nd and 94th psalms are sung antiphonally. In the 7th verse of the last psalm it reads: come, let us bow and fall to him, and the Christian Church, after the antiphons, sings: come, let us bow and fall to Christ. - Antiphonal singing was also used under Chrysostom. From his conversation on Psalm 41 it is clear that in his time the Easter antiphons were sung: this is the day, the Lord has made it, and so on. The entrance with the Gospel while singing the song: come, let us worship and fall to Christ was also with St. Zlatoust. This was followed by a reading from the Apostle with the singing of the Prokemnes and Alleluia 243. Before the reading of the Gospel began, the primate taught peace to everyone, and they answered him: and to your spirit 244. St. Isidore Pelusiot, disciple of St. Chrysostom testifies that before the beginning of the reading of the Gospel, the bishop stood up from his seat and removed from his shoulders the image of imitation of Christ (omophorion), showing that the Lord himself, the founder of the pastoral ministry, God and Master, was present 245. The Gospel was read by a deacon 246 and in front of the Gospel, as a sign of spiritual joy, a candle burned. Before the reading and after the reading of the Gospel they sang: glory to you, Lord 247. After reading the Gospel, the primate offered teaching 248 from the pulpit. The teaching was therefore offered after the Gospel, and not at the end of the liturgy, as now, so that both the faithful and the catechumens could benefit from it. After reading the Gospel and teaching, the deacon exclaimed: “Let us pray for the catechumens,” and invited the catechumens themselves to pray for themselves; After this, the priest read a prayerful blessing over the catechumens who bowed their heads, and after this the deacon exclaimed: “Depart, catechumens” 249. This was followed by prayers for the possessed, for the repentant, for those preparing for enlightenment, 250 and thus ended the liturgy of the catechumens. After the exit of the catechumens and others like them, the liturgy of the faithful began, preceded by a proskomedia. The deacon exclaimed: Let us pray to the Lord, and everyone fell to their knees 251. This was followed by prayers of the faithful 252. After this litany, the gifts were transferred from the altar to the throne (great entrance), and for this the people, in the voice of the deacon, prayed for the offered gifts and for their peace; and the priest read a prayer, that he may be honored to offer a fragrant sacrifice 253. The priest taught peace and everyone kissed 254. Instead, now the deacon proclaims: let us love one another... and if several clergy participate in the service, then they kiss each other or kiss each other on the shoulder. The deacon announces the closing of the door. “When you see, says Chrysostom, that the curtain at the gate moves; then imagine that the sky is descending and the Angels are descending” 255. Let's become kind, let's become fearful, let's remember St. the deacon proclaimed the offering to offer in peace, and the people rose from kneeling in order to appear before the Lord with an unshakable thought about Him 256. The priest, blessing the people, said: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of St. May the Spirit be with you all." They answered him “and with your spirit” 257. When the priest then exclaims: “Woe is our hearts”; the people answer: “We have to the Lord” 258. The priest exclaims: “We thank the Lord,” the people respond: “worthy and righteous,” and the priest offered praises to the splendor of God’s shrine 259 . For this he reminded the people with what reverent triumph the heavenly powers glorify God; - and the people repeated the Seraphim’s Song 260. While singing the Seraphim Song, the priest continued to glorify the Lord, counted his blessings to people, revealed in creation, providence and redemption, in particular, he recalled the establishment by the Son of God of the mystery of the Eucharist and repeated His words as an immutable will about the fulfillment of the mystery 261. Finishing thanksgiving, he prayed a prayer of contrition for the sending of St. Spirit for gifts. “The priest stands before St. meal, says St. Chrysostom, and with his hands raised to the sky, calls upon St. May the Spirit descend and touch the gifts; deep silence, deep peace, the Spirit gives grace, descends, touches the offered gifts” 262. At this time, the blessing of the gifts was performed with the sign of the cross 263. During the invocation of St. Spirit, the people sang: “We sing to You, we thank You, Lord, and we pray to You” 264. After this, the priest remembered the names of the saints of God to propitiate God with their prayers 265. “And the Angels, says Chrysostom, prostrate themselves before the Lord and the Archangels pray: they consider this time to be the best, since they are promoted by exaltation... The Angels, standing before the body of the Lord, pray to the Lord for human nature and, as it were, say: for those we pray to You, whom You deigned to love so much that You gave up Your soul; for whom You shed Your blood; for those for whom You sacrificed Your flesh" 266. Glorifying the saints, the priest prayed together for the dead 267 and the living, especially for the bishops as rulers of the church and her children; prayed that the Lord would grant one heart to glorify Him 268. For this, the deacon invited us to pray that the Lord would accept the gifts on the heavenly altar. At the end of this litany, the priest added about the uncondemned invocation of the Heavenly Father, and the people sang: Our Father 269. The priest ended this Lord's Prayer with the words: For Thine is the kingdom 270, he taught peace to the people and read a prayer over those who bowed their heads 271. The deacon aroused attention with the word: let us listen, and the priest exclaimed: holy to holies 272. The people sang: “One is Holy, one is Lord Jesus Christ.” This was followed by the crushing of the Lamb 273, prayer for the forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins, and they began to commune with St. Tain 274. During communion they sang the verse: taste and see that the Lord is good, “The Lord Jesus, says Chrysostom, made thanksgiving before He gave it, so that we too would do; He gave thanks and sang, so that we too would do the same” 275. In thanksgiving they sang Psalm 144 276. The participants in the Mystery expressed joy at receiving the heavenly gift. The deacon called for prayer so that those who received communion would be preserved and saved by grace. The service ended with the blessing of the priest. The above passages from the conversations of St. John Chrysostom is enough to be convinced that the now known liturgy of Chrysostom in its main parts completely agrees with that which was used in the days of Chrysostom in Constantinople. In subsequent times, something was added to the liturgy of Chrysostom, but not much, and, moreover, not in the least violating the general order of the ancient liturgy. 1) Song: “Only Begotten Son” - introduced during the time of Justinian. 2) Song: “Holy God” with the prayer of the trisagion chant: “Holy God” was included in the worship service at St. Prokle. 3) Cherubimskaya was compiled under the Emperor. Justin the Younger, at the same time there is a prayer read by the priest during the Song of the Cherubim, for which she composes an explanation. 4) The Creed was introduced into the liturgy by Patriarch Timothy in 510. 5) The song of praise of the Most Honest Cherub is borrowed from the St. Cosmas for the great heel. 6) Songs: in the carnal tomb, Noble Joseph, having seen the Resurrection of Christ, “Shine, shine,” and the Great Easter – composed by St. Damascene. 7) At the end of the liturgy, the song: “Let our lips be filled with praise” was introduced under Patriarch Sergius in 620. Having established order and splendor in church services, St. Chrysostom drew attention to the clergy. Some of the clergy, not related by marriage, kept women in their houses under various pretexts, which gave lay people reason for condemnation and various seductive conversations. Understanding all the evil that came from this order of affairs, St. Chrysostom forced the clergy to part with their concubines. But for a clergyman who successfully wants to work for the salvation of his neighbor, it is not enough just to be clothed in the clothes of unchanging chastity, but it is necessary that he combine with this virtue unselfishness and removal from all worldly delights; without this, even if he were an Angel, his words will remain fruitless, his ministry will not have beneficial consequences for the salvation of souls. But the clergy of Constantinople, unfortunately, was not like that. Many of its members were infected with the love of money, many bought their own lands, built houses, and used for their own benefit the remains of the alms assigned for their maintenance; some, driven by passion, convinced many to give them their estates in wills to the detriment of the direct heirs; others indulged in luxury and sumptuous feasts, often visiting the houses of noble and rich people; were present at balls, and with their flattery and slavish servility they became despicable in the eyes of even those who, under the guise of feigned friendship, invited them as if with zeal and heartfelt sympathy. It was necessary for the benefit of the Church and for the honor of the priesthood to find a cure for these disorders, and St. The Archbishop of Constantinople found it and applied it to the case. He appeals to the priests infected with greed with the words of Ap. Paul: if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these: then, having shown what calamities the unfortunate Jews were subjected to for their passion for the love of money, he adds that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:8, 10), and at the same time reveals the disastrous consequences of this deadly passion. But, striking with just denunciations the selfishness of the servants of the altar, he at the same time reminds the people of their duty to provide all the means of life for the servants of the Word, so that they do not need to worry about the things necessary for life, so that they do not become discouraged, and so that the care of material objects does not distract their attention from the care of souls and from the fulfillment of the important duties of their high service. He also persuades clergy to stay away from noisy societies, engage in spiritual matters and take care of the fulfillment of their sacred duties. “Avoid,” he told them, the feasts of the rich, be content with the food that the zeal of the faithful will give you, beware of passing into the eternal flames of hell from the fumes of these sumptuous tables 277 . ABOUT! what a powerful influence a preacher has over the hearts of his hearers when he himself first practices what he preaches to others! The faithful follower of the Divine Teacher, who formerly lived as he subsequently taught, will undoubtedly have the consolation of seeing the word of God bear abundant fruit in his hearers, and his ministry crowned with great success. Chrysostom, as soon as he accepted the rank of hierarch, first of all, set about correcting the shortcomings of his own home. Having examined the reports of the steward who managed the church estate, says Palladius, St. Chrysostom eliminated many expenses that his predecessors considered necessary to maintain their dignity, but in his eyes seemed a magnificent excess, unworthy of the apostolic successor. He, who was a zealous defender of the poor in Antioch, to whom he provided all his family property, did not forget them and, being at the height at which Providence placed him. Nectarius left him rich furniture and other room decorations; but he sold it all and used it to meet the necessary needs of the poor residents. Having the simplest clothes and eating the most ordinary food, he wanted to see the same simplicity and modesty in everything around him. Pomp, pride and vanity were unbearable for him. Partly due to the weakness of his health, partly out of love for solitude and attentiveness to himself, partly out of a desire to save the time needed to occupy himself with Divine subjects and the salvation of the souls of the flock entrusted to him, he never invited anyone to his table, just as he himself did not go anywhere. He always ate alone, eating the simplest food, seasoned with love for the feats of self-mortification. However, this way of life did not prevent him from practicing, according to the teachings of the Apostle Paul 278, in love of hobbies and calming those suffering from various ailments. He received strangers with tender love; his house was always open to them, and he always convinced those assigned to this task to serve them with zeal and sincere friendliness. The simplicity and modesty of his life, the amazing order in the disposal of church property amounted to very significant sums to help the poor and sick. He not only preserved and improved the hospital that had existed for a long time in Constantinople, but also founded many others, which he entrusted to the supervision of four priests, known for their piety, under whose supervision were doctors and ministers, people also known to the saint himself for their good behavior, prudence, zeal and goodwill towards the unfortunate 279. Taking an active part in the unfortunate sufferers, he himself often visited them. He always saw in them the suffering Christ Himself; persuaded them to endure their suffering with patience and submission to the will of God, pointing to the goodness of God, which, if it allows us to endure any sorrows, is actually for our spiritual benefit, in order to give us a means by humble patience of sorrows to earn a more brilliant crown. And he always urged his listeners not to ignore the sick; He disposed them to help the unfortunate, and even wanted each one to take into his care at least one sick person. With what force, in one of his conversations on the Acts of the Apostles, he tries to instill in his listeners zeal for works of mercy and especially for fulfilling the duty of love of hospitable people. He urges them to receive strangers with zeal and joy, to always have room ready to receive Christ when He comes in the person of the poor stranger; He will not reject her, no matter how small she is. Even if it were night, if a wanderer asked for shelter, refuge from the dark night and bad weather, he should not be refused, for fear of appearing cruel and inhuman at the court of Jesus Christ himself 280 . Love St. Chrysostom's love for the poor was so great that he turned all his wealth into their favor. From the history of his life it is clear that in one hungry year, due to the lack of his own property, he sold several church vessels to help the poor. For greater convenience in helping the poor, of whom there were more than fifty thousand in the city, he intended to gather them all in one place, and this assumption was just as successfully implemented in Constantinople as in St. Caesarea. Vasily. Although his good intentions were not all carried out, nevertheless, despite this, he managed to greatly alleviate the people’s misfortunes, partly with assistance from his own wealth, which consisted of his modest and unpretentious life, partly through the assistance of others, aroused to charity by the power of his eloquence and the example of his actions, filled with love for the unfortunate. He well understood the meaning and significance of the words of Jesus Christ: blessings of mercy, for they obtain mercy (Matt. 5, 7); since you have created one of these least of my brothers, you have created one for me (‒25, 40); and the words of the psalmist: blessed is he who considers the poor and wretched; on the day of cruelty the Lord will deliver him (Ps. 40:1). In the same year 398, having corrected the vices that darkened the honor of the virgins and altar servers, instilling in them modesty in actions and zeal for the affairs of their rank, qualities that make those belonging to these ranks pleasing to God and respectable in the eyes of people, St. Chrysostom made other changes, no less necessary, even very necessary in improving the condition of widows. From the very foundation of the Christian Church, a greater number of Christian virgins, in order to have more convenience in achieving the highest purity of Christian life, devoted themselves, through the vow of virginity, to special service to God. Widows who, after their first husband, did not want to enter into a second marriage, but wanted to spend the rest of their lives in serving God, were classified as virgins. Saint Ap. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, advises this zealous disciple of his to honor those who are in the rank of widows: honor widows who are true widows... Let a widow not be less than sixty years old, having been a wife to one husband: bearing witness to good deeds, having raised children to eat, having the minds of saints, having welcomed strangers, having given consolation to the sorrowful, and having followed every good deed to eat (1 Tim. 5:3, 9-10). These wives, due to their age, experience and proven good behavior, were able to benefit the Church; they entered into the state of widows dedicated to God with the same solemnity as virgins; They wore the same dress as the virgins, and the blessing was taught to them in the same terms. Of these, some were elected to deaconesses, whose duty was to teach the dogmas of the faith to newly enlightened wives and sometimes serve during baptism. They also visited confessors and martyrs imprisoned in prison, ministered to the sick, gave alms to the poor, received and served strangers, and generally practiced all deeds of piety and love. According to their condition and vows, they were under the protection and control of the Church, which used great care in electing them. The title of widow was common everywhere in the fourth century, but it was especially numerous in Constantinople. But, as often happens, as a result of human weakness, and even more often from negligence and temptation by worldly goods, no small relaxation and abuse crept into their societies: many did not live in accordance with the vows of the title to which they dedicated themselves. Zeal and piety of St. Chrysostom was not slow to come to the rescue here and provide decent medicine for the disease. He, having shown them the inconsistency of their behavior with their rank and the depravity of their morals, strongly urged them to live in feats of repentance, spend time in unceasing prayer, abstinence, fasting, observe simplicity in clothing, and flee the world and its unclean pleasures. He affirmed some who lived according to their rank in patience and unwavering persistence in the feat undertaken; He advised others to better get married, so that their corrupt morals, or at least incorrect and suspicious behavior, would not give them an opportunity to slander the Christian faith itself and blaspheme the name of the Lord. Even before the presbytery of St. Chrysostom wrote two teachings to a young widow, which remained as a precious monument to the fiery zeal of this holy shepherd, in which very edifying opinions and very useful rules were expressed. And in other cases, he convinced widows to remain unwavering in the holy resolution that they had taken upon themselves in the face of the invisible God. And his voice, his writings, his advice and example of a holy life inspired in these godly women a new zeal for works of piety. Supported by their shepherd, they lived an angelic life on earth, completely devoting themselves to piety and Christian love. But between them the holy Olympias shone with the predominant light of virtues. This holy woman, the adornment of the widows of the Eastern Church, came from one of the famous families and was surrounded by all the blessings of the earth. The Lord prepared her from childhood with various trials. Born in 368, she remained an orphan from a very tender age. Procopius, her uncle, was like a father to her. Her upbringing was entrusted to Theodosia, sister of Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, the most perfect example of piety. Olympias learned from her to know and love God with all her heart and to serve Him with humility and unwavering devotion. She was still in her very youth when she was betrothed to a young man, the chief steward of the royal estates of Theodosius the Great and prefect of Constantinople. But her fiancé died a few months later. Having freed herself from the bonds that she had imposed on herself more out of obedience than out of inclination, and having accepted this circumstance as God’s decree, she no longer wanted to have another groom, but decided to devote herself entirely to the one heavenly Bridegroom in a virgin and chaste life, dedicating herself to serving the poor and sick. But her firm determination to belong to the one heavenly Bridegroom required many preliminary sacrifices from her. Soon after the death of her fiancé, although many of the nobles of the state and court wanted to marry her; however, it was not difficult for Olympias to free herself from their proposals and persecutions. But it was not so easy for her to resist her intention when Emperor Theodosius the Great invited her to unite in marriage with his close relative, named Elpidius. Olympias replied that Providence had not assigned her married life; and that if God had called her to this life, He would have saved the first groom for her, but since death stole him, of course, not without the will of the One who gave life, she firmly decided to devote herself to the one God. But Theodosius, prompted by Elpidius, wanted to force the consent of the young widow by force and his dignity, and for this purpose he took away from her the right to dispose of her estates and transferred them to the management of the prefect of Constantinople. This, in order to please Elpidius, carried out the order of the emperor with greater severity than was due. He deprived Olympias not only of all participation in the management of her own estate, but even restricted her personal freedom, forbidding her to have any communication with bishops and priests; he finally extended his insolence to the point of forbidding her to go to church and leave Constantinople, hoping with such oppression to tire and weaken her patience, and thus force her to agree to Theodosius’s proposal. But in reality this is not what happened: St. Olympias accepted the emperor’s decision not only without grumbling, but also with gratitude for the fact that he had relieved her of worries and worries about her property, and even asked him to show her even greater mercy, ordering her to sell all her property and distribute it to the poor. After this, Theodosius, convinced of her true piety, did not want to bother her anymore with his claims, but allowed her to live and dispose of her property according to her own good will. Having received such freedom, Olympias breathed more freely, completely devoting herself to matters of piety and self-mortification. Palladium, in its history, exhibits the Olympics in all its perfection. He says that her simplicity and modesty were as great as the celebrity of her family; she constantly practiced prayer and always kept a strict fast; she never went to the bathhouse or ate meat, and spent most of the night in prayer and contrition for her sins. Her meekness and love made her accessible to everyone, and she was especially attentive to the weak, whom she always looked upon as her children. St. Chrysostom compared her abundant alms to a vast river, which, flowing to the end of the earth, surpassed the ocean itself in the abundance of its waters. The most remote cities, the most secluded islands and deserts, all experienced the effects of her generous charity; the needy churches, no matter where they were, all had no small part in the division of her estates. She possessed extraordinary wealth and her life, doomed to feats of self-mortification, gave her the opportunity to devote it all entirely to the Lord. She expressed devotion to the will of God in everything, was humble in all her actions, friendly in her dealings with others, filled with love and compassion for the misfortunes of those suffering: such was the Olympics! using the advice and favor of Patriarch Nektarios and St. Chrysostom, she herself served a lot to console them with her good character and wealth, helping many in their needs, according to their purpose. Being at the head of a large society of widows, she established order between them with her advice, and together edified them by the example of her life. God prepared her in solitude to endure the sorrows that she had to endure for her faith along with the one whom Providence gave her as a leader, and whom she honored as a shepherd and father. Delving into all the circumstances of the life of his clergy and other classes dedicated to serving God, and tirelessly engaged in their transformation, St. At the same time, Chrysostom did not lose sight of his responsibilities towards the many other believers entrusted to his care. Too far from those shepherds who prefer their own well-being and peace of mind to the glory of God and the salvation of souls, he was never afraid to express the truth directly. Like the Apostle, he was everything, father, teacher, doctor and shepherd for everyone, he served everyone without distinction, regardless of person: rich and poor, great and small, learned and ignorant, they all occupied the same place in his heart. All his words and actions were always guided by the desire for the glory of God and the Holy Spirit. Church, and spiritual benefit to believers. The court rarely saw him; he came there only for church needs. At the first meeting with Emperor Arcadius and Empress Eudoxia, he gave them saving advice, spoke to them about the kingdom of heaven and the need for achievements of piety to achieve it. The great, rich and imperial high ranks were also not forgotten by St. shepherd; he often urged them not to get carried away by vanity and pride, reminded them of their duty to break away from attachment to wealth and give alms to the poor with a generous hand. With all his care, trying to instill in both the poor and the rich the need for public and private prayer, he tried with special force to convince them of the great importance of night prayer, as the main means of removing the soul from everything earthly and leading it to angelic life in a mortal body. “Believe me,” says St. Chrysostom, it is not so much fire that usually cleanses away rust, as night prayer that cleanses away the rust of our sins. Let us be ashamed, at least, of the night guards, if we are not ashamed of anyone else. In fulfillment of human law, they walk with a loud cry at night during the cold, and walk along the streets, often wet and frozen; they go for you, for your safety and to save your money. The guardian is so concerned about your money; and you do not care about your soul. I do not force you to walk in the open air like him, nor to shout loudly, nor to strain yourself; but at home, in the bedroom itself, kneel and call on your Master. Why did Christ Himself spend nights on the mountain? Is it not to be an example for us? Then, that is, at night, the plants come to life; then the soul, more than it, receives the dew of grace. What is scorched by the sun during the day is cooled at night. More than any dew, night tears extinguish lust, passion and heat, and prevent vicious passions. If the soul does not receive this dew, then during the day it will be scorched. May none of you be scorched by this fire. But may God cool and delight us with His love for mankind, so that we may all be freed from the burden of sins by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ” 281. St. Chrysostom cared not only about destroying the power of the devil, but also about recreating the house of God; - not only about clearing the field of chaff, but also about sowing it with the seeds of Christian virtues; He was not content with rejecting vices and various disorders, but also tried to recreate Christian zeal and self-improvement through feats of faith and piety on their ruins. In order to establish among the people zeal for day-night prayers, of which he himself was the best example, for visiting prisons, for helping the poor, he established in Constantinople, as he did in Antioch, the reading of psalms in the church, the singing of sacred songs in homes, in workshops and among field work. “Nothing,” he says when explaining the 41st Psalm, “excites and inspires the soul so much, nothing with such force tears it away from the earth and releases it from the bonds of the flesh, nothing disposes it so much to wisdom and elevates it above everything worldly, like a harmonious verse and a sacred song composed according to the law of rhyme. Our nature is so delighted by chants and poetry, it has such an affinity with them that even infants, if they cry and become restless, are put to sleep by them. The nurses, carrying them in their arms, walk back and forth, and, singing children's songs to them, soothe their restless crying. Often, in the same way, travelers riding on livestock on hot afternoons sing, and by singing they ease the burden of travel. Similarly, farmers, whether squeezing juice from grape clusters or doing anything else, usually sing. And sailors, working with oars, do the same. Finally, when the women are weaving, or the threads tangled in the mill are sorted out with a shuttle, sometimes each separately, sometimes all in one voice, they sing some kind of song. Nevertheless, women, travelers, farmers, and sailors do this in order to sweeten their labors with singing: since the soul, with the sounds of poetry and songs, can more easily endure everything - both boredom and labor. So, since this type of amusement is so akin to our soul, God, in order to prevent the seducer from corrupting people by inspiring them with lewd songs, established psalms, the nature of which is such that a person receives both pleasure and benefit from them. From worldly songs there is a lot of harm, corruption and other evils: for everything that is bad and immoral in them, penetrating into the soul, weakens it and corrupts it. On the contrary, spiritual songs provide great benefit and edification: they are sources of sanctification, guides to wisdom; because the words in them cleanse the soul, and the Holy Spirit descends into the souls of those who sing them: for those who sing psalms with consciousness really call upon themselves His grace. Ap testifies to this. Paul says this: do not get drunk with wine, for there is fornication in it; but rather be filled with the Spirit; to explain the way to be filled with the Spirit, he adds: swallowing to yourself in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, chanting and singing in your hearts to the Lord (Eph. 5:18.19). I said: with consciousness, not so, that is, so that while the lips pronounce the psalm, the mind wanders to external objects, but so that the whole soul listens to what the tongue says. Where there is a lot of uncleanness, unclean animals also flock there; likewise, where there are flowers and fragrances, bees flock there. In the same way, where shameful songs are sung, demons also flock there: on the contrary, where spiritual songs are proclaimed, the grace of the Holy Spirit descends there, which sanctifies both the lips and souls of those who sing. I say this not only to encourage you to sing psalmody, but so that you teach your children and wives to sing spiritual songs, not only during homework, but especially at meals 282. The pious zeal of St. Chrysostom's inducing the people to frequently repeat spiritual songs was crowned with complete success; the singing of psalms took the place of secular songs, and the inhabitants of Constantinople very often sanctified their lips by singing psalms. St. Chrysostom, moved by sincere zeal to support faith, zeal and piety in the flock entrusted to his care, no less successfully proposed another means; he encouraged them to call upon saints in prayer, to visit churches dedicated to their name, and to zealously venerate the holy relics. The royal city of Constantinople was rich in the precious relics of St. martyrs and other saints of God. St. Chrysostom called them imperishable monuments of virtue, a treasury and an insurmountable fence of cities, a horror for demons and an inexhaustible source of joy and heavenly blessings. The people of Constantinople, faithful to the voice of their shepherd, aroused by his living faith and true piety, always reverently revered the places consecrated by the presence of the holy remains of the martyrs. Whether thunderstorms frightened people, torrential rains and extreme drought devastated gardens and fields, or earthquakes threatened to overthrow cities, or general famine, pestilence and barbarian raids put them in danger of ultimate destruction: everyone ran to these revered sanctuaries, hoping to find safe refuge in them. In these circumstances, St. The bishop usually instituted public prayer services with a procession of the cross, with a large crowd gathering, to the tombs of the deceased saints. In such cases, the whole city began to move, sometimes they swam across the Bosphorus to perform a prayer service in the church of St. Apostle Peter and Paul, built on the other side of the strait. But the most remarkable celebration of this kind took place in 398, on the occasion of the transfer of the relics of many martyrs. This year, Constantinople was hit by a terrible earthquake, the likes of which the city had never experienced before. The sea was boiling, raising terrible waves; menacing clouds, covering the entire horizon with an impenetrable cover, spread deep darkness everywhere; dazzling lightning, with deafening peals of thunder, cut the air with its fiery arrows in all directions; all buildings and walls in all parts of the city were destroyed noisily by the strong shaking; Frightened residents abandoned their homes and treasures, fleeing from the threatening death. The devastation caused by this earthquake was so great that Saint Chrysostom, after several days, mourned the disaster of the people, calling the earthquake a terrible destruction of the people's well-being. Whether it was this terrible incident that gave Empress Eudoxia the idea of ​​appeasing the righteous anger of God by solemnly transferring the holy relics of the martyrs, or whether she, driven by piety, wanted to honor them with a special celebration and place them in the most magnificent of churches, only the holy relics were transferred from the Great Church, located in the center of the city, to the church of St. Ap. Thomas, created on the opposite shore of the sea and nine miles from Constantinople. This transfer of the relics took place in the month of September with extreme splendor, with a large crowd of people, and, what is especially surprising, it was done at night. After the all-night vigil of St. the shepherd, accompanied by the clergy and a large congregation of people, went to the church, called the Great, for the relics of the saints, and from there they headed to the church of St. Ap. Thomas, and Queen Eudoxia was also present at this transfer. This is how St. himself describes it. Chrysostom is a magnificent and touching procession in his word, spoken after the bringing of the holy relics to the appointed church. “The wives, usually sitting in their inner palaces, leaving their hidden churches, were not inferior in jealousy to the strongest husbands and walked a long distance (ten stages); and this was done not only by the young, but also by the elderly, so that neither the weakness of their nature, nor the delicacy of their lifestyle, nor the arrogance of celebrity hindered their zeal. Next came the chiefs, and they, leaving their chariots, lictors and squires, intervened in the crowd of commoners. But what am I saying about wives and bosses? The queen herself, adorned with a diadem and clothed in purple, did not lag behind the relics throughout the entire journey; but like a slave she followed the holy remains, adhering to the shrine and the cover reclining on it, trampling all human pride and appearing to all the people in the midst of such a spectacle - one that not everyone can see even the eunuchs living at the royal court. But her great disposition and fiery love for the martyrs forced her to reject all these embellishments and, with visible zeal, reveal jealousy for the holy martyrs” 283. Drawing attention to the large number of people, he says: “It was as if some new sea had overflowed from the city itself to this place - a sea not tossed by waves, not threatening shipwreck, not having pitfalls, a sea with water sweeter than any honey and more fit for drinking than any other water. He who calls this sea a river of fire will not be mistaken. Truly, throughout the night, the lamps in great abundance and continuously throughout the entire path, even spread to this very church, represented the appearance of a river of fire” 284. Having placed the holy relics on the altar, St. Chrysostom, intoxicated with joy, exclaimed from the height of the sacred pulpit: “What should I say and what should I talk about? I am completely filled with joy, I am in a frenzy, but much better than a calm state; I fly, rejoice and rush around in admiration; I am completely intoxicated with this spiritual joy. So, what to say and what to talk about? Is it about the strength of martyrs? Is it about the city's diligence? Is it about the queen's jealousy? Is it about the gathering of bosses? Is it about the shame of the devil and the defeat of demons? Is it about the triumph of the Church? Is it about the power of the cross? Whether about the miracles of the Crucified One, about the glory of the Father, or about the grace of St. Spirit? Is it about the joy of all the people and the joy of the city? Is it about the council of monks, the faces of virgins and the ranks of priests? Are you talking about the multitude of secular people, slaves, freemen, bosses, subordinates, poor people, rich people, foreigners, local citizens? Truly it is fitting now to say: whoever speaks of the mighty powers of the Lord, all His praises will be heard” (Ps. 105:2) 285 ... “That is why I play and fly for joy, because you made the desert a city, leaving the city empty, because you have now shown us the riches of the Church. Look: how many sheep, and not a single wolf! There are so many grapes and no thorns" 286. After this, having shown all the greatness of this triumph, he indicates the reason for it, which was in the cancer, “which contained not stone tablets, like the ancient ark, before which the purple-bearing David jumped and galloped, but spiritual tablets, prosperous grace, a radiant gift and bones, with a radiance not only not inferior to the rays of the sun, but also a much brighter brilliance emitting. For, looking at the rays of the sun, demons do not tolerate anything; on the contrary, not tolerating the light emanating from the relics, they are blinded, take flight and leave. Such is the power of the very dust of the saints! She does not stop inside - just in the relics, but goes further, drives away unclean forces and abundantly sanctifies those who approach them with faith” 287. But the celebration did not end with this one day; the next day Emperor Arkady arrived there with all the court officials and troops. The word spoken on this occasion by St. Chrysostom began with these words: “Blessed be God! how great are the forces of the martyrs! Yesterday they attracted the whole city to us and the empress, and now the emperor with an army and with great piety, not with fetters, but with bonds of love that can never be broken. For, in truth, what is surprising is not that the emperor came, but that he came with great zeal, not out of need, but out of desire, not to distribute favors, but to receive them. The one who benefits everyone in the state came, wanting to accept the benefits from these saints and receive great benefit for himself. Therefore, he himself, putting aside his diadem, and all his companions, throwing away their shields and spears, abandoning all pomp, came with a humble spirit, as if they had come from earth to heaven, where there is no place for honors, fame, or all the multitude of virtues, and where only examples of life and the fruits of virtue shine." 288 After this introduction and praise to the emperor, St. Chrysostom, showing the superiority of the glory and bliss of St. martyrs, which they enjoy in heaven, in comparison with the sufferings they endured on earth, convinces listeners not to lose heart when meeting sorrows in this life, especially since they always serve as a means of turning our hearts away from attachment to earthly things and elevating our thoughts to heavenly things. “Since many,” he says, serving the flesh and being under the dominion of worldly cares, willingly indulge in them, God, ending their attachment to them, combined with pleasures many sorrows, fears, worries, anxieties, sorrows, dangers, fears, bodily illnesses, temptations of the flesh and much more that cannot be expressed in any word; so that, at least, having feared the multitude of such evils, they would desire to hasten to a serene refuge and enjoy constant calm, in which evil is not mixed with good” 289. In conclusion, he says that even now it is possible to achieve the same glory as the martyrs. “For although there are no more blazing fires now, there are lusts stronger than fire. Although there are no teeth of beasts, there is anger, more terrible than the beast. Although executioners do not surround us and do not torment our bodies; but there is envy that torments the soul more powerfully than any executioner. Therefore, we must spend our present life, arming ourselves against these passions and opposing them with the power of wise thoughts, we must always be ready to fight against them, in order to receive an unfading crown for short-term deeds and enjoy eternal blessings - to have time with the Lord” 290. Thus passed the first year of the bishopric of St. Chrysostom. His zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls did not weaken. Like a good farmer in the vineyard of the Lord, he cultivated it with all possible diligence, sparing neither labor nor sweat, just to bring abundant fruit to the Master of the House. Thus, called by the Lord of the vineyard almost at the last hour, he managed to do, so to speak, in a few minutes, as much as others had not done in several years. This is how we saw him in the first year, and this is how he was in the following years, always equally zealous for the education and sanctification of his flock, constantly preaching the word of salvation, directing the actions of his clergy, supporting and strengthening weakened monks, virgins and widows, comforting the mourning, visiting the sick, helping the poor, pursuing vices, limiting excesses, reverently honoring the faith of Christ and the Church, strengthening it dogmas, protecting the sanctity of its moral rules from the cunning attacks of depraved heretics, arranging, re-creating the people with their conversations. But let us leave his pastoral affairs for now, and look at him in the special and extraordinary events that surrounded him in subsequent years. Just as a flame rises, grows and strengthens in its power the more it receives combustible substances for its nutrition, so the apostolic zeal always kindles and grows with the obstacles encountered and the greatness of the sacrifices that it must make for the glory of God and the salvation of others. A man with apostolic zeal, the more he has done, the more he desires to do; and since he borrows his strength from God, he does it with zeal not only when he sees success in business, but even when faced with obstacles, he does not become discouraged and does not weaken in his zeal for the work. Just as a stream always flows, even if no one draws water from it, so a spiritual shepherd, warmed by fiery love for his neighbors, does not cease to care about the salvation of his flock, despite the barrenness of the soil he cultivates. No matter how great the affection of St. Chrysostom to Constantinople, but he did not forget his beloved Antioch. The living faith and true piety of its inhabitants were always inherent in his consciousness; he also never forgot about the excellent qualities of its pious bishop Flavian. Wanting to testify to the affection and love he had for Antioch and its bishop, he tried with all his might to put an end to the disagreements that arose not only between the faithful of this church, but even between the Egyptian and Western bishops, because of Meletius and Paulinus, whom Flavian succeeded. But in order to have greater success in this difficult task, he asked Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, to assist him in reconciling the Roman bishop with Flavian. And as soon as this was established, the Beria bishop Akakios and Isidore were immediately elected for this purpose, because of whom Theophilus opposed the ordination of John. Arriving in Rome and completing the embassy in accordance with their wishes, they sailed from there to Egypt, and from Egypt Acacius went to Syria and from the Egyptian and Western priests distributed letters of conciliation to those who sided with Flavian 291. Thus, the churches, although not soon, were finally freed from this discord and came into communion with each other, and this benefit was primarily due to the pious zeal and love of St. Chrysostom. Having successfully completed this work, he took up the affairs of the Thracian churches and various regions of Pontus. The year 398, according to the prediction of pagan oracles, was supposed to be fatal for the Christian faith. The pagans, seeing that the Christian faith, despite the opposition of strong sovereigns, the objections and tricks of philosophers, with all the terrible persecutions that shed abundant streams of blood through cities and villages, was spreading to the last limits of the earth, to the detriment of previous beliefs, they were surprised; but the miraculous spread of Christianity was not attributed to Divine power, but to the cunning and some magical power of the distributors, and in accordance with this conviction, their oracles claimed that the leader and founder of this religion approved it only for 365 years, after which Christianity should cease. These 365 years, counting from the beginning of Peter's confession, ended in 398. The pagans who remained in the empire (and there were still a lot of them, despite the royal laws that prohibited sacrifices and ordered the destruction of temples) lived in constant anticipation of the fulfillment of these predictions. They even began to talk about the coming time for the fulfillment of the predictions, and as a result of this they began to worry and raise their heads. But this unrest of the pagans produced only the fact that the emperors Arcadius and Honorius issued new laws against idolatry. The first issued a decree that ordered the destruction of pagan temples in all surrounding villages; another issued the same decree, but ordered only to preserve temples in cities as monuments of antiquity. St. Chrysostom was not slow to use these laws to destroy paganism and spread Christianity. - Having learned that some nomadic Scythians who settled near Istra thirsted for salvation, but had no one who would bring them the living water of true teaching, he found men with zeal for the apostolic labors and sent them to the Scythians. Those sent had the desired success in converting those wandering in the darkness of ignorance about the Divine truths of salvation to the true faith. With the assistance of the royal decree, he expelled from the surrounding villages of the city of Cyrus those who were spreading the errors of Marcion there, and thus gave the opportunity to grow the seeds of true teaching, not embarrassed by the thorns of heretical errors 292. Having also learned that in Phenicia there were still madmen serving demons, he gathered ascetics who were flaming with Divine zeal and, having authorized them by royal decrees, sent them to destroy the idolatrous churches, along with this, to carry out this work, he gave them artisans and workers who were hired with money donated by reverent and rich wives 293 . And as soon as the zealous servants of the divine glory arrived at the place, immediately the idolatrous temples and forests, which served as a repository for superstitions and various unclean pagan rites, fell under their blows, and the pagans, convinced from this of the falsity of the oracles’ predictions about the restoration of paganism, turned to Christianity in large numbers. While the missionaries were converting the Scythians and Phoenician pagans, St. Chrysostom took care of bringing the Goths, who had previously been confessors of the true teaching, to the Orthodox faith, but then, during the reign of Valens, through the cunning mediation of Eudoxius, the former bishop of Constantinople, they fell into Arianism 294. Although St. Chrysostom himself did not know the language of these peoples, but his prudent zeal found a means to admonish them. Having dedicated elders, deacons and readers of the Holy Scriptures of his kindred, he gave them one church dedicated to the name of St. Apostle Paul. The Goths, who lived in large numbers in the city and outside it, often visited this church, and the priests appointed by St. Chrysostom, they preached to them the true teaching of the Orthodox Church and through this they turned away many from their errors. The holy shepherd himself was often present at their teachings, with his presence giving greater firmness to the teaching, and sometimes he himself talked with them through skillful translators 295. But this great archpastor, attracting pagans and heretics in large numbers to the true faith, did not stop his eloquent and saving conversations with the residents of Constantinople. Many people flocked to him every day, partly to listen to him with edification, and partly to test him. He addressed everyone and, regarding the Divinity, convinced everyone to confess the same thing with themselves. The people were so thirsty for his speeches and so could not get enough of his conversation that when, going out into the middle of the crowd, he sat down on the pulpit of the reader and began to teach, the listeners pushed and crowded each other, wanting to move forward and get closer to him in order to hear his conversation more clearly. Thus, this great teacher, surrounded by thousands of listeners, explained the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and always spoke with such pleasant and delightful eloquence, with such irresistible persuasiveness and with such warmth of feeling that often deafening exclamations and applause interrupted his conversation for a long time. One extraordinary and, in truth, miraculous event that took place in the church served to confirm his teaching, to the shame of heretics and to confirm the true believers in the true faith. There were a lot of followers of various heresies in Constantinople. Arians, Anomeans, Marcionites, Manichaeans, Macedonians, all had their representatives here. S. Chrysostom, explaining some passage from St. Scripture, every time, taking advantage of the opportunity presented itself, always drew conclusions to confirm the Orthodox teaching and to expose any heresy. Through his conversations, many of those who had erred in their concepts of the true faith were brought to their senses, and one of these converts included one person who adhered to the Macedonian heresy. This one, having opened his eyes to the light of true teaching and convinced of the complete absurdity of the heretical, convinced his wife to be of one mind with himself, wanting to make her a participant in that high good that all true sons of the Church were awarded through the sacrament of communion. But the wife, restrained partly by habit and partly by the advice of other women, remained adamant in her error. The husband, seeing that all his efforts remained useless, that neither advice, nor persuasion, nor the good examples of the faithful, nor his entreaties, nor anything had any effect on her, decided to use a threat. He told her: if you do not partake of the Divine mysteries with me, then you will no longer be my wife. But this depraved woman, trying with all her might to avoid a divorce from her husband, and at the same time wanting to remain in her previous error, promised him to fulfill everything he demanded, and even seemed completely convinced. But she soon became convinced of how God exposes pretense and how omnipotent His right hand is. At one time, being together with her maid in the Church, she was forced, along with other faithful believers, to accept part of St. Christ's mysteries. But, not wanting to use it for her own sanctification, she, by prior agreement with the maid, bending down as if to pray, gave this part to the maid, and took simple bread from her. But as soon as she put this bread in her mouth, it immediately turned into stone. Frightened by this extraordinary miracle and fearing to incur even greater punishment from God’s justice for her wickedness, she immediately came to the archbishop, and, falling on her knees before him, with tears in her eyes, told him about her sin and the miracle that had taken place, and at the same time gave him this extraordinary stone. He retained bite marks on himself, was of an unknown substance and had some unusual color. This stone, as evidence of the miracle that had taken place, was kept for a long time in the church of Constantinople 297. Arkady, who ruled the eastern part of the empire, although he inherited from his father a penchant for piety, did not inherit from him the spiritual gifts necessary for a sovereign. For all the efforts of Theodosius, neither diligent training nor the examples of the great men who surrounded Arkady’s adolescence were strong enough to inspire in him the qualities necessary to rule the great empire. He had neither a bright mind, nor the ability to reason correctly, nor firmness of will, nor could he act prudently, nor take advantage of the advice of others in order to follow them with constancy. But his appearance was such that it could not cover up any internal shortcomings. He was small in stature, lean in body, had an emaciated and dark face, a trembling voice, half-asleep and barely open eyes, in general, everything about him exposed the weakness of his soul. History attributes to him only these virtues: meekness and zeal for the good of the Church; but even these qualities, so precious in a sovereign, were often perverted by ministers and court eunuchs, often directing them to the detriment of the Church. But Arkady was especially controlled by one of the eunuchs closest to the king, a man who served with slavish submission to greed and ambition, using flattery and blasphemy as means to satisfy them. This man was Eutropius. He, born in Armenia, was sold and resold many times as a slave, but finally, at the request of a military dignitary, he took a place among the last eunuchs of the court. With his helpfulness and resourcefulness, he attracted the attention of Emperor Theodosius and was awarded some confidence from him. After the death of Theodosius, he greatly gained favor with Arkady, and often directed his actions according to his calculations. Rufinus, who was then a minister, intended to marry his daughter to the emperor. But Eutropius destroyed this assumption, and, according to his calculations, persuaded Arcadius to marry Eudoxia, the daughter of a famous consul. After the death of Rufinus, Eutropius, with the assistance of Eudoxia, acquired honors, gradually and soon acquired the titles of chamberlain, minister and finally consul and patrician - titles that no one had previously received from the eunuchs 298. But to achieve this height of honor, Eutropius did not neglect any means, no matter how low and illegal they were. Having become through his flattery the main mover of the will of the weak emperor, he, using the acquired power, alienated from the sovereign everyone who, with their merits, could cast at least a faint shadow on his ambition. Driven by passions, he overthrew some from their positions, raised the tsar's displeasure against others, and exiled others; He finally reached such shamelessness that he exiled his benefactor, who had contributed to his rise, and turned his estates to his own benefit. His insolence increased every day, as his power increased, and soon reached the point that his covetousness and various atrocities knew no bounds. He sold the highest public positions, raised and overthrew at will from lower positions, tried to humiliate the noble ones, whom he despised. In his eyes, dignity was a crime; during his reign men of great ability and virtue were persecuted to the extreme, and the deserts of Libya were filled with many famous exiles. But of all those who enjoyed respect at court, no one overshadowed him with his merits as much as Timasius, a military leader famous for his merits. The ambitious and proud eunuch decided to destroy him, and successfully achieved his criminal intention. The unfortunate victim of a temporary worker - Timasius was slandered for encroaching on royal power, and after this he was condemned to eternal imprisonment in the Egyptian deserts and died there in an unfortunate manner 299. The son disappeared to an unknown location. His wife Plantation, wanting to hide from the persecution and revenge of Europius, fled to the church, where there were already many noble persons hiding from the ferocity of this barbarian. The churches at that time were the safest refuge, always open to those persecuted by the severity of justice or the vindictiveness of proud rulers. With one law, Theodosius declared that those who hid not only in the church, but also in buildings belonging to both the church and the bishop, would remain in complete safety. The Church, always attentive to the welfare of its children, preserved this law in all its severity. And this law about concealment in the church was necessary in barbarian times; for the weak and poor could only find protection for themselves from the oppression of the rich and the persecution of the powerful of the earth through the patronage of the Church. But the purpose of this law was not to protect criminals from the persecution of justice, or to reduce the importance of laws and authorities, but to give refuge to the innocent, unjustly accused, time for judges to sensibly discuss the circumstances of the case, sometimes very confused and difficult, and for bishops the opportunity to intercede for the innocently persecuted. But this law, beneficial for the innocent, was very unfavorable for the malicious intentions of the eunuch Eutropius, and therefore, in order to have a greater opportunity to satisfy the brutal vindictiveness of his character, he convinced Arcadius to repeal this law and replace it with a new one, allowing all criminals to be removed from everywhere, even from the church 300. And this law was issued in 398. Having gained through this the opportunity to execute everyone who seemed to be enemies of his ambition, Eutropius terrified everyone with his atrocities; everyone slavishly bowed before him, everyone trembled at him. But this unfortunate one, forgetting God and the vicissitudes of earthly happiness, strove to possess everything and everyone, not thinking that his end was already close, that God’s Justice was already preparing a worthy reward for him, that by stealing from the innocently persecuted the saving refuge in the church, he deprived himself of the means of salvation in a time of misfortune. He was soon accused of insulting the king's wife 301 and, fleeing from a well-deserved execution, hid in the church. While he lay before the altar and trembled with fear, St. Chrysostom, ascending to the pulpit, uttered an accusatory word against him 302, in which he exposed the vanity of strong people and showed the vanity of all honors and earthly greatness. At the same time, it happened that the commander of the army located in Phrygia, Trebigald, in the spring of 398, caused a great disturbance there, so that many tribes began to fall away from Arcadius. Gaina, the leader of the Roman infantry and cavalry, intending to become an independent ruler, asked the emperor for permission to go there to pacify Trebigald 303. Arkady, suspecting nothing, agreed to this. Gaina, taking advantage of this opportunity, wanted to destroy Eutropius, who with his arrogance had insulted his pride, and therefore wrote to the king that Trebigald could be brought to obedience only when the main culprit of all evils, the eunuch Eutropius, was handed over to him. Arcadius, hearing this, deprived Eutropius of all his virtues and, removing him from the church, sent him to the island of Cyprus, on February 26, 399, from where, a little later, he was taken and beheaded. But as soon as the popular unrest caused by the fall of the mighty and terrible temporary worker subsided, new circumstances opened up that threatened the indignation of the Church, the overthrow of Constantinople, and the entire empire, in which the amazing zeal, art, character and strength of the soul of St. Chrysostom, and the respect that he inspired in everyone, even his enemies, with his virtues. The sudden fall and shameful death of Eutropius did not yet satisfy the cunning and evil Gaina. This arrogant barbarian, in blinded conceit, considered himself destined to occupy the highest positions of the empire. But deceived in his ambitious hopes, he, for the imaginary injustice towards him and inattention to his merits, decided to take revenge on the emperor, humiliate him, letting him feel his power, and destroy those unbearable personalities for him, about whom he had reason to complain for something, or who, with their high merits, made him invisible, placing him, as it were, in the shadows. Moved by such destructive passions, and having at his disposal numerous regiments of barbarians, he came to Phrygia; and there, with the assistance of Trebigald, he began to destroy everything, putting all cities and villages to fire and sword. The Romans, seeing the numerous hordes of barbarians, were horrified, imagining the imminent danger that threatened the rich eastern regions. In such circumstances, the king, not finding sufficient strength in himself to repel the terrible enemy, on the advice of experienced and well-intentioned nobles, sent ambassadors to him, expressing his readiness to serve him in word and deed. When Gaina demanded hostages of the two leading senators invested with consular dignity, Saturninus and Aurelian, in whom he saw opponents to his aspirations, the king, yielding to necessity, involuntarily handed them over. And these men, having decided to sacrifice their lives for the common good, willingly submitted to the will of the king: they went far beyond Chalcedon and, prepared to endure whatever the barbarian wanted, met him in a place called the Hippodrome. However, Gaina did not do them any harm, 304 only ordering them to be kept under the strictest supervision. But Gaina was not satisfied with this; he demanded that the emperor himself come to him for personal negotiations on peace terms. No matter how insulting such a demand was for the honor of the Roman emperor, the son of the great Theodosius, yielding to necessity, found himself forced to negotiate with the indignant military leader: Chalcedon was appointed as the meeting place, where Gaina and Arkady arrived. Entering the church where the relics of St. Martyrs Euphemia, both - the king and the barbarian - swore an oath to each other that they would not plot one against the other. As a result of this agreement, Gaina, having received from the king the power to control the cavalry and infantry, could again safely enter Constantinople. Soon after this negotiation, Gaina, as an Arian, asked the king that his fellow believers be given one of the churches in the city; for it is unfair, he said with annoyance, and in every way indecent for him, a Roman military leader, to travel outside the city walls to pray. This demand led to great difficulty for Arkady. He, on the one hand, did not want to offend the true church by ceding the Orthodox church to an Arian, but on the other hand, he was afraid of irritating the terrible enemy by refusal; therefore, without rejecting his demands, he promised to think about it. Then, calling St. John, he announced to him about Gaina’s request, reminded him of his strength, hinted at the tyranny he had planned and convinced the bishop to curb the barbarian’s pride with a concession. But Chrysostom said: “Don’t make such a promise, sir, don’t order the saint to be given to the dogs. I will not allow those who confess and glorify God’s Word to be taken out of the Divine Church and handed it over to the blasphemers of Christ. And do not be afraid of this barbarian, sir, but, having called both of us - me and him, calmly listen to what will be said. I will curb his tongue and make him not demand what should not be given.” After hearing this, the king rejoiced. The next day St. John, taking the bishops who were at that time in the capital, came to the palace, and out loud to the king’s demand he answered that the king, who had chosen piety, should not offend the shrine. When he said that he also needed to have a house of prayer, the great John answered: every Divine church is open for you, and if you want to pray, no one stops you. But I, Gaina objected, belong to another society and with my accomplices I demand one church of God, I demand it very justly, because I performed many military feats for the Romans. “And the rewards you have received,” said John, are even greater than your labors; for you are both a military commander and honored with consular vestments. You should look at what you were before and what you have become now; what was the poverty before and what is the abundance now, what clothes you wore and what you wear now. So look at how small your labors are and how great your honors are, and do not be ungrateful to those who have honored you 306. He also reminded him that he swore to the king’s father to favor the Romans, and himself, and his children, and the laws, which he is now trying to make powerless. Saying this, he showed the decree issued by Theodosius, forbidding Gentiles to hold church meetings within the walls of the city. Then, turning his speech to the king, John convinced him to keep the established law regarding other heresies inviolable, and advised him better to renounce the reign than, having become a traitor to the house of God, to act wickedly 307. With such speeches, the universal teacher tied Gaina’s lips and forced him to remain silent. But the barbarian, offended by the refusal, was already planning to break his oath and destroy the city, and, having gathered an army in Thrace, carried out a lot of robberies and devastation there. Having learned about this, everyone lost heart - both superiors and subordinates, so that no one wanted to go to war against him or go to him as an envoy 308. Then, leaving all the timid ones, they began to convince St. Chrysostom, so that he would take over the embassy, ​​and he, not paying attention to either the former opposition or the enmity that arose from it, willingly went to Thrace. Gaina, having learned about the messenger and remembering his boldness in defense of piety, diligently met him from afar, put his hand to his eyes, and bent his children to his sacred knees. This is how virtue usually instills respect and fear in people who are hostile 309. Soon after this, the wrath of God began to pursue the treacherous barbarian. The king declared him an enemy of the empire, and Gaina, pressed by the people, pursued by the royal troops, wanted to flee. Leaving Thrace, he hastily went to Chersonesus and tried to cross the Hellespont. But even in this his hopes were not fulfilled; because here too the Romans used (says Sozomen) God’s help. Both on land and on the sea, the army sent by the king appeared. Having no ships, the barbarians tried to cross the Hellespont and reach the opposite shore on ferries; but suddenly a swift wind blew and tore the ferries apart with its force and drove them onto the Roman ships. Then most of the barbarians drowned along with their horses, and others were beaten by the army. Gaina escaped with a few, but was soon pursued throughout Thrace and, fleeing from persecution, met with another army and died with the barbarians who were with him. This was the end of Gaina's insolence and life 310. However, Gaina’s uprising, by the action of God’s grace, was not useless in relation to faith and piety. The fear that he brought to everyone, the danger that constantly threatened Constantinople and other cities, forced sinners to turn to themselves and think about their internal structure. Many pagans and heretics, turning to the true faith, accepted St. baptism, and the Orthodox, who cared little about their salvation, turned away from the sensual life and zealously devoted themselves to the saving feats of faith and Christian piety. From what we have said it is clear how many peaceful years the bishopric of St. Chrysostom were filled with worries, fear and worries. However, political incidents, invasions of barbarians and the constant fear they inspired, occupied him much less than concerns about churches, the preservation of decency and the removal of various abuses. According to the arrangement of affairs regarding virgins, widows and clergy, St. Chrysostom drew attention to the bishops of different churches that were dependent on the throne of Constantinople. Zealous for the glory of the Church, for the purity of this bride of Christ, he, just to protect her and keep her without blemish, used all the powers given to him by Providence: knowledge, power, great abilities of the mind and all the good qualities of the heart and will. Having a strong character, rising above all petty calculations that inspire vanity and people-pleasing, in all his actions he always had in mind only the glory of God, the benefit of the Church and the salvation of souls. He is alien to the reality of timidity and criminal evasion, which do so much harm to truth and virtue. He never reconciled himself to vice and disorder; but he always attacked them with all the force of pastoral zeal, although at the same time, with meekness and prudence, he pursued them wherever he saw them, without any partiality. When it came to the duties of his high service, he always had as a guide the words of Divine Scripture: if he were still pleasing to man, he would never be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). The case that opened in 400 regarding the bishops of Asia revealed in a new and greater light his zeal, his courage, his prudence, his saintly firmness and his love for the good of the Church. Having learned that churches in and around Asia are ruled by unworthy people, and that some, deceived by bribes and gifts, others by partiality, trade in sacred positions, St. John went to Ephesus. In this case, partly in Libya and Phrygia, partly in Asia itself, he deposed thirteen bishops and installed others in their place, and over the Church of Ephesus, where the bishop then died, he entrusted the bishopric to Heraclides, a native of Cyprian, a deacon from the monks of the monastery subordinate to himself, a disciple of the monk Evagrius. St. John also expelled Gerontius from the Nicomedia church - because he, whether he wanted to frighten someone, or, being seduced by demonic ghosts, said that, when he was a deacon under the Mediolan bishop Ambrose, he caught a ghost at night and, breaking its head, threw it under the mill. For such unworthy speeches of a servant of God, Ambrose ordered him to remain with himself for the time being and cleanse himself by repentance; but he, as an excellent doctor and a man with the gift of speaking and convincing and capable of making friends for himself, having laughed at Ambrose, went to Constantinople, and there, in a short time, having won the friendship of some powerful people at the court, he soon received the bishopric of Nicomedia. He was ordained by the Bishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia, Helladius, paying him for procuring a glorious military position at court for his son. Having learned about this, Ambrose wrote to the primate of the Church of Constantinople, Nektarios, asking him to take away the priesthood from Gerontius and not allow him to insult himself and the church bureaucracy. But for Nectarius, no matter how hard he tried, it was impossible; because the Nicomedians all strongly opposed him. Saint John, having deposed him, ordained Pansophius, who was the mentor of the king's wife, a pious man, modest and meek in disposition, who, however, did not like the Nicomedians, and therefore they at first did not want to accept him. But finally, forced by necessity, they sent one away crying, and received the other with fear and hatred. From that time on, the deposed and their friends began to accuse St. John, as if he was the cause of innovations in the churches, and as if, contrary to the laws of the fathers, he abolished fair ordinations. Being upset, they also condemned those actions of his, which, in the opinion of many, were worthy of praise 311. Hatred towards John increased even more on the next occasion. At the same time, there were two bishops in glory with him, Syrians by birth, Severian and Antiochus. Severian ruled the church in the Syrian city of Gabala, and Antiochus in the Phoenician Ptolemais. Antiochus once came to Constantinople, and here, for some time, diligently preaching in churches, he collected a lot of money and returned to his flock. Subsequently, having learned that Antiochus had made a great gathering in Constantinople, Severian wanted to imitate his example. Having worked for a long time and composed many teachings, he arrived in Constantinople and, accepted by St. John kindly gained fame with his sermons and became known to many nobles and the sovereign himself. And Severian skillfully took advantage of these circumstances to the detriment of the glory and prosperity of St. John. But one of the clergy of Constantinople, named Serapion, completely devoted to his bishop, reported to St. about all his machinations and ill-intentioned actions. Chrysostom, trying as much as possible to counteract Severian’s tricks. Soon after his return (in April 401) after a hundred-day absence, St. Chrysostom delivered a conversation in praise of his people, in which, among other things, he expressed his pleasure that he found his flock in the same condition in which he left it, when the Israelites committed a grave sin in the absence of Moses. He praised them for courageously resisting the Arians, and compared them to a good wife who, in the absence of her husband, indignantly rejects the unclean proposals of vicious people. After this St. Chrysostom, having heard that Severian uttered words contrary to the Orthodox teaching about the incarnation of the Son of God, expelled him from the city. Having learned about this, the empress ordered Severian to be returned from Chalcedon in Bithynia as soon as possible, and then she made every effort to reconcile him with St. John, and finally achieved this: they were reconciled, although only outwardly 312. Thus ended the fourth year of the bishopric of St. Chrysostom. If we began to judge by the concepts of the world, we could say that with this year his glory and power ended. But, in fact, he only ceased to be visibly present among his people; and his glory, on the contrary, increased through the persecution and countless slander of which he was the subject - and through the extreme suffering that he endured until the end of his episcopacy and his life for his pastoral zeal for the good of the Church and the observance of true piety. Whereas St. Chrysostom was completely devoted to the care of his flock and, aroused by his fiery zeal, sacrificed, to the point of self-forgetfulness, to the help and consolation of the poor and sick, to the defense of the Church, to the edification and salvation of the people, to his peace, his strength and his very life - a terrible storm of persecution and slander arose against him, excited by envy, supported by pride and developed by all passions human. In his life, the words of the God-inspired Apostle Paul were most palpably justified: all who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But the storm found him awake and not with relaxed strength. He had long been preparing to meet her through prayerful communication with God, mortification of feelings and daily deprivations, which taught him not only to renounce all things, but even to sacrifice life itself. He endured persecution with unshakable courage and firmness, like a true Christian, like a faithful disciple of Him who said: in the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). A student is not higher than a teacher, and a slave is not higher than his master... If the master of the house was called Beelzebub; how much more than his household (Matt. 10:24-25). But how did this storm happen, and who raised it, what were the reasons for it, who was the main driver of it, what circumstances accompanied it, and what consequences came from it? The lips are in a hurry to express all this, but the hand refuses to draw this sad event. However, the desire to contribute to the spread of Divine glory, which is always amazingly manifested in the actions of Divine Providence for the saints, the benefit of those souls who understand that the Lord loves them, punishes them, and the consolation that those who are also persecuted can derive from this incident, force one to overcome disgust and express in all detail what is painfully affecting the heart the first time. It was already about four years since St. Chrysostom occupied the see of Constantinople. This faithful gardener worked with all care and tireless vigilance in the vineyard entrusted to him by the Householder. And his labors, his devotion to the duties of the bishopric were awarded blessings from above; his fervent prayers, his holy desires, his good example, bore abundant fruit. During his reign, the Church of Constantinople came to a flourishing state 313. The clergy was organized, simony was destroyed, heresies were suppressed, the poor and sick were provided with all possible assistance; monastics, virgins and widows represented high examples of moral improvement. Even those who lived only for the world, who, one might say, frantically rushed to circus games and theatrical performances, finally succumbed to the tireless zeal and captivating eloquence of their shepherd, abandoned their criminal absent-mindedness and stopped going to the theaters in these schools of the devil, and instead joyfully went to the Church of God 314. Songs of praise to God were sung day and night; pious meetings became more numerous; living and active faith and piety were in universal respect: Constantinople was completely changed. But such wise transformations, such happy changes could not, of course, take place unhindered; the enemy of human salvation watched with annoyance as souls were torn out from under his dominion, and therefore tried, as it were, to overthrow the work of God. Jealousy of St. Chrysostom aroused many enemies against him in all states of society. Among the warring bishops, the first place was occupied by: Theophilus of Alexandria, who was jealous of his strong influence on everyone and was annoyed that he did not have time to prevent his consecration as a bishop; Akaki of Berry, who was at enmity with St. the bishop for not being received with special honors into the bishop's chambers; Severian of Gabala, who, driven by ambition, tried, in the absence of St. Chrysostom, take his place; Antiochus of Ptolemais, an envious, ambitious and outrageous bishop and others. Among the priests and deacons, those who were carried away by greed, people with a violent character, without rules and noble aspirations, especially armed themselves against him; all those for whom the pure life and pious example of St. Chrysostom served as a reproach, and whose various vices were often exposed by the zealous archpastor. Among the enemies of St. Chrysostom even had some of the noble and rich wives who, with their connections and wealth, contributed to the enemies of the saint. All such persons, driven by hatred and a thirst for revenge, sought opportunities to slander the saint. Having access to the court, they tried to win over Empress Eudoxia to their side. And in this, however, it was not difficult for them to keep up. This woman, vain, proud, irritable, wanted to combine vice with virtue, the rules of faith with the customs of the world, condemned by the gospel teaching, and therefore could not love the one who always boldly proclaimed the impossibility of serving God and mammon at the same time. In addition, having her husband and an empire, she was possessed, at the same time, according to the historian Zosima, with an insatiable love of money: her lies and robberies had no boundaries. She filled the court with informers who seized the estates of the rich upon their death, regardless of the offense to the children and other legal heirs 315. And St. John constantly rebelled against the love of money among the people, 316 and therefore his conversations against the love of money and the cruelty of strong rulers painfully wounded her. Meanwhile, the warring bishops took advantage of every opportunity to bring St. Chrysostom is in disfavour with the empress; but since there was nothing sufficient to accuse him, they began to carefully follow his teachings, intending to notice something to condemn him, and therefore, sometimes perverting the meaning of his speeches, they used the purest words to accuse him. St. Chrysostom at one time said a word in which he condemned all women in general for their cunning and vain disposition. The people understood this word as an allusion to the queen, and rumors about it reached the court through John’s ill-wishers. Having learned this, the empress complained to the king about the insult caused to her and said that by insulting her, they were insulting him 317. This circumstance finally armed the empress against St. Chrysostom and brought joy to his enemies. Bishops, deacons, priests and everyone generally dissatisfied took advantage of this opportunity to unite and at once, with all the force of irreconcilable hatred, attack the undaunted denouncer of their vices. The wicked congregation soon assembled; To satisfy their vengeance, the only thing missing was the opportunity to remove the holy bishop from among his beloved flock. But he soon introduced himself. And this event was the arrival in Constantinople of the Nitrian monks, expelled from the desert by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria. But since the enmity against St. John began much earlier than this, then let’s turn back a little and look at the events that preceded it a little. Theophilus, who once wanted to place Isidore on the throne of Constantinople, on one occasion, instead of love, began to have dislike for him. One rich and pious widow, named Theodotia, gave Isidore a thousand gold coins, so that he would use this money to buy various clothes for poor widows and orphans, but at the same time she asked him not to give them to Theophilus, since she was afraid that he, due to his passion for buildings, would not satisfy her requests and would leave the poor without help. Isidore promised to fulfill her wishes with all accuracy, and soon bought dresses and distributed them to all the poor. But this matter was not hidden from Theophilus for long. Having learned about this, he called Isidore to him and asked about what had happened. Isidore spoke about the matter with all frankness. This story led Theophilus to great indignation, however, he concealed his annoyance and waited for an opportunity to take revenge. But besides this, Theophilus was annoyed with Isidore because, while testifying to the truth, he prevented him from innocently accusing one presbyter of Alexandria 318. Two months passed after this event, and Theophilus pretended to have forgotten everything, and clothes were distributed to all the poor who were in Alexandria. But, in fact, his calmness was only external, and in his soul he was inventing means how best to take revenge on the truthful Isidore. But since there was no real guilt to condemn him, Theophilus himself invented slander against him and bribed false witnesses, and thus Isidore was accused and excommunicated from the communion of St. secrets But the false witnesses, tormented by remorse, soon announced publicly that they, in fairness, had nothing to say to accuse the presbyter, and that what they said against him, they said at the instigation of the patriarch. This caused great indignation among the people. But Isidore did not remain in the city for long after this; Having soon heard about those evil intentions of Theophilus, which we will talk about ahead, he began to fear for his life, and therefore went into the Nitrian desert, where he spent his youth 319. The mountain, or Nitrian desert, which Blessed Jerome calls the city of God 320, due to the holiness of the desert dwellers who lived in it, was a vast desert 321 to the south of Lake Mareates, bordering to the east with the Scete desert, on the other side with Libya and the land of the Mazikov, and extended to Ethiopia. It got its name from a nearby mountain where there was a large amount of saltpeter (nitrate) in the lakes. Saint Ammon, disciple of St. Anthony the Great, was the first to settle in this mountain. The lofty virtues of this great ascetic and the difficult feats of desert life passed from him to his disciples. Prayer, psalmody, silence, handicraft, strict fasting, almost vigilant vigilance, feats of self-mortification and exercise in matters of love were their constant occupation day and night, after short sleep. The hermits lived an angelic life on earth. Among the desert dwellers there were many fathers who became famous, in addition to the high feats of monastic life, and the gift of miracles. But the most famous fathers of the desert in the time we are describing were the abbots of the monasteries: Ammonius, Dioscorus, Eusebius and Euthymius, nicknamed the Long; they were brothers with each other. The Alexandrian bishop Theophilus loved and respected them very much, so that he removed one of them, Dioscorus, from the desert by force, and installed him as a bishop in Hermopolis. They were known to many outside the desert for their deep knowledge of the word of God, living faith and perfect devotion to St. The Churches, for which they had to endure wrath and persecution from Valens. While these pious desert dwellers, who had forgotten the world and were forgotten by the world, practiced praising God and deeds of Christian piety, especially expressed in charity, Isidore came to the desert, hoping to find peace in it and peacefully end his days. But he was deceived: his departure did not appease the anger of his enemy, and instead of calming down, he brought upon himself and the other desert dwellers all the disastrous actions of the patriarch’s vindictiveness. In order to take revenge on the runaway presbyter and the hermits who kindly received him, this man, who did not know how to control his passions, carried away by anger and annoyance, cunning and inventive, decided to accuse these brothers - the Long and all the hermits - of being carried away by Origen's opinions. One particular circumstance gave this unfair accusation the appearance of truth. Several years before this incident, a small number of Egyptian hermits, simple and rude, due to their lack of education, attached to the external expressions of the Holy Scriptures, and falsely understanding the words from the book of Genesis: Let us create man in our image and likeness (Chapter 1), fell into the error of the anthropomorphists. They imagined that God, just like people, has eyes, arms, legs and the body itself. When more enlightened persons, wanting to lead them out of error, entered into competition with them, and, like Origen, gave an explanation of some passages of St. The anthropomorphists called all those who competed with them the Scriptures, too distant from their crude concepts, origenists. The error of these hermits was so deeply rooted in their souls that one of them, named Serapion, a venerable elder who served as a model in his holiness and severity of life, being brought out of error by Saint Paphnutius, fell to the ground and shouted with all his might: Woe is me! They took God away from me, who should I worship now? - wanting to say that he had lost that sensual image that he painted in his imagination, wanting to imagine himself in prayer standing before the face of God Himself. The inhabitants of the monastery especially adhered to this error, but those who lived in Mount Nitria affirmed, on the contrary, the spirituality of the Divine being, and for this they were called Origenists. It is true that in the Nitrian desert the works of Origen were read; however, they were far from his delusions. But at this time there were two categories of Origenists: sectarians and defenders of Origen. The first adopted for themselves all the errors of Origen, without any explanation, and they were guilty because they held opinions that were rejected by the teaching of the Church. Others argued that Origen's books were corrupted, that Origen himself never taught such errors, and that one can be cleansed of the admixture of poison and read with great benefit the lessons of virtue that they contain. This opinion could be held at that time because the Church had not yet pronounced a decisive judgment on the writings of Origen, at least its decisions had not yet become publicly known. Many pious and learned men approved of Origen's writings, even Theophilus himself, pronouncing his opinion about them, says: Origen's writings are like a meadow strewn with flowers of all kinds: if among them I find anything good, I pluck it, and what seems thorny to me, I leave as thorny. 322 But a little later, wanting to win over to his side Epiphanius, the bishop of Salamis, a man respected for life 323, and to satisfy the indignant Egyptian hermit-anthropomorphists 324, he accused the writings of Origen, and in his messages, according to custom sent to different churches to announce the Easter holiday, condemned all his errors. However, at first he looked at this matter rather indifferently, but soon began to persecute the desert dwellers, who did not accept his opinion, with anger and bitterness. The convictions of the Nitrian monks, who were still trying to defend the work of Origen, especially their love with which they accepted Isidore, seemed to Theophilus an unforgivable sin. Carried away by offended pride, driven by a thirst for revenge, he ordered to expel all the monastics from the mountain, even from the very depths of the desert to extract the most venerable among them, that is, the commanders about whom we spoke. These humble hermits, surprised by such a terrible order, but not knowing the reason for it, came to Alexandria to fall at the feet of the patriarch and from his own lips find out what the purpose and motivation of his order was so terrible for them. Theophilus, seeing them, flared with terrible anger, and hastily turning to Ammonius, already a venerable old man, even subjected him to a beating, loudly calling Origen a damned blasphemer. After this, the poor hermits had no choice but to return to their places. And they quietly wandered to their secluded cells, in which they again and with greater zeal began their usual prayerful feats, finding peace in the testimony of their immaculate conscience. Theophilus, however, was not content with the insult personally inflicted on these revered fathers; but he convened a council of subordinate bishops 325, and, without calling any of the desert dwellers to answer and without giving them any other means of defending themselves, he excommunicated the three elders, among whom were Ammonius and Dioscorus; He did not dare to inflict the same injustice on everyone. However, Theophilus’ vindictiveness was not limited to this; he drew into deception many skete monks, simple and unlearned people, some of whom did not even know how to read and write, and wrote to the monasteries in the desert that they should not believe Dioscorus and his brothers, who claim that God is incorporeal. God, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture, he said, has eyes and ears, arms and legs, like people; and the accomplices of Dioscorus, imitating Origen, introduce the wicked doctrine that God has no eyes, no ears, no legs, no hands. With such false wisdom he deceived many monks, and confusion arose among them. Those educated among them, of course, were not carried away by this trick and remained on the side of Dioscorus and Origen; but the uneducated, of whom there were much more in number, and who were particularly zealous, immediately rebelled against the brethren. So, there was a division between them, and one side began to reproach the other with wickedness. From here strong enmity arose, and an irreconcilable war broke out between the monks. Having learned that his goal had been achieved, Theophilus, with a large crowd and soldiers taken from the Egyptian prefect, arrived in Nitria, where there were many hermitages, began to destroy everything with fire and sword and beat those who held the opinion of his main opponents, so that Dioscorus and his brothers could hardly escape from the threatening danger 326. When Theophilus and his accomplices withdrew to Alexandria, Dioscorus and Ammonius with many other hermits, no longer having shelter in the desert, retired to Jerusalem, and from there they came to Scythopolis and remained there for some time; for staying there, due to the many palm trees, the leaves of which the monks used for their usual work, was considered convenient 327. But Theophilus, pursuing the poor exiles everywhere, wrote to the bishops under his jurisdiction, so that they would not give them shelter anywhere. Meanwhile, at the same time, he sent people from himself to Constantinople, partly so that they would first spread slander there against the Long Ones, and partly in order to oppose them if they began to ask the king for anything. Having learned of this, Ammonius and his companions sailed to Constantinople; - Isidore was with them - and together they tried to expose the intrigues directed against themselves before the court of the king and Bishop John. They hoped that this latter, as a defender of legal boldness, could help them in a just cause. St. John graciously received the men who came to him, treated them with honor, and did not forbid them to pray in church, although he did not allow them to commune with St. Tain - for to allow this before examining the case would be contrary to the laws - but he wrote to Theophilus so that he would return communication to them, since they rightly think about God, and if it was necessary to examine their case in court, he promised to send whoever he wanted to judge. But Theophilus did not answer anything. Meanwhile, a false rumor spread in Alexandria that John had communication with Dioscorus and his companions, and was ready to help them in everything; Therefore, Theophilus began to try in every possible way, as if to take revenge not only on Dioscorus and Isidore, but also on St. John should be deposed from the episcopal throne. He sent messages to the bishops of all cities, in which, hiding his intention, he clearly condemned only the works of Origen 328. Having reasoned that it would be very useful for him to persuade Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis in Cyprus, a man respected for life and the most illustrious of all his contemporaries, to participate in the intended business, he began to seek his friendship. Epiphanius, who had long disliked the works of Origen, easily believed Theophilus’ message and in the meeting of Cypriot bishops banned the reading of Origen’s books; then he wrote a decree about this to other bishops and to the bishops of Constantinople, urging them to convene councils and approve the same thing. Theophilus also wrote about the same thing. John. But St. Chrysostom did not consider concern for this worthy of attention and looked at the messages of Epiphanius and Theophilus as a secondary matter. Meanwhile, some of the courtiers and clergy, who had hostility towards St. John, having learned that Theophilus was concerned about his overthrow, and carefully assisting the bishop of Alexandria, tried to convene a great council in Constantinople. Having learned about this, Theophilus became even more active and ordered the Egyptian bishops to go to Constantinople. He asked Epiphanius and other eastern bishops about the same in writing and hurried them to leave; soon he himself went there 329. A little later after this, Epiphanius arrived in Constantinople, and was stationed near the church of St. John, seven miles from the city, and leaving the ship, held a meeting, and, having ordained a deacon, immediately arrived in the city 330. To honor him, St. John went out to meet him with the entire clergy. But Epiphanius made it clear that he believed the slander against St. John; for, having been persuaded to stay in church buildings, he did not agree and avoided meeting with St. John, and meanwhile, convening the bishops who often lived in Constantinople, showed them the definition against Origen’s writings and persuaded some to sign it. However, more than half of them were deposited 331. St. Chrysostom, still retaining deep respect in his soul for the gray hairs and glorified virtues of Epiphanius, was not only not offended that, contrary to the decree, he performed ordination in his church, but also asked him to live with him in the bishop's house. However, Epiphanius, in response to this, said that he would neither live nor pray with him until he expelled the adherents of Dioscorus from the city and announced his consent to the condemnation of Origen’s writings. And since St. Chrysostom hesitated to fulfill this demand, arguing that it would be foolhardy to decide on anything here before the determination of the ecumenical council, then his enemies advised Epiphanius to use another means. They were preparing to hold a council in the Church of the Apostles, and convinced the Cypriot bishop to come forward and before all the people condemn Origen's books, excommunicate the adherents of Dioscorus from the Church and accuse John of taking their side. This was retold by St. John, - and the next day, when Epiphanius had already entered the church, Serapion, on behalf of John, announced to him the following: “Epiphanius! You do a lot of things contrary to the regulations: firstly, you perform ordination in churches subordinate to me; secondly, without my permission, using only your own authority, you perform divine services in them. I once invited you, and you refused, but now you enter without permission. Be careful so that there is no indignation among the people and then you yourself are not exposed to danger.” Having heard this, Epiphanius left the church in fear and, showering John with cruel reproaches, sailed to Cyprus. But, before reaching Cyprus, he died during the journey on the ship 332. It’s hard to endure slander and slander from evil, ill-intentioned people, but to experience the same thing from people whom we are accustomed to respect and love is a hundred times harder, unbearable. After this, it becomes clear how great the grief of the saint must be. Chrysostom, who met in St. Epiphany has such a strong dislike. However, their relationship, gloomy in appearance, is not so in its essence. Epiphanius was deceived by Theophilus; but acting under the influence of his advice, passionate goals, which he could not penetrate, he himself was pure in intentions, for he acted on the impulse of pious zeal and to preserve the purity of faith. Regarding St. For Chrysostom, this circumstance was beneficial in that his Orthodoxy manifested itself in a greater light and, through the patience of new trials, gave him the opportunity to earn a more brilliant crown. After the departure of Epiphanius, the Nitrian hermits, driven to exhaustion by the persecutions of Theophilus, were forced to seek justice and protection from the emperor himself. They filed a complaint with him, in which, outlining all the intrigues and atrocities of Theophilus, as well as the slander and slander of the monks who acted in Constantinople at his suggestion, they asked him, calling Theophilus, to submit this case to the court and consideration of the Archbishop of Constantinople. The emperor agreed to their demand, and sent one official for Theophilus. Meanwhile, judges were considering charges filed against his attorneys. These, not having the strength to justify their wrongful actions, admitted that they acted at the suggestion of the Patriarch of Alexandria. As a result of this confession, they were declared malicious slanderers and imprisoned. Some of them died there, and some were sent into exile. But this fair trial of the criminals did not stop the malicious actions against the most holy Archbishop of Constantinople, but, one might say, only served as the beginning of hostile persecution against him, which finally ended in his exile and death. Theophilus, having heard about the fate that befell the monks he sent to Constantinople, became very indignant. Summoned to the capital by decree of the tsar for justification, he hurried there, but not to be on trial, but to judge. Convinced of the weakness of character of Emperor Arcadius, supported by Empress Eudoxia, who, in the teaching spoken by St. Chrysostom was against women in general, seeing a personal insult to herself, she wrote to him asking him to hasten to free her from the hated bishop; confident in the assistance of bishops, clergy and various courtiers who were indignant at St. Chrysostom for his severity and strong denunciations - he went to Constantinople with the confidence to finally accuse and depose the seemingly irreconcilable enemy of St. Chrysostom. Therefore, Theophilus summoned many bishops from different cities and arrived with them in Constantinople. The cathedral was attended mostly by those who, for whatever reason, harbored enmity against St. John. There also appeared those whom St. Chrysostom was deprived of his bishopric 333. When Theophilus arrived, St. Chrysostom asked him to stay with his family in one of the houses belonging to the church, and offered him everything he needed for maintenance. But Theophilus rejected the hospitality of St. Chrysostom, and stayed in one of the royal houses, called Placid 334. He didn't even want to see St. Chrysostom, neither speaking with him nor participating in prayers with him, generally expressed a complete avoidance of communication with him. But St. Chrysostom later repeatedly sent Theophilus to ask him to explain to him the reason for his displeasure, to ask for his forgiveness if he had sinned against him in any way, and thereby stop the temptation produced among the people by their disagreement; but Theophilus was far from imitating him in such feelings of meekness and peacefulness. He not only did not visit him and did not give any answer, but also tried in every possible way to overthrow him from the pulpit and even kill him. To do this, he first tried as much as possible to incite his enemies against him in order to have support for himself in them. He strove for this goal in every way, and considered all means permitted. He showered money with a generous hand on the courtiers and other noble persons in Constantinople, and attracted sensual and voluptuous people to himself with sumptuous dinners; he deceived some with flattering words, promised others the highest honors and dignity; He irritated the dissatisfied even more by pointing out the insults inflicted on them by his proud, in his opinion, and contemptuous actions. 335 His intentions were especially assisted by Severian, bishop of Gabala, Acacius, bishop of Berry, and Isaac, bishop of Isauria. When minds were thus prepared for the unanimous accusation of St. Chrysostom, Theophilus called to him two deacons of the Church of Constantinople, who became irreconcilable enemies of St. Chrysostom because he expelled them from the clergy, one for murder, and the other for unclean life. Theophilus, as if taking pity on their fate, promised them to restore them to their former places if they decided to act in concert with the accusers of their bishop, and to sign the indictments that he would tell them 336. These two people, worthy of death, according to Palladius, joyfully accepted the offer and signed the paper he offered. This was already a great acquisition for Theophilus. The plot was drawn up successfully beyond his expectations. As soon as he received the accusatory note, he immediately went to the house of Evgraf, a rich and noble widow, who was known for her special dislike of St. Chrysostom. Here were gathered: Severian, Acacius and other bishops who hated the saint. They debated for a long time about how to start the business, and finally decided to submit a petition to the emperor for permission to assemble a council for the trial of St. Chrysostom, and the deed was immediately carried out. Theophilus's gold opened the doors to the royal chambers for him and endeared him to the highest ranks; Eudoxia, out of personal displeasure with the bishop, tried to assist them with her influence on the emperor - and their request received the desired satisfaction. But they did not dare to hold a council in Constantinople, because they were afraid of the people’s love for their shepherd. Therefore, the accusing bishops, leaving the capital, gathered in one suburb of Chalcedon, which was called Oak 337, where Rufinus built a magnificent palace, monastery and church in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul 338. As soon as the council of 36 bishops was assembled under the chairmanship of Theophilus, accompanied by many dissatisfied clergy, Deacon John appeared and presented to the council a note containing 29 indictments against St. Chrysostom. In these points he was accused of expelling Deacon John from the clergy because he had struck a certain servant; that he imprisoned one monk who slandered the Long Brothers; that he slandered the clergy, wrote a word against the clergy who had women in their houses as assistants; that he condemned three deacons for theft; that he did not receive Acacius, bishop of Iberia, with due respect; that he scolded and beat some. They also accused him of always eating alone and not inviting anyone to join him; that he is proud, arrogant and stingy; that he gave money to the bishops supplied to them so that they would treat the clergy more strictly; that he entered and left church without prayer; that he undressed and dressed on the bishop's seat; that he ate postila and advised others to eat it and drink water after St. participles; that he forced the bathhouse to be heated for himself alone; that he sold the marble prepared by his predecessor Nectarius to decorate the church of St. Anastasia. Enemies of St. Chrysostom tried with such care to open accusations against him that they sent some trusted representatives to Antioch to study his former life, hoping to discover something to condemn him; but their efforts were in vain. Of all the accusations brought against him, some were false, others contradicted one another, and therefore mutually destroyed each other, and others were insignificant and therefore could not be a basis for condemnation; some, although they were true, served to the praise and glory of the saint. Chrysostom, and not to his dishonor. Yet the accusations were the fruit of hatred and injustice of wicked accusers. However, despite all this, the wicked council sent to call St. Chrysostom for acquittal of the accusations brought against him. Serapion, Presbyter Tigris, and Reader Paul were ordered to appear with him, because they too were subject to accusations with John. But St. John, seeing the judges as his only enemies, did not go to them, demanding an ecumenical council to carry out a trial against him 339 . The cathedral, compiled for the protection of St. Chrysostom in Constantinople, out of 40 bishops, sent from himself three bishops and two presbyters of holy life, to tell the Council of Dub that no bishop can be judged outside his diocese and that their council is more numerous and of greater importance, for it consists of forty bishops, among whom are seven metropolitans. But how soon did these bishops declare their opinion at the Council of Oak; then this cathedral fell into such a frenzy that one of them was beaten, the clothes of another were torn, and the third had iron chains hung around his neck, which were being prepared for St. John. Having learned about this, St. John resolutely refused to appear at such a council, demanding an ecumenical council to judge himself and the removal of his personal enemies 340. But the bishops, despite this, called him four more times 341. On the same day, a walker and a cursive writer were sent from the palace and urged the saint. John to go to the council for answers. But since he is called four times, St. John demanded an ecumenical council every time; then the bishops, hostile to him, not attributing to him any other guilt than that he, being called, did not obey, deposed him 342. The council sent its definition to the emperor for approval, who, without reading the paperwork of St. John, and without even seeing him, he immediately gave the order to send the archbishop into captivity 343. Deposition of St. Chrysostom became known in the evening and caused the greatest confusion among the people. The people guarded the church all night so that they would not drag him out of it, and shouted that the charges brought against him should be considered at a very numerous council, and did not allow the people appointed by the tsar to take him into exile. But a new decree came out from the king, commanding that the bishop be taken as soon as possible and sent into exile. St. Chrysostom, having learned about this and fearing that a rebellion would not occur because of him, and that his enemies would not invent a new accusation against him of disobedience to the king, and that the people would not be subjected to responsibility and punishment for the indignation, he intended, secretly from the people, to betray himself into the hands of an official who was entrusted with taking him to Preneta, in Bithynia 344. But wanting to say goodbye to his kind flock, he told the people a conversation in which he tried to instill in them patience and submission to the will of Providence, which inspired his own heart. “Strong waves, fierce storm! But I am not afraid of drowning: for I stand on a rock. Let the sea rage; it cannot crush a stone! Let the waves rise; They cannot swallow up the ship of Jesus! Tell me, what should I be afraid of? Is it really death? For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). Are there really links? The Lord's earth and its fulfillment (Ps. 23:1). Is it really an inventory of the estate? We have brought nothing into this world, for we see that we can bring forth what we can (1 Tim. 6:7). I despise the fears of this world, and laugh at its blessings. I am not afraid of poverty, I do not desire wealth; I am not afraid of death and do not desire life, except for your success. This is why I am talking about my present circumstances, and this is why I am asking you, beloved, in order to reassure you. No one can divide us! What God has put together, man cannot divide. If it is said about a husband and wife: God unites, let not man separate (Matthew 19:6), if a marriage cannot be dissolved, then how much more can the Church of God be dissolved. There is nothing stronger than the Church! How many tyrants have attempted to destroy the Church! How many frying pans and ovens did they use? How many animal teeth? How many sharp swords? But they didn’t have time to do anything. Where are these enemies? Nobody talks about them: they are all forgotten. Where is the Church? She shines brighter than the sun. If Christians remained invincible even when there were few of them, is it possible to defeat them now, when the whole universe is filled with piety? Don't be disturbed by the present event. Show me your love in this, in unshakable faith. I have the pledge of the Lord, and do not rely on my strength. I have His Scripture. It is my support, it is my fortress, it is my calm haven. Let the whole earth be in turmoil! I have a letter, I read it: the words in it are a wall and a fence for me. What words? I am with you to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Christ is with me, whom should I fear? Let the waves rise upon me, let the sea, let the fury of the strong! For me this is weaker than a spider's web. And if it weren’t for you stopping me with your love, I would have left here right now. I always pray: Thy will be done, Lord! Not as one or the other wants, but as You want. Here is my fortress, here is my immovable stone, here is my unshakable cane! If God wills, then so be it! If He wants to stop me here, I thank Him. I will thank Him wherever He chooses to place me.” “Don’t be embarrassed by anything. Try to be in prayer. The devil did this to extinguish your desire for prayer. But he didn’t have time at all. I see you more zealous and diligent. Tomorrow I will go out with you to pray. Where I am, there you are; and where you are, there I am. We are one body. But the body is not separated from the head, just as the head is not separated from the body. We are separated by place, but united by love; not even death can separate us. Although my body will die, my soul will live and will remember this people. You are my fathers, how can I forget you. You are my family, you are my life, you are my glory. If you succeed; this is my glory, and my life, like wealth, lies in your treasury. I am ready to lay down my soul a thousand times for you, and I am not worth any gratitude; because I am doing my duty. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). Let them strangle me a thousand times, cut off my head a thousand times! This death will lead to immortality. I endure everything for my love for you: for I do everything to bring you safety; so that no stranger enters my flock, and it remains blameless. This feat of mine will bring me a crown. And what will 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, and better than light. You always gave me what I wanted. You despised the temporary, rejected the earthly; they rose to heaven, renounced bodily bonds and tried to blissfully fulfill the teachings of the Lord. However, maybe God allows me to endure what is malicious against me in order to test me with misfortunes; because victory, of course, depends on labor, and a crown is prepared for exploits. For the divine Paul also said: I have passed away, but have kept the faith: and the rest the crown of righteousness is kept for me (2 Tim. 4:7). May the Eternal Lord of all honor you with this crown! 345. Thus, on the third day after his condemnation, in the afternoon, he secretly delivered himself into the hands of a royal official, and during the night he was transported by ship to the other side of the strait to Preneta, the place designated for exile. But as soon as word spread about the removal of St. Bishop, all the people became very indignant. Theophilus with other bishops arrived in Constantinople in the morning to calm the unrest of the people: but since everyone knew about his malicious actions against St. Chrysostom and saw in him one of the main culprits of the disaster that befell them; then cries of indignation and curses were heard against him from everywhere; even his very life could have been in danger if it had not been protected by armed force. And the murmur in the people's cry was expressed not only against the bishops, but also against the tsar himself. Many even of those who are not disposed towards St. They began to feel sorry for Chrysostom and said that he had been slandered, although not long before they themselves were impatiently awaiting his deposition. Severian, wanting to justify the actions of the council before the people, went to the pulpit and began to condemn St. John, saying that if he had not been convicted of anything else, then his arrogant disposition alone would have been a sufficient reason for the deposition of this bishop, because all sins are forgiven to people, but God opposes the proud 346. This aroused the indignation of the people even more, and they were indomitably worried. Numerous crowds of adherents of St. Chrysostom from the church to the square, from the square to the palace and back. Screams, sobs, murmurs, curses and curses against the cathedral and Arkady himself were heard everywhere. Everyone demanded the return of St. bishop, but in vain; no one listened to them. Finally, night approached, and the terrible forces of nature came to the aid of the powerless people and spoke with their soul-shaking voice. As night fell, the sky became covered with dark clouds, and deafening thunderclaps replaced the terrible cries of the people; the sea was boiling, the groans of the raging waves, the usual harbingers of great disasters, were heard everywhere. General fear seized the inhabitants of the city, everyone waited with trepidation for something terrible; and then, in the darkness of the night, the city suddenly shook from a strong earthquake. In this destructive natural phenomenon, everyone saw God’s execution for an unjustly convicted innocent bishop, and terrible screams came from all over the city. “This is the execution of Heaven,” everyone cried out, “this is the manifestation of the wrath of the righteous Heaven! Woe to us! We are lost if the holy bishop is not returned! The queen, frightened by the earthquake and the cries of the people, begged the emperor to return Saint Chrysostom, and at dawn sent her eunuch Brizon to him with a letter in which, assuring him that she was innocent of the plans arranged against him, and that she respected him as God’s servant and the secret guide of her children, 348 she asked him to return to the capital as soon as possible and save the city from danger 349. Both the emperor and empress, moved by impatience to see St. The bishop, as the only reason to calm the rising storms, constantly sent ambassadors one after another, so that ambassadorial boats 350 were visible throughout the Bosporus. But as soon as rumors spread among the people about the return of the dearly beloved shepherd, countless numbers of men and women, old people and children, rich and poor, rushed to meet him; the entire Strait of Constantinople was covered with ships, the entire shore was dotted with large crowds of people; all the clergy, preceded by many bishops, appeared at the pier and waited for the suffering saint with wax candles lit in their hands 351. So St. Chrysostom, returning from Preneta, entered the European continent with the triumph of the glorious conqueror of all the machinations of the enemy, greeted by exclamations of sincere joy from his beloved flock. Coming ashore, he stopped in the country palace of the queen herself near Anaplas and resolutely refused to enter the city before the trial of the great cathedral, so that everyone would be convinced that he was deprived of the bishopric unjustly. When the people saw that the source of their joy did not want to enter the city, they again indulged in grumbling, indignation against the enemies was again awakened, curses and curses were again heard against them. St. Chrysostom, seeing and hearing all this, submitted to necessity, and, accompanied by a large gathering of residents, many of whom walked with lighted candles and sang chants specially prepared for this occasion, entered the city with magnificent triumph and then entered the church 352. Here the people asked him to sit on the episcopal throne and, as usual, teach peace to those ahead. When did St. Chrysostom began to refuse, saying that he could do this only by the verdict of the judges, and that the previous judges must acquit him in advance; then the people became even more inflamed with the desire to see him on the episcopal throne and hear his teaching, and finally persuaded him to do so. St. Chrysostom ascended the pulpit and, as usual, proclaimed peace to the people, even, yielding to necessity, delivered a sermon 353. “What should I say? What should I say? - So he began his speech to the people. ‒ “Blessed be God! This is what I said when I left you; I say this now, and I did not stop speaking there either. You remember how I said the words of Job: blessed be the name of the Lord forever (Job 1:21). I left this pledge to you, and now I begin thanksgiving with it. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever! The circumstances are different, but the doxology is the same. I thanked God when I was exiled, I bless Him when I returned. The circumstances are different, but the goal is the same for both winter and summer; one goal is the fertility of the land. Blessed be God who removed me! Blessed is He who brought me back! Blessed be God who let the storm come upon me, and blessed be He who removed it! I say this in order to dispose you to thank God. Prosperity has come, thank God, and prosperity will be sure. Misfortunes have come, thank God, and misfortunes will stop. Job thanked God when he was rich; and praised Him when he became poor. Look what the cunning of the enemies did: they strengthened the favor, inflamed zeal, gained thousands who loved me. Until now, only my own people loved me, but now even the Jews respect me. They hoped to separate me from my own, but they added strangers. What a world their wiles have produced! What glory they have prepared! Until now, people filled only the church, but now all the streets have become a church. Today is the day of the circus games, and there is no one there; but everyone, like streams, flocked to the church - husbands and wives: for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:8). Can I express the power of the Lord? 354 The next day, St. Chrysostom told the people a more extensive word, which, beginning with a wonderful comparison, showed that Theophilus attempted to desecrate the church under his jurisdiction, just as the Egyptian king wanted to insult the wife of the patriarch Abraham. Then, praising the people for their zeal and the sovereigns for their goodwill, he read before the people a letter written to him by the empress 355. The people, intoxicated with the joy of his return and delighted with the favor of the royal persons towards him, became so delighted that with their joyful exclamations and applause they forced the saint. Chrysostom stopped speaking halfway. A few days after his return to Constantinople, St. Chrysostom asked the emperor to order the convening of a very large council, at which the unjust accusations against him of the Dubsky Cathedral could be considered, and his innocence could be revealed before everyone. The emperor agreed to his desire and soon decrees were sent to the bishops of different regions so that they would immediately appear in the capital to attend the council. Soon 60 well-intentioned and well-disposed towards St. The bishops appeared to Chrysostom, and at the general council they unanimously recognized all the actions of the Dub Cathedral as unfair and therefore invalid and decided to approve St. John in all the rights of a legitimate bishop 356. But St. Chrysostom was not content with this definition, but asked the emperor to convene all those present at the Dubsky Council for his trial, so that his very accusers, willy-nilly or unwillingly, would admit the injustice of their actions, and his innocence. Decrees were sent to Theophilus and all his accomplices; but they all, pricked by reproaches of conscience, and even more afraid of being shamed for their malicious actions at a numerous council, all fled from Constantinople, even Theophilus himself, despite the onset of winter, sailed to Alexandria as a fugitive 357. The emperor sent a decree there a second time, but he did not appear 358. After this, general condemnation fell on Theophilus, and hatred of him became even stronger 359. Saint Chrysostom, after the flight of his enemies, content with the decision of 60 bishops who recognized his innocence and the inviolability of his episcopal rights, began as before to officiate, ordain, preach the word of God and do everything that should be done by primates 360. When Theophilus was sailing to Alexandria, sea waves accidentally carried him to Geras, a small town located fifty stades from Pelusium. In Geras, a bishop then happened to die, and the citizens decided that their church should be presided over by Nillamon, a good man who had ascended to the heights of monastic wisdom, who lived near the city, imprisoned in a cell and blocked the entrance to it with stones. Since Nillamon avoided the priesthood, Theophilus himself came to him and convinced him to accept ordination. But he, having renounced several times and not heeding the bishop’s convictions, finally said: tomorrow, if it pleases you, I will do it; and today let me manage myself. The next day, as agreed, he came and ordered the door to be opened. But let us pray first, said Nillamon, and Theophilus, praising his thought, began to pray. Meanwhile, during prayer, the hermit left earthly life, and at first neither Theophilus nor those who were with him and standing outside the cell knew this. At the end of the day, when he did not answer the repeated questions of those who called, people dismantled the stones lying in front of the door and found him dead. This is how Nillamon died, if one can call death the death for which he prayed and asked for before the priesthood was entrusted to him, of which, out of deep humility, he considered himself unworthy. An amazing example of humility and selflessness, which the Lord, in His goodness, preserved at this time in order to heal Theophilus’ pride and ambition through it, and through this to enlighten him; - but, alas! he didn't know how to use it. The solemn return of St. Chrysostom to Constantinople, the action of God's Providence in defense of the innocently persecuted St. bishop, the repentance of the court, the shameful flight of enemies, the zeal and exclamations of the people, all gave the right to hope for the perfect and lasting restoration of St. shepherd, on the inviolable peace of the people and the undisturbed tranquility of the Church of Constantinople. But the Lord judged differently; He, partly to punish the sins of the inhabitants of the capital, partly to test the faith of St. Chrysostom and his pious friends, and their submission to the fate of Providence, partly in order to present to the world a bright example of the invincible power of virtue in the fight against obstacles, allowed human passions to act once again, and evil people to insult their faithful servant and their saint. The next incident served as the beginning of new persecutions against St. Chrysostom, who had already torn him away from his beloved flock forever. Two months after the return of St. Chrysostom, in honor of the Empress Eudoxia, a silver statue was erected on a porphyry column, dressed in thin women's clothing; this statue stood on a high base, not far from the church called Sophia, so that they were separated by one middle road of the square 361. The opening of the statue took place on Sunday, and the entire square was covered with a large gathering of curious people. Therefore, for the occasion, for the amusement of the people, various games, dances and entertainment spectacles were organized. The prefect of the city, who was from the Manichean sect, but who had not yet completely abandoned pagan errors, partly because he wanted to show his zeal for the empress, partly because of his dislike for the faithful, was so eager to increase amusements that he allowed all kinds of errors and intemperance that could only be tolerated in paganism, and many of the Christians They were so carried away, together with other Gentiles, by such amusements that, forgetting about the rules of Christian morality and the proximity of the temple of God, they indulged with self-forgetfulness in all kinds of illicit pleasures and disorderly cliques. The outrage finally went so far that it was impossible for the servant of God to look at it without heartfelt contrition. Jealousy of St. Bishop, and his reverence for the shrine of the church, in which the divine sacraments were performed, did not allow him to remain silent any longer, which might even seem to some to be approval, or at least condescension to such disorders. And so, inspired by such holy zeal, he spoke a word to the people in which he bitterly complained about the insult caused to the church and about the disrespect even for the sacraments themselves; strongly attacked the absurd delusions that occupied him so much, and accused not only those present at these spectacles, but also those who allowed them 362. This case was the most favorable for the enemies of St. Chrysostom, to slander him. These people, worthy of death, as Palladius put it, were greatly amazed by the restoration of St. John, however, did not abandon their villainous intentions. On the contrary, their hatred is even more excited by the failures of their assumptions, and by the fact that they were forced to hide and remain silent in shame. And their hatred, hidden for a while, was soon revealed; Delighted by the opportunity, the enemies of St. Chrysostom was in a hurry to use it for his destruction. The conversation against the amusements and ceremonial games established on the occasion of the erection of the statue of the empress was the occasion for the most shameless slander against him. He was accused of pride and intolerable quarrelsomeness; called the enemy of people's happiness; the Manichaean prefect especially tried to present him before the eyes of the royal persons and the entire court in the most ugly and false features. He pointed to him as a man intoxicated with his influence on the minds of the ignorant crowd, and such an enemy of the emperor, and especially the Empress Eudoxia, who did not even want to endure the honors instituted in honor of her statue. This slander, these slander, developed and spread everywhere by the enemies of the saint, had their effect. They, having shaken the weak character of Arkady, aroused the entire court against him and kindled irreconcilable hostility in Eudoxia. And here is the verdict on the death of St. Chrysostom's tale was spoken again. Socrates, the church historian, says that St. Chrysostom, having learned about the empress’s dislike towards him, spoke against her that conversation, which begins with the words: “Herodias is again furious, again indignant, again dancing, again trying to get the head of John on a platter” 363. But the best of learned critics consider it impossible that this conversation could have been spoken to St. Chrysostom, because she does not at all agree with his spirit. No matter how strongly his jealousy against abuse sometimes flared up; but it was always revealed in a very edifying way for everyone; and this conversation consists of slander, and therefore they think that it was composed by one of his enemies to condemn him. But be that as it may, the enemies of St. Chrysostom, finding sympathy for his desires at court, asked the empress to again form a council for the benefit of the Church of Constantinople. Eudoxia interceded for them, Arkady agreed to draw up a council, and soon the bishops appeared: Leonty, Bishop of Ancyra, Akakiy of Beria, and after them all those present at the Dubsky Council 364. Theophilus of Alexandria, however, did not appear along with the others, 365 although his hatred, his resourceful, cunning mind, his knowledge were necessary in such difficult circumstances. He did not dare to appear in Constantinople, because he was afraid of the people who hated him: however, wanting to satisfy his hatred against Chrysostom, he sent from himself, in the form of deputies, three bishops, to whom he gave secret and detailed rules, for the trial of the bishop of Constantinople, according to which the Arians had once overthrown St. Athanasia 366. So the council of the wicked was again formed, and St. Chrysostom was called upon to answer the accusations; when he did not want to appear to them, and meanwhile the feast of the Nativity of the Savior was approaching, the emperor, at the request of the unjust judges, told him that he would not first enter into prayerful communication with him until he was justified against the accusations made against him 367. St. Chrysostom promised to fulfill his desire 368. Soon after this, a council was formed from a large number of bishops who came from Syria, Cappadocia, Pontus, Phrygia and other neighboring regions. By this time many of the bishops had arrived who knew the high virtues of St. Chrysostom and honored him. When everything was ready for the trial, St. Chrysostom appeared at the council, accompanied by many of his bishops. The same charges were brought against him, according to which he was tried at the Dub Cathedral. When did St. Chrysostom began to defend himself with all the strength and persuasiveness of an innocently accused person, then his enemies, recognizing the irresistible power of his evidence in their justification, and at the same time the powerlessness and falsity of their accusations, leaving everything else as invalid, turned their attention to one point, and blamed him for the fact that he, having once been deposed by the council, ascended again to the episcopal throne without permission, without first bringing justification for what he had done. accusations against him, and such an act is condemned by the rule of one council 369. The rule on which they were based was the following: “if any bishop or priest, rightly or unjustly deposed, enters the church (that is, enters into his former rights) by himself, without a council, let him be overthrown without justification and completely.” But this rule was established not by an Orthodox council, but by an Arian one; for the Arians, having gathered in Antioch to end the belief in the consubstantial, issued such a rule out of hatred of St. Athanasius, so that this rule would prevent him from returning to his former throne 370. St. Chrysostom, in his justification, said that he was restored by sixty-five bishops 371; and that the court of the Dubsky Cathedral has no importance, because it consisted of only his enemies, and because he was not at this council, did not hear any accusations and did not make answers; and that he was expelled only by the emperor, who was carried away by unjust anger, at the slander of his enemies, and was returned by him. Finally, he said, the rule on the basis of which he is now being condemned is not Orthodox, but Arian, and therefore has no merit in court. After this St. Chrysostom left the meeting 372. The bishops, who knew his high virtues, approved of his answers, and with various exclamations of pleasure expressed their convictions of his innocence. But the bishops hostile to him did not accept his justification and deposed him, forgetting that, using the said rule, they deposed Athanasius along with him 373. They proposed sending their definition to Arkady for approval, asking him to remove St. John of Constantinople, having already been deposed twice. Thus ended this one-of-a-kind cathedral, assembled by hatred and governed by passions. Meanwhile, the Easter holiday was approaching, Holy Week was already ending, and the enemies of St. Chrysostom began to urgently ask the emperor to remove him before the holiday. Arkady, carried away by the urgent requests of his enemies, and excited by Eudoxia, decided to fulfill their desire, and sent St. Chrysostom to leave the church and retire from Constantinople, as condemned by two councils. But St. Chrysostom, aware of his innocence, said in response to the king’s command: “I received this Church from God to instruct her in salvation, and therefore I cannot leave her. If you wish, you can expel me from it by force, for it is in your empire. Otherwise, I won’t have an excuse if I leave her” 374. Arkady sent another time with the same command, but St. Chrysostom, answering with the same words, continued his pastoral studies, performed the sacraments and taught the people. Since the last day of Holy Week had already arrived, Arkady, reluctant to partly offend the shrines of the days and the upcoming great holiday, partly fearing the indignation of the people, was at a loss, not knowing what to do, and therefore sent for Akakios of Beria and Antiochus of Ptolemais. Having explained to them his perplexities, he asked them what he should do, anticipating that in case of unfavorable consequences, the responsibility would fall on their head. These evil bishops, like the Jewish high priests, said: “Let his overthrow be turned on our heads.” Meanwhile, forty-two bishops who were in unity with St. Chrysostom, wanting to test his last efforts to save him, went to the emperor and empress, who were at that time in the Church of the Martyrs, outside the city walls. There, falling at their feet, with tears in their eyes, they begged them to spare the Church of Christ and return her shepherd for the sake of the Easter holiday and for the sake of those preparing to receive the sacrament of baptism. But their pleas were not heeded. Seeing this, one of them began to threaten the empress. “Fear God,” he told her, fear His righteous anger; have mercy on your children and do not desecrate the feast of the Lord by shedding blood.” After this, with sorrow in their hearts, they returned to the church, where St. Chrysostom; Armed soldiers followed them into the church and expelled St. the patriarch to his house; Other bishops followed him, and all the people, frightened by the insolence of the soldiers, fled in horror. The churches are empty. When night fell, the presbyters of Constantinople, and some bishops who remained faithful to their bishop, gathered in public baptismal places to spend, according to custom, the Easter night in prayers, reading the Holy Scriptures and baptizing the newly enlightened. Many people gathered to them, both to celebrate Easter and for baptism; here one could see faces of every rank, age, gender and condition. Antiochus, Acacius and Sevirian, having learned about this, asked the military commander to disperse this meeting. But the commander refused, saying that it was night now, the people were very irritated, and confusion might occur. Akaki told him: “The churches are empty, and we are afraid that the emperor, having come to the church and not seeing anyone there, would think that the people did not come out of love for John, and out of hatred for them. The commander, yielding to their strong requests, gave them one of his subordinate commanders, a pagan named Lucius, with a detachment of warriors under his command; but when he released him, he ordered him not to use violence, but to meekly persuade the people to go to church. Lucius went there with the intention of carrying out exactly the orders of the commander, and meekly persuaded the people to go to the churches; but the people did not listen to him. Not wanting to use violence, he returned to Akaki, telling him that the people were very irritated and very stubborn in their intention, so that nothing could be done with them without strict measures. They, giving him gold and promising to intercede for him with the highest authorities, asked him to return there again, and, by whatever means they knew, would only bring the people to the church, or, at least, scatter them. Lucius, accompanied by some persons from the clergy of these bishops, again returned to the meeting at nine o'clock in the evening. Four hundred selected warriors, brave to the point of insolence, followed him with swords in their hands. They immediately burst into the middle of the meeting and began to disperse the people, waving their naked swords in all directions. Lucius himself approached the baptismal sanctuary to prevent the sacrament from being performed, and pushed the deacon with such force that he spilled the sacred myrrh. The presbyters, standing in vestments, were beaten and driven out, forgetting about the respect that their dignity and old age inspired; There was even blood shed in the baptismal chapel itself. Women who were preparing to receive baptism, fearing to be killed or dishonored, fled half-naked from these daring villains, not having time to cover themselves, as decency required; and some were even seriously injured. Screams, screams and sobs of poor wives and their children were heard everywhere; priests and deacons, forcibly expelled, fled in their sacred vestments. The soldiers, many of whom had not yet been baptized, invaded the very sanctuary in which the saints were kept. secrets, with audacity they examined and touched the most mysterious and most sacred objects, their very clothes were stained with the Divine blood of the Lord Jesus. Priests and deacons were imprisoned; worldly people who maintained respect for the holy bishop were expelled from the city; Announcements were distributed everywhere, threatening severe punishment for those who did not want to give up communion with St. Chrysostom. Thus, the dungeons were filled with confessors, who there did not stop singing psalmody and spiritual songs, and through this they turned the places of confinement into churches, while St. The churches remained empty on Easter day. But, in addition to the conclusion, those committed to St. Chrysostom was subjected to various tortures and tortures, with which they wanted to force them to pronounce a curse on their shepherd. And his enemies used all the more effort and oppression the more numerous the meetings were formed. Since the time of his expulsion from the public baptismal sanctuary, the friends of St. Chrysostom gathered for prayer outside the city gates in the place that Tsar Constantine, even before the construction of the city, cleared for a horse lists and surrounded it with wooden walls. When they were forced out from here too, they no longer had a definite refuge, but gathered first in one place or another, where they found more convenience and security 375 . Since his expulsion from the church, St. Chrysostom did not leave his house for two months until he received the royal decree to go into exile 376. At this time, enemies tried many times to take his life. One day they caught someone possessed or pretending to be possessed with a dagger, and it was discovered that he was preparing to kill St. John, but has not yet fulfilled his plan. Since the people recognized him as having been bribed for such an act, he was brought before the prefect. However, St. John sent some of the bishops who were with him and released him before he was executed. Soon after this, the servant of the presbyter Elpidia, who was a clear enemy of St. Chrysostom hurriedly ran into the bishop's house. But someone who happened to be here that very minute, recognizing him, stopped him and asked about the reason for his haste. But the killer, without answering anything, suddenly struck with a dagger first this very man, then another, who, seeing the first blow, screamed, and finally, besides them and the third. When those who were there started making noise and shouting, he turned back and ran away. However, he was pursued and those pursuing him shouted in front of him to catch the fleeing one. Therefore, someone, having washed himself in the bathhouse and returning back, grabbed him, but was mortally wounded and fell dead. Finally he was surrounded and, barely captured by the people, taken to the palace. Then everyone saw in this the intention of the enemies of St. Chrysostom, and from then on the most devoted of the people guarded him day and night, alternately, surrounding the bishop's house 377. Enemies of St. Chrysostom, irritated by such signs of people's love for him, and burned by a hostile desire to see him in exile as soon as possible, told the emperor that peace among the people could not be restored while the culprit of all the troubles was in the city, and that they took responsibility for the justice of the trial carried out on him 378. This proposal to the emperor was made five days after Pentecost, on June 5, 404. Arkady, deceived by false judges, on the 20th of that month 379 sent an official to Chrysostom with a personal order to immediately leave the city and go into exile. St. Chrysostom, not wanting to resist the royal will, left the bishop's house and went to church. Inviting his friends the bishops with him, he said to them: “Let us pray and say goodbye to the Angel of this church.” At this time, one of the pious and God-fearing persons advised him to go out secretly, so that no new disaster would occur; for the people, imbued with the sorrow of separation and irritated against the enemies of Chrysostom, at the sight of his being taken into custody, could become indignant and start fighting with the soldiers. The holy exile accepted this advice and began to say goodbye to the bishops. Saying goodbye to some, he kissed: but the grief of separation from the sanctuary, from friends, from the flock, shook his soul so much that he burst into tears, and could no longer show everyone such a sign of spiritual brotherly communication; but leaving, he said only to them: “stay in the unity of peace, and I’m going to rest a little.” Then he went into the baptismal porch, called Olympias and some other deaconesses to him, and, saying goodbye to them, said: “My end, it seems, has approached; I have finished my work, and you may not see my face again. But I ask you, continue to serve the Church with the same zeal, with the same zeal as you served under me. And if you want the Lord to show His mercy to you, remember me in your prayers.” These pious widows, saying goodbye to him, hugged his legs and burst into tears; but St. Chrysostom ordered one presbyter to take them to a secluded place so that this deplorable spectacle would no longer outrage the people. Having thus said goodbye to everyone, he left the church on the eastern side, while on the western side, in front of the main entrance, they kept a horse completely ready to leave; This was done in order to divert the attention of the people who were waiting for his exit. The official sent to send him boarded the ship with him and crossed over to Bethany, and there, in the city of Nicaea, St. the exile stayed until the 4th of July. But as soon as they touched the ears of the people’s words, the patriarch was no longer there—sorrow and anger took possession of everyone; the whole city came into great excitement: the cry, crying and sobs of the orphaned flock, a curse on the enemies, a blessing on the one who had left, all this merged together; The city at that time was a deplorable and terrible sight. Some rushed to the sea with the thought of how to stop the retreating shepherd, others fled to their homes, fearing any strict measures on the part of the king to pacify the unrest of the people, while others, as if numb, stood motionless in one place. Christians and pagans, Jews and heretics, friends and enemies of St. Chrysostom stood together now; some uttered cries of joy at the removal of their strict accuser, others uttered cries of sorrow for the loss of their father, all breathed hatred against each other and expressed their feelings in impudent ridicule and gross insults. Finally, a strong struggle ensued between the warring parties, the result of which was terrible bloodshed. But the struggle had not yet ended, when suddenly, no one knew why or from what, the episcopal see, standing in the middle of the cathedral church, with which St. Chrysostom taught the people, and was engulfed in flames. The fire quickly spread throughout the entire church, then engulfed all the buildings belonging to the church, and in a very short time everything was destroyed by the destructive force of the fire. From the church, the movement of a strong wind carried the flames to the vast Senate building; and this entire magnificent building, in no more than three hours, was reduced to ashes 380. This misfortune, which happened in such circumstances, attracted the attention of everyone; everyone reasoned about this event in accordance with their feelings, which inspired them. Friends of St. Chrysostom looked at this event as an execution sent down by God's justice for a crime committed; but the enemies of St. the exile was considered to be the culprits of this disaster by his friends 381. The prefect of the city was a pagan, and he took advantage of this opportunity to express his hatred that he had for Christians. This man, cruel by nature, even more carried away by fanaticism in favor of paganism, brought into action all the instruments of execution to discover the imaginary culprits of the fire between Christians 382. For this purpose, the soldiers ran through the streets and took everyone who came across Christians and imprisoned them. But in order to get an idea of ​​the cruelty with which the trial of unjustly suspected Christians was carried out, let us point out some cases mentioned by Sozomen. Among many, a certain Eutropius the reader was taken. To force him to tell about the culprits of the fire, he was tormented with whips, sticks and nails on his ribs and cheeks, and in addition he endured the burning of his body through a burning torch; but, despite all his youth and tenderness, he testified that he knew nothing. After such torment, he was imprisoned, where he soon died. Among these torments, the deaconess Olympias also appeared courageously; for when she was brought to court for the same reason, when asked by the prefect why she set fire to the church, she answered: this is not the purpose of my life; On the contrary, I used my enormous fortune to renovate the churches of God. “I know your life,” said the prefect. “Then take the place of the accuser,” she said, and let someone else judge us. - But since the accusation was without evidence; then the prefect, not finding anything to rightly blame her for, became more meek, and without doing anything unpleasant to her, he let her go; but the next day, calling her, he sentenced her to a large monetary penalty. At the same time, Presbyter Tigrius, naked, mercilessly scourged, tied hand and foot and then stretched out, was brought to the point of relaxation of his limbs 383. However, all these tortures were carried out, as much on suspicion of arson, as much for evading communication with Bishop Arzaky, the successor of St. Chrysostom. It is impossible to describe all the terrible incidents that happened in the city at that time: confusion and disorder reigned in all parts of it; slander on the one hand, and crying and sobbing on the other; the joy of the wicked pagans and Jews, the triumph of heretics who plotted against the faithful, was clearly expressed on every occasion; the churches were desolate; the divine service was performed with negligence, no one entered the sacred pulpit for the edification of the people; reverent men and wives were forced to gather for public prayers in secluded country places or villages. The poor were left without help, no one consoled the sick, no one supported the weak, the people were left without a leader, wandering, like a flock without a shepherd. Thousands of touching prayers, thousands of painful lamentations constantly ascended to the Lord for the well-being of St. bishop, persecuted and exiled. It was still unknown what happened to St. an exile, and St. Chrysostom, cut off from his beloved flock, exhausted by heartfelt grief for the distressed people, but meek and submissive to the will of Providence, left Nicaea to begin again the difficult path of exile and suffering until his death. Let's follow him through the deserts to the very place of imprisonment. On this path we will see that by his own example he confirms those lessons of holy zeal, love and patience that he taught to his flock in the days of prosperity. The storm rushing towards St. Chrysostom, the slander that darkened him, the various injustices he suffered, persecution from enemies, the grief of friends, upset him, but could neither defeat his unshakable courage nor disturb his spiritual peace. Submissive and completely devoted to the will of God, he maintained a humble silence, reverently honoring the inscrutable ways of Providence. He had long since sacrificed to God his personal dignity, his wealth, his glory, his life and his will; had long foreseen the events that had happened, and was already prepared for them with heartfelt prayer, and especially by reflection on the examples of the holy life of the great ascetics. During the most severe storm, when thunderstorms rushed at him from all sides, when the whole court was breathing anger against him, he calmly consoled his friends and tried to strengthen their courage in misfortunes. For me, he said, there is no misfortune except sin. If the empress wants to exile me, let her exile me, it doesn’t bother me; the earth and the entire universe belong to God. If he orders me to cut it, I will die, just as St. died. prophet Isaiah; orders to be thrown into the sea, I will find consolation for myself in the life of the prophet Job; cast into a fiery furnace, I will remember the three holy youths of Babylon; will be given to the beasts to be devoured, then I will be like Daniel, thrown into the lions' den; whether he will stone him; 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; If my property is stolen, I will say with Job: I came naked from my mother’s womb, naked I will return to the earth. I am not afraid of any misfortune on earth, and I do not desire any good, I am afraid of only one thing: to anger God by not fulfilling my duties. I could gain the friendship of the court if I wanted to change the truth and the Church, but St. The Apostle forbids me this with the words: either I seek to please man; Even if he had pleased men, he would never have been a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). We have already said that St. Chrysostom was first taken to Nicaea, in Bithynia. During his stay here, he, thinking less about his misfortunes than about the glory of God and the salvation of souls, was engaged in the improvement of the Phoenician church, from which he expelled idolatry. He wrote to Constance, who was sent there as a missionary, so that he would not weaken in his zeal due to present circumstances. The helmsman, he wrote to him, does not leave his place because of the rising storm; the doctor does not leave the patient because he is recovering poorly; but on the contrary, both in similar circumstances intensify their cares, labors and vigilance. And you imitate their example and think about the rewards that the Lord is preparing for you. I am sending to you one monk whom I brought out of his solitude in Nicaea; he will be a good helper for you in a godly work. Inform me, in the place of my imprisonment, about the number of churches you have established, about the degree of development of piety in these areas and about everything that concerns the spread of faith, not only in Phenicia, but also in Arabia and other border provinces of the eastern empire 384. What calm in misfortune, what amazing jealousy in the midst of circumstances too capable of relaxing her! Meanwhile, a command arrived from the emperor, and St. Chrysostom learned that Kukuz was appointed as his place of exile, on the instructions of the empress herself 385 . This town, already famous for the presence in it of Paul, Archbishop of Constantinople, whom the Arians strangled there for his unshakable confession of faith, was located in Armenia, among the wild and cold hills, at a distance of eighty days’ journey from Constantinople. This small town was, so to speak, completely separated from the rest of the world - and was generally deprived of all the amenities of life. The winter there was almost continuous, and the land was so barren that the inhabitants, with great effort, could hardly extract from it the most necessary things for life. Added to the terrible inconveniences of life here was the fact that this country was often subjected to devastating raids by the Isaurians, a savage and cruel people. They, leaving the gorges of Mount Taurus, their usual place of residence, appeared in the city and surrounding villages, most often when they were least expected, quickly attacked from all sides and, having caused terrible devastation and murder, ran away and again hid in their impregnable gorges. But St. The bishop listened with all humility to the order assigning him a place of exile. At the moment of his departure, he wrote a letter to his spiritual daughter, blessed Olympias. In this letter he asks her not to worry about his journey. “My body is healthy,” he wrote to her, “and has given me great strength; the air treated me well; those leading me into exile provide me with all possible care, they care about my peace of mind more than how much I want” 386. The soldiers who accompanied him from Nicaea were so attentive and had such deep respect for him that they considered themselves lucky to have the opportunity to serve him 387 . But fatigue and weariness from a difficult and long journey, the unbearable heat of the day, debilitating insomnia, the lack of necessary vital needs, the complete lack of medical assistance, plunged him into such a strong fever that he barely reached Caesarea already, as he himself said, extremely tired, exhausted, being in the highest degree of fiery fever, almost dead. But as soon as he arrived in the city, he was greeted with the most lively signs of sincere cordiality: he was surrounded by the clergy, monks, virgins and all the people, and vying with each other they tried to express to him signs of their deepest respect and sincere love, they served him with slavish obedience, they tried in every possible way to provide everything necessary for his peace and consolation. The most skilled doctors were also invited to him, who, partly with their knowledge, and even more with their friendly sympathy, soon gave him good help, and little by little he began to improve in his health 388 . Surrounded by such signs of tender guardianship, St. Chrysostom hoped to rest in Caesarea for several days until his strength was completely strengthened; but his hopes did not come true. Providence was preparing for him the strongest sorrows on the part of those who should have received him with the most sincere love and poured the oil of compassion and friendly participation on the wounds of his spiritual sorrows. At this time, in Caesarea Cappadocia, instead of St. Basil the Great, the archbishop's see was occupied by Bishop Faretrius, who was too unlike his predecessor not only in knowledge, but, even more so, in piety, justice and Christian love. He was one of the enemies of St. Chrysostom, and had long acted with hostility against him, recognizing everything that was done at the Council of Oak as legal and fair. Looking with envy at the honors and zeal of the people and clergy of Caesarea towards the famous exile, he thereby became even more embittered against him and became the executor of the vindictiveness of hostile bishops who unjustly accused him. No one, of course, could describe so vividly all the sorrows that St. suffered. Chrysostom while passing through Caesarea, like himself. So, let's write out some passages from his 14th letter to the Olympiad, in which he describes all this. Having given consolation to this pious wife, who grieved over the fate that befell him, and expressing to her his desire to keep secret the details of the sorrows surrounding him, he continues: “Do not be upset much by what I tell you: on the contrary, rejoice in the Lord. All the sorrows and persecutions that I had to endure from those people from whom I could least expect it, give me the opportunity to earn forgiveness of sins; I will say even more - this is my victorious palms, my crowns, my countless riches, my immortal treasure. Having escaped from the hands of the Galatian 389, who threatened me almost with death, I was preparing to enter the borders of Cappadocia, but on the road many met me and said that Bishop Faretrius was waiting for me with impatience, looking for me along all paths, so as to have the pleasure of embracing me and showing all the signs of all possible respect and love, and with this intention he sent many monks and nuns to meet me. Knowing well what feelings Faretrius had for me, I was extremely surprised by this; however, he did not express his distrust of the words of those who spoke to anyone. At last I reached Caesarea; but I was extremely tired and exhausted to the point of exhaustion by the length of the journey, the unbearable heat of the sun's rays; the unbearable heat of the fever, which had reached the highest degree of its development, burned me so much that I experienced the pangs of dying suffering. I stopped at the end of the city; I was in a hurry to find some help, asked a doctor who could extinguish this furnace that was burning me, but he could not find it. Finally, God took pity on me: soon the whole clergy, people, monks, nuns, doctors surrounded me, everyone was in a hurry to help me, everyone tried to provide me with some kind of service. The heat of the fever, which burned me and brought me to extreme exhaustion, finally, with the assistance of the doctors and the gratifying sympathy surrounding me, little by little began to subside and weaken. But Faretri did not appear, but was impatiently waiting only for my exit, and I could not understand the reason for this. When I felt that my illness began to pass, I began to think about a further journey to Kukuz. I wanted to arrive there as soon as possible in order to enjoy the necessary rest after the worries and anxieties of my difficult journey. While I was busy with such thoughts, suddenly a rumor spread that armed Isaurians were plundering the outskirts of Caesarea, and had already destroyed one important place, putting everything to fire and sword. - The tribune, taking the soldiers he had, left Caesarea to protect it from enemy attacks. All residents were in extreme fear. Young people joined the armed warriors, while the old men remained to guard the walls. The night passed in fear and trembling. However, I was at peace, surrendering in everything to the will of God; but thinking only about the attack of the Isaurians, I did not expect a blow from the opposite side. Imagine my surprise when, at dawn, many monks surrounded my house, shouting with rage and threatening that they would burn it, turn it into ashes, and cause all kinds of harm to me if I did not leave the city. In vain they told them about the pitiful state of my disturbed health, about the danger of falling into the hands of enemies: nothing could calm them down. My praetorians, frightened, ran to me and begged me to quickly leave the city, just to avoid the wrath of these wild beasts, despite the fact that we were in danger of falling into the hands of the Isaurians. When rumors of this reached the governor, he hurried to my apartment, wanting to help me. But his convictions did not touch them either: after this, not finding any means to establish peace, he sent to Faretrius and convinced him to give me at least a few days’ time, both for the sake of my illness and for the sake of the surrounding dangers. But his request remained unanswered; the next day the monks began with even greater fury, with greater rage. From that moment on, I no longer saw a single priest. Everyone openly said that all this was being done according to the thoughts of Bishop Faretrius, and the bravest of the presbyters disappeared, not daring to visit me anymore: no one after this wanted to give me this consolation, despite my humble requests. So, I decided to set off, and although I was convinced that I was going to obvious death, however, at midday I threw myself on a stretcher and left the city. The whole people cried, sobbed, cursed the culprit of my misfortunes; everyone was sad and shed tears.” “Soon after I left the city, some of the clergy came out secretly and walked with me, expressing signs of the most sincere and tender love. I heard some of them talking among themselves about me: “Where are you taking him to obvious death?” But one cleric, who loved me most of all, came up to me and said: “Go, I beg you; If you get caught by the Isaurians, just get rid of us: for wherever you end up, you will be safer everywhere if you only get away from our hands.” “Meanwhile, among the many who knew me, there was one noble person, Seleucia, the wife of the minister Rufinus, whom I knew, and who had already rendered me many services. Touched by compassion, at the sight of the disasters that surrounded me and the dangers that threatened me, she invited me to retire for a while to one of her houses, located in her village, five miles from Caesarea; She also gave me faithful guides, and I retired there with the soldiers accompanying me. But my misfortunes did not end there; the persecution of enemies pursued me even in this humble solitude.” “As soon as Faretrius found out about my place of stay, he began to make terrible threats to this pious wife, who brought me peace. But I didn’t know anything like that: Seleucia didn’t tell me about it; on the contrary, she ordered her servants to take all means to calm me down; I even ordered the manager to gather villagers from other villages in case they came to disturb my peace of mind, and to repel them by force of arms.” “On the third day after this, Seleucia, concerned about my well-being, while I knew nothing, asked me to retire to one of her villages, in which there was a fortified castle, adding that this place would be more decent for my accommodation and convenient for peace; but since I did not have a proper understanding of what was happening outside my home, and yet was satisfied with my premises, I refused the offer she made. Meanwhile, my persecutors were not content with their rage against me. Faretrius, with terrible threats, began to demand from Seleucia that she throw me out of her house. This reverent wife, no longer having the strength to resist him, decided to let me go to my fate. But, not daring to reveal this shameful secret to me, as she told me later, she decided to send me away under the pretext of a barbarian raid. At midnight, according to her instructions, Presbyter Eusebius came running to me, woke me up and shouted loudly to me: “Get up, I beg you; The barbarians have begun, they are close here.” “You, of course, can understand how terrified I was then.” At a loss as to what to do, I asked his opinion and he told me that he advised me to hit the road rather than return to the city. But it was midnight: impenetrable darkness covered the entire earth; we had no one to help us or show us the way; everyone left us. Tormented by fear, exhausted by illness, completely exhausted, barely alive, I finally stood up and ordered the torches to be lit. But this presbyter immediately extinguished them, out of fear, as he said, that the barbarians, attracted by the light, would attack us.” So, we set off without a guidebook, without lamps, along a narrow, rocky, rough road. But we had barely walked half a mile when the mule carrying the stretcher with me stumbled and fell to his knees. The stretcher fell down with me, and I received such a strong blow that I almost died. However, I somehow got up and walked, holding on to Presbyter Eusebius, who himself fell from his horse. This is how I traveled, being led by the hand, or, better said, dragged, because it was impossible to walk in such an inconvenient place, over these difficult mountains, and still at midnight. Think what I had to endure - surrounded everywhere by such troubles, suffering from a strong fever, knowing nothing about what they were building with me, only preoccupied with fear of the barbarians, trembling and waiting from hour to hour to fall into their hands. But I cannot tell you all the inconveniences of my journey, the fear, the fatigue, the countless hardships that I had to endure, the dangers that I avoided. “But thanks be to God for everything that happened: I remember all this with special pleasure, and, now turning over in my mind all the troubles of the journey, I rejoice like a person possessing enormous wealth. And I beg you, honorable friend, to rejoice in my adventures, to have fun and glorify God, who has deigned me to endure so much.” However, St. the exile did not fall into the hands of the Isaurians, and after this his journey proceeded calmly: the strength of his courageous soul increased as his bodily strength weakened; he was firmly supported by the consoling thought that every step he took into exile, amid such inconveniences, fear, sorrows and bitterness, gave him new martyrdom crowns. He could say along with Ap. Paul: in the traveling processions in abundance: troubles in rivers, troubles from robbers, troubles from relatives, troubles from tongues, troubles in cities, troubles in the desert, troubles in the sea, troubles in false brethren; in labor and struggle, in watching in abundance, in hunger and thirst, in fasting in abundance, in winter and nakedness (2 Cor. 11:26 - 27). Such thoughts, generated by a living faith in Divine Providence, supported his courage, brought joy in suffering and helped him endure all troubles. Finally, the famous exile, having passed through Bithynia, Phrygia, Galatia, and Cappadocia, arrived in Cucus in September of the same 404 year. This arduous journey lasted 70 days. But no matter how difficult it was, it served rather as a triumph for him than as a humiliation; throughout his entire journey, the people and clergy showed him signs of the most sincere zeal and respect 390. The news of his arrival had long ago reached Kukuz, and they were eagerly awaiting him there; and, when he arrived, he was received with all the signs of sincere love and respect that his virtues and his dignity deserved 391 . The most honorable people in the city competitively tried to serve him, and everyone offered him their homes with sincere zeal, considering his stay a special honor for themselves. But St. Chrysostom chose the house of Dioscorus, a man known for his charity and special piety. This venerable husband, having learned about the appointment of St. Chrysostom sent his servant to Kukuz, even to Caesarea, to ask him not to prefer his house to anyone’s house 392. Dioscorus was so attentive to all the needs of St. Chrysostom, and with such zeal took care of providing all the means to calm him down, that St. Chrysostom often entered into an argument with him over the great luxury and generosity with which he wanted to support him. The pious host finally extended his zeal for the venerable guest to the point that he placed his entire house at his disposal, and he himself left for another village; Moreover, he soon built a special house for him, more convenient for winter. But besides Dioscorus, there were many other owners who offered him their services with all zeal, ready to bring him peace by all means 393. Despite the desolation and poverty of the place, despite the fact that the city, due to its poverty, had neither a square nor a marketplace, St. Chrysostom, surrounded by the friendly participation and sincere zeal of many people, had everything he needed in abundance; - according to him, everything flowed to him as if from a source 394. But Adelphius, Bishop of Cucusa, seems to have surpassed everyone with his respect, his love and his care for St. exile. He visited him every day, made every effort to restore his health, to satisfy all his needs; with his respectful and friendly address, his conversation, he tried to calm him down, entertain him, and, if possible, make him forget that he was in exile. His care for St. exile, was so great that St. Chrysostom said that, looking at the care of him and Dioscorus about him, one might think that they have no other business than to calm him down 395. But also St. Chrysostom, for his part, sincerely revered the guardian bishop and loved to be with him; he even wrote to the presbyter Constance that Adelphius’s conversation served for him not only as consolation and reinforcement in sorrows, but as a source of spiritual wealth, and added that since he entered into a sincere, cordial relationship with him, he became, as it were, a different person. His stay in Kukuza, the peace and quiet that he enjoyed there, had a very beneficial effect on his health; the fever that had tormented him for thirty days ceased, and he began to gain strength. This is how he himself writes in the 13th letter to the Olympiad. “I finally rested when I arrived in Kukuz,” he wrote to her, “finally I saw the light through this smoke, through the cloud of disasters to which I was exposed along the way. For almost thirty days or more I constantly struggled with the most severe fever, and in this situation I continued my long and painful journey. In addition, I was tormented by other severe stomach diseases... But now all that has disappeared and gone. As soon as I came to Kukuz, I drove away all the illness and with its remnants, I enjoy the best health.” On the day of his arrival in Cucus, St. Chrysostom, too comforted and delighted by the arrival of the one who almost never left him, served in some way instead of his mother, shared joy and sorrow with him, and leaving all the pleasures of her homeland, followed him from Antioch to Constantinople, despite the distance, difficulties and dangers inseparable from such a long journey. This person, dear to him, was his paternal aunt, Saviniana, deaconess of Constantinople. 396 This pious woman, already quite advanced in years, distinguished by the celebrity of her family, her wealth, especially the holiness of her life, which she dedicated to the care of the poor and sick, always took a lively part in all the sorrows of the holy bishop. Due to her attachment to him, she still hoped that the storm of persecution and slander that had risen against him would subside, and she would have the consolation of ending her days under his leadership. But when she saw that her hopes were deceived, that her shepherd, through the machinations of the wicked, was exiled; she could not endure separation from him, and live in that city where strife and wickedness reigned. Deciding to die or follow the exile to the last limits of the earth, to the Scythian deserts, where, rumor had it, they wanted to send him, wherever he would go, she fulfilled her noble determination with unshakable firmness. Neither old age, nor weakness of strength, nor the length of the journey, nor the difficulty and inconvenience of the journey, nor the advice of friends who pointed out to her the dangers to which she exposed herself could deter her. An arbitrary exile, she left Constantinople, and, although exhausted, but with joy in her soul, she came to Kukuz on the same day as St. Chrysostom The people and clergy also greeted her with the respect and love that such a noble feat deserved; she was looked upon as the glory of her sex, and everyone praised her noble and courageous wanderings. Providence appointed her to great sorrows: of all the relatives of St. Chrysostom alone was destined to be a spectator of all his sorrows, exile and death. And after the removal of St. Chrysostom's peace was not restored in Constantinople. While he was resting after his labors and writing to Olympias and Peania, his friend, to stop their efforts to change the place of his exile, he learned that the capital city was in great excitement and anxiety. The wicked triumphed, heretics and pagans rejoiced, freed from the one who restrained them from abusing the power of his power and always bothered them with the actions of his zeal and eloquent words; but true Christians were immersed in deep sorrow, and cried as a family cries when it has lost its father and head of the family. The Church of Constantinople was likened to a flock, which, having previously grazed on rich pastures irrigated by springs of fresh water, suddenly lost its shepherd and, being in the middle of the desert, was exposed to the fury of wild animals. Hostile St. Chrysostom's bishops, supported and patronized by the court, used all their strength to destroy the division. They tried in every possible way to justify their actions, to renew their actions against St. bishop's absurd slander, in any case pointing to the wicked definitions with which he was accused. Attributing extreme importance to their definitions, they argued that the accusations and exiles of St. Chrysostom, in all fairness, deserved that all Orthodox should humbly acknowledge this definition, forget the condemned bishop and unite with the elder, who, in compliance with all church rules, was elected in his place. But others among the Orthodox did not reason this way; Arzaky, in their eyes, seemed to be a shepherd without a calling, who ascended to the throne of Constantinople - contrary to all the rules of St. Churches; trial of St. Chrysostom was considered completely unfair, and therefore they considered it a crime for themselves to have communication with participants in the schism. Thus, they moved away from those churches in which Arzakia’s friends served, and, gathering in baths, in fields and forests, here they performed the sacraments and listened to the word of God; their zeal and piety were not restrained either by the difficulties of times and places, or by the fear of threats and punishments. The words of the Savior were fulfilled on them: the sick servant of his Lord cannot bear; If you cast Me out, you will be cast out (John 15:20). Since the removal of St. Chrysostom, for the plausible reason of finding the culprits of the fire, imprisoned bishops, presbyters, deacons, virgins and widows and all kinds of men and women. The persecution developed little by little, and finally reached an extreme. Some were subjected to the death penalty, others died in prison, burdened with shackles; Some were charged a fine, while others were sent into exile; all persons known under the name of Johannites more or less took part in the sufferings of the great martyr. Between friends St. Chrysostom had a certain Studius at his court, one of the important dignitaries of Constantinople, who made every effort on his part to wrest from the hands of unjust judges the unfortunate ones, whose whole crime was love and affection for St. Chrysostom. The saint wrote a letter to him, in which he thanked him for his zeal for the protection of the innocent and gave him consolation on the occasion of the death of his brother. “You know,” he told him, that everything human is changeable and passes with the speed of a cascading waterfall; if the one for whom we mourn was angry and given over to crimes, then we should cry for him and lament his fate; but if he was kind, then let us honor him happy; for he did not die, but passed from struggle to rewards, from a stormy sea to a calm harbor. Peanius, who was distinguished not so much by his high virtues as by the important positions he occupied, was also persecuted. St. Chrysostom, in four letters written to him, praises him for his zeal and unshakable faith; At the same time, he advises him to regret the blindness of the persecutors and rejoice over the fate of the persecuted. “Your letter,” wrote St. Chrysostom to him filled my soul with holy joy and inexpressible consolation, not with the sad news that you told me, but with the fact that, having said all this, you add that, in any case, we must surrender to the will of God and say: glory to God in everything! These words are a deadly arrow for the devil; they establish peace and silence in the soul, strengthen it and dispel the dark clouds of sadness inspired by despondency. Yes, thank God for everything! Let us constantly repeat these words and all the storms will subside, the clouds of sadness will dissipate, despondency will run away, and our merits will increase and the reward will be ours. Thank God for everything! These words were a shield and a sword for Job, which gave him victory over the devil, a rainbow that announced peace to him, and finally adorned the holy patriarch with an immortal crown.” Brison, eunuch of Empress Eudoxia and notary of the emperor, who returned the saint. Chrysostom from Preneta after his first exile was also not forgotten by him. In his letter to him, St. Chrysostom expresses his regret about his silence. I ask you for one favor, he wrote to him, write to me more often, and do not deprive me of this consolation under the pretext that I am too distant from you. You know what a consolation it is for me in the midst of sorrows to know that you and your friends are healthy and prosperous.” He also wrote to Leontius, one of the noble persons and his most sincere friend. “I am expelled from your city,” he told him, but not from your heart. No one can steal this blessing from me, and wherever I go, I carry with me the memory of your friendship.” His letter to Craterios, the ruler of Cappadocia, who made every effort to tame the rage of some monks, is no less remarkable. “I will never forget what you did in Caesarea to quell the terrible uprising raised against me,” St. told him. Chrysostom Wherever I go, I will carry with me the memory of your greatest service to me, and I will forever retain my sincere gratitude for the tender care that you had for me.” There were also many secular people who forever remained attached to him and consoled him with their friendship. Among the clergy there were also many people truly disposed towards St. Chrysostom; despite the fall of many of the clergy, carried away by his enemies, there were still many true admirers and defenders of the saint among the bishops and presbyters, who testified their disposition towards him, either by suffering for him, or by sympathy for his suffering. These were: Elpidius, bishop of Laodicea, who defended St. Chrysostom at the council gathered against him; Palladius, describer of his life, Bishop of Elenopolis; Cyriacus, bishop of Emesa, exiled to Palmyra; Demetrius, exiled to Maziki, in Libya; Eulysius, Bishop of Bostra, imprisoned in the castle of the Saracens and many others. Between the presbyters and deacons, most devoted to St. Chrysostom, Cretius, who accompanied him to the place of exile, and Constantius, who waited for him there, are revered; Hypatius, who suffered many persecutions; Deacon Theodotus, to whom the saint wrote seven letters, in which he speaks of his zeal, his labors and friendship for him, for the sake of which he endured many sorrows. The affection that some pious women expressed for their exiled shepherd attracted the wrath of the enemies of the saint against them. Chrysostom. In addition to the blessed Olympias, who, in order to avoid persecution from malicious persons, was forced to leave Constantinople, we can also point to Procula, the holy widow, a Syrian by birth, who, for her love for the poor and sick and amazing piety, was ranked among the deaconesses of Constantinople. For her zeal and zealous care for the glory of God and St. The Church was subjected to many sorrows and persecutions, which Eutalia, her friend, shared with her, was no less distinguished by her living faith and love. St. Chrysostom consoles them in their sorrows with reflection on the vanity of human affairs, which soon change and pass, and with the hope of inexpressible and eternal rewards promised to those who endured to the end. He also wrote many letters to Carteria, which distributed all its numerous wealth to help the poor. Affection for St. Chrysostom, surprise at his high virtues and holiness of life, inspired her with the determination to undertake a journey to Kukuz. And she would have fulfilled this assumption if she had not been held back by a long and severe illness; instead she had to be content with sending a few fragrant ointments and medicines to the exiled bishop. St. Chrysostom thanks her in one letter to her and asks her to notify her about his health. Three other reverent wives, Chalcidia, Asinkritia and Onesicracy, also endured sorrow and persecution for him. The first two lived for a long time under the leadership of St. Chrysostom. They, wanting to prove to the saint their love and devotion to him, wanted to go to Kukuz, despite the severity of the time and the fear of the attack of the Isaurians. But St. Chrysostom wrote to them that there was no need to undertake such a difficult journey, and that their sincere love for him was so well known to him that he did not need special proof. The first two godly wives lived in seclusion with other godly wives. St. Chrysostom wrote them many letters to strengthen and console them. Onesicracy, which some historians confuse with Asinkritia, was no less tied to St. Chrysostom. Many different sorrows, and especially the loss of her only daughter, whom she loved with all maternal tenderness, were a difficult test for her patience and faith in Providence. St. Chrysostom grieved with her and tried to console her with the thought of immortal life. There was also a reverent wife named 397, who, while reverently honoring the holy exile, suffered just as much persecution and embitterment, and in her letter to him also expressed a strong desire to see him - a desire that, however, due to weakness of strength and disordered health, she could not fulfill. St. Chrysostom answered her that although she was the first to write to him, however, this is not completely freed from the accusation, because she wrote too late, and if she wants to compensate for her guilt, then the only way to do this is to write to him more often. But between the spiritual daughters of St. Chrysostom, who were subjected to more severe persecution, were, as we have already said, Olympias, Pentadia, and Nicaretta. Pentadia, by birth and by her connections, belonged to the leading families of the empire. After the death of the consul Timas, her husband, she was a deaconess of Constantinople. She became especially famous for the severity of her life and her virtues. She diligently helped the poor, consoled the sick and received strangers and pilgrims. No one in Constantinople was so famous for works of mercy, abundance of love, living faith, true piety, distance from schism and affection for St. Chrysostom, like her; no one experienced as much hatred from his enemies as she did. This pious wife, who knew nothing except church, hospitals and her room, was brought along with others to trial as a criminal. And how much slander they poured into her, how much vile, how much unjust! How many false witnesses appeared! The unjust judges only cared about forcing her, through fear and insults, to admit their slander and speak against her feelings; but this, in the words of St. Chrysostom, the holy widow, full of courage, like an eagle soaring in the sky, breaking the networks of wicked slanderers, ascended to the heights of holy freedom. Far from allowing herself to be entangled by the wicked intricacies of evil people, she was able to expose their slander, defend the innocence of the exiled bishop and the purity of those who were imprisoned for his sake. St. Chrysostom, having learned that she wanted to leave Constantinople and come to Kukuz in order to share with him the exile and all the sorrows, wrote her a letter with the intention of turning her away from this intention and begged her, out of love for God, and for the benefit of the faithful, for whom she served as support and consolation, to stay and live in Constantinople. This letter from him to Pentadia gives quite detailed information about the sorrows that all those who remained faithful to him endured in Constantinople. Streams of blood flowed, he says in it, many famous people were executed, even the most innocent children, tortured and mutilated, breathed their last in the hands of cruel villains. Nicaretta was forced to leave Constantinople in order to avoid persecution and not see the terrible atrocities committed there. She was born in Nicomedia from one of the most noble families of this city. From her very adolescence she was dedicated to God by a vow of virginity and came to Constantinople to remain there for permanent residence in one of the women’s monasteries. Deprived of almost all her property, she not only endured this loss with amazing generosity, but also devoted much of the small remains to help the needs of the unfortunate. Unceasing heartfelt prayer, psalmody, helping the poor and sick, whom she nourished and to whom she gave medicines prepared with her own hands, were the daily activities of her entire life. She loved silence and solitude, and appeared in the company of people only when her services were needed to help the poor. Out of deep humility, she tried in every possible way to avoid praise from people; her meekness in dealing with her neighbors was amazing; Christian courage never abandoned her in the midst of the most difficult trials, and no matter how difficult the circumstances in which she found herself, she always remained faithful to her holy calling. St. Chrysostom, honoring her lofty virtues, wanted to classify her among the virgins who were under the supervision and care of the Church of Constantinople; but she always refused this high title, considering it beyond her strength. She always took a very active part in all the sorrows of her saint. bishop and father; Having condemned herself to arbitrary exile, she lived away from the city, where constant unrest and disorder reigned, and died in old age, having no consolation to see the restoration of peace and silence. While all these pious admirers of Saint Chrysostom, brought to the extreme degree of humiliation and sorrow, with invincible courage defended the holy cause of faith and justice, rebelled against the violation of the rules of the teaching of the Holy Church, the holy exile from the depths of the desert tried to maintain the fire of holy zeal in them, consoled them in sorrow and expressed his joy about their triumph over evil. Through his letters written to them, St. Chrysostom left to posterity the most gratifying memory of their amazing zeal and invincible courage in suffering. Many of his letters have survived to this day, but we will cite only those that he wrote to bishops, presbyters and all the faithful imprisoned for their adherence to him. “Blessed are the bonds, blessed are the prisons that contain you,” he exclaims, but a thousand times happier are you yourself, the famous captives of the Lord! You have attracted favor from all corners of the earth; Even those who have never seen you love you. Yes, heaven and earth praise you, they glorify you everywhere, wherever the rumor reaches about your constancy, about your unshakable firmness, unshakable determination and the greatness of your soul, which you showed in your sorrows. What an amazing struggle you endured, what invincible courage you showed! No, neither the terrible spectacle of the trial, nor threats, nor even the most varied executions, prison, the most shameless slander, the fury of accusers, cruel insults, the spectacle and fear of a thousand deaths, were powerless to shake you. You have triumphed, and your valiant deeds are glorified everywhere, not only by your friends, but even by your enemies, their powerlessness to prevent you from being surprised in your soul. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven among the saints. martyrs. If the Lord commands us to rejoice when people only slander and slander; since a great reward in heaven is prepared for those who endure all this for the sake of God, how can one not rejoice, how can one not expect a great reward when, with slander and slander, bonds, prisons, swords, torment, wounds, exile and all kinds of suffering and bitterness are combined.” “Rejoice, therefore, my beloved brothers, rejoice and triumph, be strong, arm yourself with strength and constancy, consider the saving effects of your example: count, if you can, the multitude of those whom you have supported, encouraged and established in goodness, not only among your fellow citizens, but among the inhabitants of other places. Meditate often on the words of St. Apostle: we are not worthy of the passions of this present age, for the glory that desires to be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). I also ask you to pray unceasingly for me; although I parted with you a long time ago, and a great distance separates us: nevertheless, I daily rush among you in thought. It seems to me that I see you, that I hear you, that I kiss you with a holy kiss, and that I rejoice at the crowns that adorn your heads. I expect a reward from the Lord for the love I have always had for you, glorious prisoners for the Lord's sake. Write to me as often as possible, describe your suffering to me in more detail, this is one favor I ask of you. Your letters are the greatest consolation for me in the place of my exile.” Soon after this, the prisoners were released through the efforts of Studius, the mayor of Constantinople, but exile took the place of dungeons. Emperor Arkady announced a decree with the following content: “Since it is impossible to reveal the culprits of the fire, we command that all persons of clergy be released from prison, placed on one ship and removed from the city. If anyone dares after this to keep an alien bishop or any of the clergy, then such a house will be taken into the treasury.” By such decrees, under fear of monetary penalties, slaves and freemen were forbidden to leave the city to perform the Divine Mysteries. Meanwhile, as the persecution against the true sons of the Church continued, Arzaky, after a sixteen-month stay at the see of Constantinople, died. His death again set in motion the minds of passionate people, ambition again awakened in many and the enemies of St. Chrysostom tried to install in the abolished place a bishop who could help them in their intentions and assist in the continuation of the work they had begun. The election fell on Atticus, a presbyter of the Constantinople clergy, who also belonged to the number of ill-wishers of Saint Chrysostom. He was originally from Armenian Sebastia, from his youth he studied with the followers of the Macedonian heresy, and having already reached adulthood, he converted to the Catholic Church 398. This man, possessing a naturally good mind, did not have much education, but was cunning, cunning, decisive and adamant in his intended intentions, without discerning their merits and irreconcilable in hatred. Under his rule, slander, slander, persecution, accusations, oppression and disorder continued as before, persons of all ages and conditions, virgins, old people and children, were subjected to the most offensive ridicule and abuse, they were deprived of freedom, estates and even life itself. The rumor of such atrocities involuntarily brought tears from the eyes of St. exile; however, he did not so much grieve over the misfortune of the innocent sufferers, looking at the consolation prepared for them in the heavenly kingdom, as about the terrible executions awaiting the persecutors, which were soon to be poured out on them. But St. Chrysostom, ready for all sorrows for the sake of Christ, could not be an indifferent spectator of the terrible storms that worried the Church of Constantinople and crushed its weak members. He himself no longer found the strength to restore peace, destroyed by his enemies, and therefore began to ask others for help. At this time, Innocent, the Pope of Rome, taking advantage of the favor and trust of Honorius, the emperor of the Western Empire, and, keeping his pastoral influence intact on the bishops subordinate to himself, could contribute, if not to the cessation of discord by considering matters at a new, numerous council, at least to reducing the temptation by exposing slander against St. Chrysostom and malicious rumors about him, spread everywhere by his enemies. Therefore, four bishops 399 were sent to him with letters; one was from Saint Chrysostom, another from 40 bishops who had communion with him, the third from the clergy who remained faithful to their bishop. In his letter to Innocent St. Chrysostom explains with all sincerity all the cunning and malicious actions of Theophilus, all the ill-intentioned actions of the council that was under Oak, the unjust accusations against him, the defection of some clerics carried away by his enemies, condemnation to exile, exile, then return and finally, his imprisonment in Kukuz, and the unrest caused by his enemies in Constantinople. Having stated all this, St. Chrysostom adds: “But what is especially deplorable is that all these disasters have not yet ended, on the contrary, they are multiplying every day, and from Constantinople evil is spreading throughout all regions. We have become the universal laughing stock of peoples, or better yet, there is no such evil person who would laugh at us, so great is the evil! Everywhere the clergy are separated from their bishops, the bishops are also separated from the people, everywhere you see only the painful revival of various sorrows and the general transformation of the earth.” “I beg you: show in these circumstances the strength and zeal so usual to you, and hasten to heal the evil that has crept into the Church. If this disastrous custom is allowed to take root, so that one bishop acts arbitrarily in the diocese of another, no matter what the distance between them; If you give the bishop freedom, to act according to his own will, to depose and expel his fellow servants on one whim, then the whole universe will soon be embraced by fire, and... Everywhere we will see only the search for bishops and the attempt to take the place of one another. To avoid all these evils, Holy Father, declare null and void everything done against me, in my absence, by people who did not have the right to judge me, while I was ready to appear for a legal trial. Bring to legal responsibility those who acted contrary to the rules of St. Churches; and do not deprive me of your brotherly communication in advance. I, being not guilty of anything, have not been convicted of anything and have not been legally convicted, I ask you, Holy Father, do not deprive me of your letters and other signs of your love for me, which I have enjoyed for so long, and which have always been joy and consolation for me. And if my enemies persist in accusing me of those imaginary crimes for which, contrary to all rules, they expelled me; I am ready to defend myself at a legally constituted council and prove my innocence. When in this way you are completely convinced of the truth of all this through the undoubted confirmation of our dear and most reverent brother bishops; I ask you, give me the benefit you can. The mercy that you will show me in these circumstances will not stop only with me, but will spill over to all the Churches, and God Himself, who desires peace for the Churches, will give you a worthy reward.” Soon after this, a presbyter and a deacon arrived in Rome with a letter to the pope from Theophilus, and along with them they brought the acts of the Council of Oak, according to which 36 bishops accused St. Chrysostom. But at one glance at them, Innocent saw that they were the product of malice and deceit, however, not considering his definition obligatory for everyone, and not considering himself the right to reject the definitions of even a private council, he did not dare to pronounce a final judgment on this matter. But expressing a desire to maintain communication with both, he wrote that he would try on his part to form another council of eastern and western bishops, which would consider matters in accordance with the definitions of the Nicene Council 400. Friends of St. They tried to change the place of his exile for Chrysostom, thinking to bring him closer to Constantinople, but in vain; the court and the emperor himself, stirred up against him by his enemies, remained deaf to all their pleas and concerns. St. Chrysostom with all sincerity thanks his friends for their active participation in his condition, and, asking them to no longer care about him, he humbly remained in the appointed place in which the good Lord determined for him to spend the last days of his life. However, he was not in Kukuza for long, about a year, and at the end of 406, on the occasion of the Isaurian raid that devastated Armenia, he was transferred to the Arabis fortress, on Mount Taurus 401. The next year, when the Isaurians left, he again returned to his previous place. But how many different troubles he endured here, over the course of three years, is difficult to recount. His health, which began to improve, soon after arriving in Kukuz, again became very upset. Since October 404, snow covered the mountains, and such a terrible cold spread throughout the country, which had never happened before 402. Despite the care of Dioscorus and all his friends in Constantinople and Antioch, who supplied in abundance everything necessary to satisfy his needs, he could not protect himself from the influence of the cold, and the harsh air had a destructive effect on his health. All winter he could not leave his room to refresh himself with clean air without fear of completely ruining his poor health. From that time on, with the exception of short periods of his short-term recovery, his life was a continuation of incessant sorrows and illnesses. Especially the winters of 405 and 406 subjected him to severe suffering, and almost brought him to death. This is how he himself describes the winter of 405 in his letter to the Olympics. “Having risen from the very doors of death, I am writing to you this letter... This winter, harsh as usual, has brought a very cruel winter to my weak stomach. I spent those two months no better, even much worse, than the dead. I lived only to feel the misfortunes that surrounded me on all sides; everything was night and day, dawn and noon for me; I spent whole days pined to my bed. I used thousands of remedies, but could not remove the damage that the cold caused me; he lit a fire, enduring the most unbearable fumes, sat in one room, covered himself with a lot of rags, did not dare to step outside the threshold; and with all this he endured extreme torment - frequent vomiting, headaches, aversion to food, constant insomnia. The Long Sea - these sleepless nights that I spent 403. The physical suffering was joined by the disasters from the raid of the Isaurians, who plundered the entire country, putting everything to fire and sword.” In many of his letters to friends, St. Chrysostom himself describes the sad state in which he was. “I know that you want to know well the circumstances of my present life,” he wrote from Arabissa in 406 for the Olympiad, “therefore I inform you that although I have freed myself from my severe illness, I still carry the remnants of it with me. I have excellent doctors, but the lack of the most necessary things for life reduces the benefits of healing. For here there is not only a lack of necessary medicines and other things that could improve my exhausted body, but in addition there is a threat of famine and pestilence. These disasters are aggravated by incessant raids from robbers, who scatter far and wide along the roads, block them on all sides, cross them - from which travelers are exposed to great danger... Therefore, I ask you, Olympias, do not send anyone here; I am afraid that the journey to me will not be the cause of death for the traveler. You know what kind of torment a similar case will cause me 404.” St. Chrysostom in the same letter hints to her about the misfortune that befell Andronik, her servant, who, having fallen into the hands of robbers, was robbed and, already naked, barely escaped. In another letter to Deacon Theodotus, he says: “The misfortunes of Armenia are so great that I cannot ask you to come here. Wherever you go, you will see streams of blood, many dead corpses, overthrown or burned houses, destroyed cities.” And in a letter to Polybius it is expressed as follows: “the inhabitants of Armenia are like lions and leopards, who find safety for themselves only in the deserts. We are definitely nomadic and the Scythians change their place of stay every day.” - Even in a letter to Bishop Elpidius, he also touches on this sad subject. “Do not attribute, most holy bishop, to neglect and negligence my long silence regarding the disasters that surround us, with which we are besieged on all sides. I do not and cannot have a permanent residence: 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. Everything here is in ruins and on fire, and the sword destroys houses and destroys the very inhabitants. Many cities and their inhabitants perished; Tormented by fear, we must constantly change our lodgings for the night; our suffering exceeds the very sorrows of exile; we expect death every minute. The fortress, which serves as a prison for me, is not a safe refuge, for it cannot defend itself against the attacks of the Isaurians. Out of respect for all these disasters, I ask you, most reverent ruler, to forgive me for my slowness and pray for me to God, who supports me in the midst of these worries and sorrows.” Amid the sorrows of his exile, St. Chrysostom seems to have forgotten himself for his friends. His 250 letters to them that have reached us, all of which were written by him in captivity, express his sincere and lively participation, which he took in everything that concerned them. With the imperturbable calm of his soul and firm faith, he strengthens them in the most outrageous anxieties, consoles them in sorrows, inspires them and encourages them with the memory of future blessings, and even the hope of meeting with him. During his stay in the desert, he languished with a thirst for information about his friends, and nothing strikes so strongly and pleasantly as his fiery zeal with which he asks them to write to him more often. “I would like,” he wrote to Hesychius, one of his friends in Constantinople, for you to warn me, and, having written the first, to give me through this a pleasant guarantee of your sincere and living friendship for me; however, I did not wait for your letters, and was forced to write myself in order to express through this my tender affection for you. But I willingly excuse your silence, because I am sure that this did not come from your negligence, but from extreme modesty. But from now on, I ask you, write to me more often and notify me about your health, this will be evidence of your friendship for me. But if I had received your letters in my exile, when I was on the last borders of the world, in the most deserted places, what joyful consolation I would have found in your friendship; for loving and being loved is the best way to strengthen the spirit and sweeten the heart, and of course you understand this well, because no one knows how to love like you.” “You probably don’t know,” he wrote to Marceline, that I consider you among my friends; and so do me a favor, write to me more often and notify me about your health.” But between the persons to whom St. wrote. Chrysostom from the place of his imprisonment, the most dear person to his heart was his own sister. “A two-fold strong bond binds me to you,” he wrote to her, dear sister, in the closest possible way—nature and grace. I love you because we have the same mother, but I love and honor you even more because you, breaking away from the world, trampling all its vanity with your feet, despising its honors and pleasures like smoke and dust, ascended to heaven on the wings of faith and piety. I rejoice to see that your desire for heaven is not delayed either by serving your husband, or by worries about raising children, or by caring for the home, or by worldly entertainment. I rejoice that no connections, no deeds stop your rapid flow towards heaven, and that you tear apart all the obstacles that could delay you like a cobweb. I consider it necessary to express to you my true joy at your way of life; but I consider it even more necessary to explain to you the case of the persecution that I endure and the exile to which I am condemned. However, you have a lot of means to find out about all this without me, and your tender sympathy and concern for me needs more reassurance. Calm down and be comforted by the thought that human life is a journey, and that the path of virtue is the path of suffering, while vice follows the paths of pleasure. Do not grieve for the persecuted people; but consider them happy, because their patience will be crowned with glory and immortality if they endure with devotion to the will of God. Don’t worry about my fate either; the misfortunes I endure seem insignificant in my eyes when I think about the reward. Endure your own sufferings with courage, and don’t think much about me; instead, take better care of raising your children, and especially your dear child and Epiphanius. You know the importance of teaching them and the rewards that the Lord prepares for parents who carefully fulfill their sacred duty... St. Apostle Paul urges parents to raise their children in the fear and love of God.” “And if you, dearest sister, behave this way, you will deserve immortal rewards and will bring me boundless joy; I will forget all my misfortunes; they will then be insignificant in my eyes, I will mentally be with you and your family, and this will serve as happiness and peace for me.” Sister of St. Chrysostom took an active part in his suffering; however, she was not destined to see her brother again; at least history is silent about this. His friends, St. the elders and pious widows, Olympias, Nicaretta and Pentadia were also deprived of the consolation of seeing their worthy shepherd, who had long guided them along the paths of faith and Christian piety. Although St. Chrysostom himself hoped for a return: however, the Church of Constantinople was never again resounding with the sounds of his eloquent conversation. However, before we begin the story of the last days of his life, let’s say a few words about his concerns regarding his friends, who occupied him throughout his stay in exile. No matter how great the sorrows endured by St. Chrysostom, however, his living faith remained unshaken, his hope unchanging, his love for God equally ardent. By always blessing the Lord for everything, he wanted to show that at every time and in every place he loved the Lord equally. He, like a tireless winegrower in the vineyard of his Lord, began to work early in the morning and wanted to bear the labor and heat until the last hour of the day. From his numerous letters, which he wrote from Cucus, it is clear that he was always occupied with thoughts worthy of a zealous shepherd and an ardently zealous bishop. His letters are very diverse in content. Some of them have as their subject a friendly conversation with persons who remained faithful to him. Some contained consolation, such as the letter to Studius, the prefect of Constantinople, on the occasion of the death of his son; There was a letter of similar content to Malchus, who was grieving the death of his daughter. “I take full part in your sorrow,” wrote St. Chrysostom Malchus, “but at the same time I ask you, worthy husband, do not allow yourself to relax from strong sadness. No, do not attribute the death of your beloved daughter to your sins. It was a fruit already ripe for heaven, and you placed it in the safest place, in the hands of our father. Be comforted, she has entered the calm haven of endless life. Having escaped from the fury of the waves of real life, she is now far from all danger, standing on an immovable stone on which all her treasures are hidden. Reflect on these comforting words, repeat them to the most reverent person, the mother of this dear child, and compose from them a saving medicine that can calm her sorrow; and you yourself, with complete submission to the will of God, endure the sorrow of its absence and bless the right hand of Him who sends us sorrows in order to increase our merits and rewards promised to the meek and humble souls. But St. Chrysostom was not content with giving only consolation and expressing compassion through letters. Although he was sent to prison and was away from Constantinople, he always looked at himself as a shepherd and bishop. The malice of his enemies could remove him from the midst of his people, but it could not tear his loving heart away from caring for his beloved flock. Driven by zeal for its enlightenment, in his letters he reproached those elders who negligently performed their duties. Such were the two presbyters in Constantinople, Theophilus and Sallust; Sallust spoke teachings in the church only five times from June to October; and Theophilus did not speak even once at the same time. St. Chrysostom complains about this in one of his letters. “I learned with extreme regret that you are careless about fulfilling your duties; Since my departure, you have not gone to church services and have not preached the word of God; no news in my exile could bring me as much grief as this. Write to me in your defense, or at least, if you are guilty, tell me that this will never happen again. Do not upset your friend with laziness, unworthy of the priesthood. Innumerable rewards are assigned for works of pious zeal; but also what punishment should await you for neglect of your duties! Think that the lazy servant of the Gospel is accused and punished not because he lost his talent, but only because he buried it. How dare you indulge in criminal inaction, while among other bishops and presbyters, some are persecuted, others are expelled, and some are imprisoned in exile? Comfort my saddened soul with your zealous activity. As much as I rejoice when I learn about the efforts of some to bring about the triumph of faith and the Church through their actions, I grieve just as much when I hear about the careless performance of some of their duties. And so (I ask you) support this poor mourning people, this persecuted flock of Jesus Christ, and try to earn through your labors the reward that the Master of the House promised to faithful and diligent workers.” Words of St. Chrysostom had a powerful influence on hearts, being confirmed by the example of his own pious zeal. His expulsion by order of Divine Providence was very useful for the spread of the Holy Spirit among the pagan peoples. faith - spreading, which was his constant occupation in Constantinople. And the various sorrows and troubles that surrounded him in exile did not prevent him from practicing this holy work and works of mercy. Having an abundance of money, which he received from his friends in Constantinople and Antioch, he ransomed many captives from the Isaurians, delivered what was necessary to many of the poor, 405 and also sent excess offerings as aid to missionaries who labored in converting pagan peoples to the light of true knowledge of God, in Persia, Phenicia, Arabia and the Goths. In one of his letters to Olympias, he asks her to provide Bishop Marufa, who labored in converting the Gentiles in Persia, with all possible assistance and consolation, and to notify him of his successes in preaching the gospel teaching in this country 406 . In a letter to Presbyter Nicholas, Phoenician missionary, St. Chrysostom urges him to work more diligently in the conversion of non-believers, both himself and through those who can be usefully used in this matter, and at the same time advises him to take care of finding new leaders in this field, so that the whole country can be filled with people inspired by pious zeal for the spread of the Divine glory and the salvation of souls. Not long after this, he sent two hermits, John and Gerontius, to this country. “When a shepherd, he told them, sees his flock in danger, he courageously rises to its defense, arming himself with a stick, stones and slings. If Jacob endured cold and heat, sleepless nights and fatigue from work for fourteen years, if he endured all this with only an earthly goal in mind, in order to protect the well-being of the foolish sheep; Think about what kind of zeal we should have when it comes to saving perishing souls? Do not be afraid of threatening troubles, resist the obstacles and storms that you encounter, arm yourself with holy courage, bring with you the zealous workers you can find, and go without delay. Do not be afraid, you will not lack anything, neither shelter for the night, nor shoes, nor food. I will ensure that all your needs are met. You can practice ordinary works of piety there, just as in the desert; You will also find there fasting, vigil and feats of self-mortification, and even more - the salvation of countless souls, rewards associated with the dangers to which you will be exposed, and, finally, the crowns of blissful immortality. Write to me about the successes of your faith, provide information about your labors and dangers, so that I can rejoice in the Lord.” After this St. Chrysostom sent Rufinus and some other presbyters there, expelled from Antioch by the local bishop Porphyry. Between the missionaries sent by St. Chrysostom to Phenicia, there was also a monk, an inhabitant of the Antioch mountains, his longtime friend and zealous defender of his innocence, St. Aphraat. We already know the zeal of this holy man, his independence from the external conditions of social life, his freedom in expressing his convictions, his fervor with which he rebelled against heresy and his response to Valens, in which his courageous and noble soul was expressed. United by feelings of holy love with St. Chrysostom and with all those who suffered for the faith, Aphraates, despite the removal of St. Chrysostom from Antioch, always maintained respect and love for him; and even during his exile, when many noble and rich people abandoned him, he always remained faithful to him. And this most devoted friend visited the holy exile in Kukuza itself; he brought St. Chrysostom received a very large sum of silver from Diogenes, one of the richest and most virtuous inhabitants of Antioch. But the offerings of St. Chrysostom was so great on all sides that at first he began to refuse the gifts brought to him. But Aphraat forced him to accept and appreciate the gift carried so far and with such dangers. St. Chrysostom, although he took a zealous offering, however, not for himself, but instructed Aphraates to ask Diogenes for permission to send the money he sent to Phenicia to the missionaries who labored there. Meanwhile, Pope Innocent, grieving over the disagreement that outrages the Eastern Church and regretting the innocent suffering of St. bishop, gathered Western bishops, whose general council was supposed to assemble a new, numerous council of bishops of the Eastern and Western Churches, and, for greater success in this, they asked Emperor Honorius to write a letter to brother Arcadius, asking for his assistance in this matter. Honorius willingly accepted the offer and wrote Arcadius a letter, which was already his third, asking him to gather the eastern bishops in Thessalonica to discuss, together with the western bishops, the affairs of St. Chrysostom, in the opinion of many well-meaning people, was unjustly convicted. So five bishops, with two presbyters of the Roman Church and bishops sent earlier on this matter from the east, went to Constantinople, having with them letters from Emperor Honorius and Innocent with the bishops, to ask Arcadius’s consent and his assistance in convening a council 407. The main goal of this embassy was to return St. John to the throne of Constantinople, and through this establish peace and harmony in the Church; but the enemy of the world, the devil, acting in the person of the enemies of St. Chrysostom, and now has erected obstacles to the achievement of such a beneficial goal. Those sent from the pope, before arriving in Constantinople, had to stop in Thessalonica to deliver letters to the bishop of St. Anisius, also friendly to St. Chrysostom, like all Macedonian bishops. But while their ship was sailing off the coast of Greece to land in Athens, they were stopped by a military tribune, who, handing them over to the centurion under supervision, prevented them from being in Thessalonica. Soon after this they were put on two ships and sent to Constantinople. Carried away by a fair wind, they soon crossed the Archipelago and the Dardanelles Strait, and on the third day they were in sight of the city. At this time they were left without food. Upon arrival in Constantinople, the messengers hoped to soon be introduced to Arcadius and present him with a letter from Honorius, but their hopes were not realized in this case either. The court, due to the slander of enemies, acted contrary to their intentions. The minute the ship just landed at the pier, it was immediately turned back and sent to the shores of Thrace, and there everyone sent from Rome was imprisoned in one of the seaside fortresses. There, separated from one another, often left without food, deprived of any communication with well-disposed people, not receiving benefits from anywhere, they were forced to endure all kinds of sorrows. The letters they brought were stolen, and thus all the efforts of the pope, emperor and council to restore peace had only the consequence of attracting even greater persecution and sorrow to the bishops and presbyters who remained faithful to St. Chrysostom. All his friends were condemned and imprisoned in the most deserted countries on the last borders of the empire. St. Chrysostom, having learned in his exile about the care of the pope for him and the goodwill towards him of many Western bishops, wrote letters of gratitude to many, among others, to Hesychius of Salon: “although I am exiled,” he wrote to him, “to the finite limits of the world and removed from your Holiness to an immeasurable space; however, carried on the wings of friendship that unites me with you, I am always near you without difficulty; for friendship knows the means to shorten the longest distances. I embrace you with all the tenderness of sincere love, and I thank you for your efforts to pacify the Eastern Church, and I ask you to continue what you started until silence takes the place of the storm, and peace is established instead of war.” “Of course, you have no need for my convictions, because you began your pious work even before receiving my letter; but I myself have the need to ask you, because evil does not weaken in its power. So, take heart, I ask you, do not give in to the storm, and according to the upcoming evil, apply a decent medicine; The more you endure the struggle, the more labor you endure, the greater the reward you will earn from God.” He wrote letters of the same kind to other bishops. His gratitude for the services rendered, his sincere affection for the people, as well as the fiery zeal that filled his heart, devoted to the good of the Church, were also clearly expressed in his letters to the eastern bishops and presbyters who suffered persecution for him. But these feelings are expressed especially clearly in his second letter, written to Innocent in the third year of his exile. “Although my body is chained and lies in one dark corner of the earth’s surface,” he wrote to him, “but my soul, carried on the wings of love, flies around all countries, reaching the final limits of the universe. The extremely wide distance between the places where we stay is not able to remove me from your piety, and not a single day passes when I do not have spiritual communication with you. So every day I am amazed at the nobility of your soul, the tenderness of your love and your unshakable firmness, every minute I remember the inexpressible consolation that you gave me and the memory of this will forever remain with me. Your vigilance, most pious archpastor and father, increases the more the higher the waves rise, the more hidden the pitfalls, and the more powerful the storm rises: neither the distance of places, nor the length of time, nor the difficulty of circumstances, nothing weakens your zeal.” “Such reflections oblige me to testify to you my sincere gratitude, and at the same time to say that having the opportunity to write to you often will always be the greatest consolation for me. But the space separating us, the lack of convenient and sure opportunities, the attack of the barbarians who blocked all the roads, serve as the greatest obstacle to this. And I ask you, most reverent father, to attribute my long silence not to negligence, but to the impossibility of frequent communication; I am sure, however, that your piety will not blame me, but rather regret it. Your piety has done everything that could be done hitherto; and if success corresponded to your desires, then all disturbances would subside, mistakes would be corrected, temptation would cease; the churches would enjoy deep peace, and instead of contempt for the laws and disregard for the rules of the holy fathers, we would see order everywhere and amazing harmony in all matters. But since human anger not only has not been cured by your efforts, but turmoil and disasters have also increased to the point that there are no words to express everything that is happening; then I conjure your pastoral vigilance not to weaken in the struggle, not to abandon evil people in their stubbornness, but to strive courageously to heal moral wounds, even if they seem incurable. And nothing can be more worthy of your jealousy! The matter is about the benefit of the universal Church, about the restoration of the overthrown churches, about bringing the people to unity, about the return of exiled bishops and about the return of proper force to all the sacred decrees of the holy fathers, now under trampling. That is why I ask you, I beg you, Holy Father, to pay attention to the power of the storm and act with firmness to calm it. You will succeed in this, I am sure. But even if this did not happen, your merits will not lose value in the eyes of the Lord; The mere care of your love will bring indescribable consolation to those who groan under the weight of injustice. I don’t complain about my own suffering, illness, hunger, wars, murders, the horror of solitude, the fear of being killed by barbarians, thousands of deaths hanging over my head, everything is nothing for me, it doesn’t bother me at all; your constant love, tender friendship and goodwill, expressed by you towards me, make me forget my own sorrows and sufferings, and bring me so much consolation that there are no words to express it. Your favor serves as a strong wall for me, a safe refuge, a calm haven, a precious treasure, a source of boundless consolation and true happiness. Even if I were expelled from Kukuz, even if I were exiled to a place even more deserted, nothing would outrage me; I will be happy everywhere, as long as I can be sure of your goodwill towards me.” This letter, which so clearly expresses the soul and heart of St. Chrysostom, was written in 406. The incidents we have mentioned, that is, the insults and violence committed by the bishops sent from the pope, were known to St. Chrysostom. He was saddened to hear about the persecution renewed with renewed vigor in Constantinople, Antioch, and throughout the empire; bishops, presbyters and all the faithful were again subjected to slander, slander, violence, persecution and exile. The more Western bishops made efforts to pacify the Church, the more wicked of the Eastern bishops tried to erect obstacles to the restoration of peace. The holy exile sighed and lamented about all these disasters, and, wanting to give consolation to some, to enlighten and support others, despite his poor health, the constant dangers and disasters of exile, he wrote an essay, the title of which alone encapsulates the essence of Christian philosophy. About this work of St. Chrysostom mentions in his 4th letter to the Olympiad. “I am sending you something,” he says, that I recently wrote about the fact that whoever does not offend himself, no one can offend him.” “Many,” says St. Chrysostom, in their sinful opinions, considers things that are not at all harmful to themselves (which are actually harmful), some poverty, others illness, others loss of property, slander, death, and they lament and cry for those who have suffered these misfortunes... But no one cries for those who live poorly; but what’s worse is that they are often even called happy, which is the very reason for all evil.”408 Then showing that the perfection of a person does not consist in the possession of large sums of money, nor in the strength of bodily strength, nor in the good opinion of the people, nor in a calm and carefree life, nor in dependence on alien power; but in a true and correct way of thinking and in a good life, he says that this treasure cannot be taken away not only by people, but also by the devil himself, if only the one who has it preserves it with proper zeal 409. And this is confirmed by the examples of saints who, apparently losing everything, even being subjected to suffering, but at the same time maintaining an immaculate conscience with love for God, not only did not lose anything, but in the very hardships found gain and glory for themselves. “Tell me,” he asks, what harm did the Apostles bring because they constantly struggled with hunger and thirst and nakedness? Isn’t it this very thing that made them more glorious and famous, and isn’t it this that especially attracted God’s favor and heavenly help? What harm did illness and wounds and poverty and helplessness cause to Lazarus? Isn’t this what his crowns are woven from? What harm would it do to Joseph that he had a bad opinion in his own land and in a foreign land? For he was called both an adulterer and a fornicator. Did slavery and removal from the fatherland harm him? Isn’t that why we praise him more and are surprised? But what am I saying about being removed from the fatherland, and about poverty, and about bad opinion, and about slavery? The very death that harmed Abel, death both violent and untimely, and the kind that the hand of his brother dared to inflict? Isn’t that why he is glorified everywhere in the universe” 410? “But although the righteous, who suffer from evildoers, become more glorious; but this does not depend on the intentions of those who are malicious, but on the courage of those who are attacked. Therefore, it is the latter who determines and prepares rewards for sanity, and thus punishment for evil” 411. Thus, sorrows and hardships cannot harm anyone; they are useful, even necessary. Life is a school of patience, a constant struggle, a flaming furnace. God throws us into this cave of disasters in order to cleanse us, awaken us from relaxation, make our souls stronger, and at the same time winnow the grain from the chaff that covers it. So, let us submit to the orders of Divine Providence with faith in His goodness, we will not demand an account of His actions, especially since the sick person does not demand an account of the doctor’s actions when he creates new wounds on his body in order to heal. Do not be surprised at the sorrows that you see in the Church; Let us remember what also always happened with the martyrs, the undaunted witnesses of the truth. Reflect on all this, beloved brothers, look at the example of the saints, and be inspired by this contemplation, remain firm and unshakable in anticipation of the blessings prepared for us; these benefits, these rewards will not only be equal to your labors and sufferings, but will incomparably surpass them. You will receive not only temporary, perishing rewards, but endless joys. Such convictions, of course, had their effect: those who suffered for the truth were inspired with great courage. But the peace of the church was not restored; bishops, presbyters, all the clergy and all the people committed to St. Chrysostom, everyone moved away from communication with his enemies, and their enemies pursued them with even greater bitterness. Innocent, knowing about all the disasters that worried the Eastern Church, and confident in the innocence of St. Chrysostom, who was still suffering in exile due to the impossibility of suddenly stopping these disasters, wanted to at least give consolation to some of the suffering, and therefore wrote one letter to St. Chrysostom, and the other to the clergy of Constantinople. Here is a letter written to St. to the sufferer. “To my beloved brother John - Innocent.” - This is how the primate of the Roman Church began his letter. ‒ “Although the innocent should expect all good things from God and ask Him for mercy; however, we, as advisers of kindness, through Deacon Cyriac, send you a decent letter, so that resentment does not so much depress your strength as a good conscience strengthens your hope. You, the shepherd and teacher of so many nations, have no need to be taught; you know that excellent people are always and often tempted if they retain all the strength of patience and do not succumb to any heavy feeling of ill-suffering. Conscience, in truth, is a stronghold against all undeserved disasters. Whoever does not defeat them with patience will give rise to a bad opinion of himself; for he who obeys first God, and then his conscience, must endure everything. A kind and honest person can exercise great patience in patience, but cannot be defeated, because his thoughts are preserved by the Divine Scripture; and the readings we offer to the people about divine affairs are very abundant in examples and testify that almost all the saints suffered in various ways, and, constantly being tempted, as if by some test, through this they were honored to receive the crown of patience. So, let your love, most honest brother, comfort the conscience itself, which in sorrow usually consoles the virtuous; for a clear conscience, according to the vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, leads to a haven of peace” 412. Innocent's heartfelt sympathy, expressed in this letter, greatly pleased St. Chrysostom. He hoped that with his assistance, the disturbances dividing the Eastern Church and scattering its flock would soon subside; the bishops expelled for him will be restored, and all the faithful, who daily shed bitter tears over his removal, will finally, under his leadership, serve the Lord in peace and work out their salvation. He expressed these sweet hopes in his letter to Olympias, written in 407. “If separation from me saddens you,” he tells her, then wait for the end of it. I didn’t say this now to amuse you; no, I know for sure that it will be so. For if I had not hoped for an end to my trials that befell me, then it seems to me that I would have left my life long ago. Not to mention the disasters I suffered in Constantinople; but you can imagine how much I suffered after leaving Constantinople, how many troubles I suffered during my long and difficult journey... and many of these troubles were sufficient to kill a person... how much I suffered upon my arrival here, how much after my resettlement from Kukuza, how much, finally, after my stay in Arabissa. But I avoided all those dangers, and now I enjoy health and greater security” 413. Such were the hopes of St. Chrysostom; but they did not come true. God allowed it to be so without a doubt in order to give him some pleasure in suffering, or in order to preserve him in holy humility until the last hour. But at the moment when the holy exile wrote these lines for the Olympiad, full of hope, his irreconcilable enemies, Severian of Gaval, Atticus of Constantinople, Porphyry of Antioch and some others, were already forming new plans against him. However, it could not be otherwise. Never St. Chrysostom, neither in Antioch nor in Constantinople, was in such glory as he is now; his name was repeated to all ends of the earth; the story of the persecutions he endured, the rumor of his lofty virtues spread everywhere; the whole world was busy thinking about him. But according to their feelings towards him, everyone was divided into two parts: on one side were the pope and the Roman court, bishops, presbyters, virgins, and everyone in general thirsting for justice, jealous of the glory of the Holy One. Churches and those who loved St. Chrysostom; on the other hand, vagabonds, low-minded courtiers, bishops and presbyters unworthy of their title, driven by envy, carried away by ambition, and who reached the highest degrees of the priesthood through base intrigues and criminal flattery. Kukuz and Arabissa became immortal in the memory of posterity. Letters written to St. Chrysostom from these places, put him in close relations with all the most famous and at the same time pious persons of the empire; Venerable persons from all over the earth flocked to these deserted and remote places: from Phenicia. Syria, Sicily, Constantinople and Antioch, Some came to fall at the feet of the holy exile as a sign of their reverence for him, to hear from his lips good advice and consolation and to ask for protection in his holy prayers; others, carried away by stories about his lofty virtues, did not want to die without seeing such a famous exile; some even settled in Kukuza or its environs just to have the happiness of enjoying his conversation more often. Those who did not have the opportunity to come to him themselves sent their servants with various gifts, signs of sincere love for him and concern for his well-being. Bishops, presbyters and all the faithful, persecuted and expelled from their places, resorted to him by the two bishops of Antioch and Constantinople. Finally, letters with pastoral instructions and encouragement were distributed from Cucus and Arabissa to the hermits and elders who were preaching the Gospel in Armenia, Phenicia, Arabia, Persia and other places; Along with this, many different donations were sent to the missionaries to help those in need from those who were zealous and from St. himself. Chrysostom, who always had an abundance in the offerings of his friends. Enemies of St. Chrysostom could not look indifferently at the zeal and devotion with which everyone resorted to him. The universal respect for him greatly outraged them, awakening painful envy in their souls; although St. Chrysostom was an exile, but his pastoral zeal for the good of the Church, his power confused them. Moreover, the journey of the eastern bishops to Rome, the embassy of the Roman bishops to Arcadius the Emperor, all this brought them into an unpleasant situation, made them fear losing their influence on church affairs and even being condemned when their affairs were considered at a new, numerous council. And for this reason they tried in every possible way to rebel Arkady against St. Chrysostom and all the bishops who took part in it. They said that the peace of the Church could not be restored until then while the exile was surrounded by his friends, and Kukuz and Arabissa would be a gathering place for his followers. These places, they said, were too close to Antioch and Constantinople, and therefore they asked to change the place of his exile and transfer him to the most remote part of the empire, to the wildest and most deserted places. Weak-hearted Arkady agreed to their demand, and St. Chrysostom had to undertake again a painful journey for him and the final one in his earthly life. Of course, there were many places in the empire that were wild and deserted, but none of them corresponded so much to the evil intentions of the saint’s enemies as Pitiunt. This small little-known town was located in Colchis, on the northern shore of the Black Sea in the neighborhood of the Sarmatians, the most cruel people of all the Scythians. It was possible to arrive there by sea, but in this case it was necessary to sail the entire expanse of the Black Sea, and by land, which stretched about 600 miles. But this path presented many difficulties; it was necessary to cross many rivers, pass through wild deserts, extremely high and rocky mountains. St. Chrysostom not only calmly listened to the ruling condemning him to a new exile; but submissive in everything to the will of the Lord, he even found consolation in the very suffering. “My heart,” he wrote to Olympias, “finds the greatest consolation in suffering; my treasure is hidden in them. And you should rejoice with me and bless the Lord, who has granted me the grace to suffer so much for Him.” Finally, two officials arrived in Kukuz, who were supposed to lead him; they were chosen as his very enemies. The enemies of the saint, fearing that the officials, touched by his exhausted appearance and carried away by the universal respect for him, would themselves become more compassionate towards him, promised them a promotion in rank if they, by rude and cruel treatment of him along the way, brought him to the point that he would die. And they carried out the orders given to them to the fullest extent. One of them still had some feeling of compassion, and when he saw St. Chrysostom, exhausted from the journey and almost dying from exhaustion, apologized and said that they could not provide him with relief, because they had received such orders; but the other had such a brutal disposition that he was very angry with his comrade for his leniency towards the poor exile, while he himself treated the saint without any compassion and forced him to walk day and night. This man, alien to any feeling of compassion, forced him mainly to walk under the particularly strong influence of the scorching rays of the midday sun, hoping that the weak traveler would get sick from relaxation; strong storms and torrential rains also gave him the pleasure of subjecting the holy exile to new sufferings. To the cruelty of his actions he added an evil mockery; when I noticed that St. Chrysostom, wet to the bones, was trembling; he not only did not show him any compassion or assistance, but also laughed at him. Everything that could strengthen one’s strength on the journey was forbidden: neither nutritious food, nor a change of clothes, nor a few days of rest, nor a comfortable overnight stay, the saint had nothing. Chrysostom His cruel guides did not allow him to stop for a minute in those places where he could find compassion and relief from suffering. But for the necessary rest they chose the wildest places, the poorest villages, where they could barely find one piece of bread, and several dilapidated huts in which they spent two or three hours at night. And this cruel path lasted three months. The famous exile finally reached Coman, a small town in the province of Pontus, and his forces were completely exhausted. But the rude warriors, not having any pity for him, despite his exhaustion, forced him to go even further, and he, barely moving, walked about six more miles. But when he came to a deserted place, where there was a church with the relics of St. Basilisk, bishop of Comania, who ended his life as a martyr during the persecution of Maximin, he was no longer able to continue his journey. Here he was shown one and only indulgence throughout the entire journey - he was allowed to spend the night in the prayer room of the priest assigned for sacred rites in the church in which the relics of the saint rested. But this place was the last limit of the suffering journey of St. Chrysostom; here all his sorrows, his exile, his martyrdom must end; here he had to free himself from the rage of his persecutors and begin his journey no longer to the place of exile, but to his heavenly fatherland. The next night, upon arriving here, when St. Chrysostom offered up his warm prayers to the Lord, begging Him to give him help to complacently endure unbearable suffering; St. The Basilisk said: “Don’t be discouraged, brother John! Tomorrow we will be together." This visit filled his heart with the greatest joy and consolation; St. Chrysostom took it as a foreshadowing of his imminent death. The next day in the morning he asked his guides to allow him to stay here until eleven o'clock in the morning; but the cruel bailiffs remained deaf to his request. Even his petition served as an incentive for a speedy departure, and he was forced to walk another thirty stages. But finally his strength weakened so much, his illness took hold so strongly that he could not move any further, and the guards were forced to return to the place from which they began their journey, according to the special arrangement of God’s Providence, giving the opportunity to the holy passion-bearer to end the days of his life near the relics of the holy martyr. St. Chrysostom, knowing that his final exodus had come, took off his clothes soaked in sweat and dirt and put on clean white ones. Having distributed all his property that remained with him to those around him, St. Tain and said his usual prayer: glory to God for everything! then saying: Amen, and having made the sign of the cross on himself, he calmly gave up his spirit into the hands of the Lord 414. The day of his repose was the fourteenth day of September 407 415. While those sad events about which we spoke were taking place, in Constantinople and other regions of the Roman Empire, bishops, presbyters and other reverent Christians, frightened by the multitude of untruths and atrocities, shuddering at the thought of the actions of Divine Justice, raised their eyes and hands to heaven, begging the Lord not to punish the guilty, but to spare them, turning them to the path of repentance. But their prayer was not heard. The Lord, the righteous Judge and avenger of oppressed innocence, wanted to show that those who rejoice over the successes of their malice and wickedness will not rejoice for long, and that if He, apparently, sometimes leaves His saints to the fury of their enemies, when He thinks to cleanse them through suffering, He does not leave them for long, and at the end of the saving test He subjects to just execution the careless villains who, having forgotten about the long-suffering of God, flatter themselves the disastrous hope of impunity. Let us now talk about the events that took place during the exile of St. Chrysostom, which were a clear manifestation of the wrath of the Divine. On September 30, the sky was suddenly covered with the most menacing clouds. Soon lightning flashed in all directions, cutting through the thickening clouds; the thunderclaps were so terrible that nothing like this had ever been heard before; Finally, this terrible thunderstorm broke up with hail of extraordinary size, which caused great devastation in Constantinople and its environs. All residents saw in this destructive thunderstorm a repetition of the terrible storm that raged during the first expulsion of St. Chrysostom. All the pious inhabitants of the city looked at this event as an expression of the Divine wrath for the unjust condemnation of the holy bishop. The wrath of God was also palpably manifested in the punishment of the main culprits of the atrocity. On the fourth day after the event described, Empress Eudoxia died in the most severe pangs of childbirth 416. Severian of Gabala, Akaki of Berry, Antiochus of Ptolemais were also soon struck by death. Of those who participated in the crime, many suffered terrible diseases, and others died an unnatural death. At this time, the famous hermit St. was famous for the holiness of his life and was known to everyone. Nile. Emperor Arkady, recognizing God's punishment in the sad events taking place before his eyes, asked him to intercede in writing in prayers for him and for the empire; but the hermit, with all the freedom of a man who has completely renounced the world and is completely devoted to the will of God, answered him: “Can you hope to free Constantinople from earthquakes and heavenly fire, when countless crimes are committed in it, when lawlessness is openly decreed by law, and when blessed John, the pillar of the Church, the lamp of truth, the trumpet of Jesus Christ, is exiled” 417? At another time he wrote to him: You have deprived the Church of pure and true teaching, do not live without repentance” 418. Theophilus of Alexandria, the main culprit of all the disturbances and persecutions, soon followed his accomplices to the grave. He had great abilities, had a mind enlightened by the study of various sciences, was eloquent, courageous and firm in his pursuit of the intended goal; but pride and ambition, and after this irritability in character and an inclination to slander those who opposed his intentions, led him to those shameful actions that forever left a bad memory of him in posterity. They say that before his death he ordered a portrait of St. Chrysostom; having taken it in his hands, he expressed all signs of respect before him, in order through this to testify to his reconciliation with this holy bishop. The earthly life of St. Chrysostom ended, and with it all the labors, fears, deprivations and sufferings ended. At the news of his death, such a multitude of virgins, presbyters, hermits and reverent persons of every rank and age gathered from all sides that it seemed that by some miracle the faithful from Cilicia, Pontus, Armenia and various other regions had been gathered just to be present at his burial 419 . Palladius, describing the life of St. Chrysostom, spoke with the conviction that on the day of the general judgment he would be numbered among the holy martyrs who suffered for St. Church; because not only those who die for the faith at the hands of the executioner should be honored as martyrs, but also those who die defending any of the Christian virtues. The burial was performed with all possible solemnity. All the pious persons who had gathered from such distant countries, out of love and respect for the bishop who had died in Bose, and especially those who came from Antioch and Constantinople, shed sources of tears: Thinking about the rewards that the Lord would give to this holy defender of the truth, they rejoiced; but imagining his body, stricken by death, forever closed eyes, eloquent lips condemned to eternal silence, we wept bitterly. And their tears flowed even more when they imagined that this holy and great shepherd died after the unbearable suffering of a difficult journey, died far from his fatherland, from his kind flock and friends, in the middle of a wild, deserted desert. The lifeless body of St. Chrysostom, with all the solemnity of church rites, was placed near the relics of St. Martyr Basilisk, so that he, having taken part in his heavenly glory, would share with him the appropriate reverence and reverent worship from people and on earth. This is how this lamp of the Church, this great patriarch, who incessantly sacrificed himself to spread the glory of the Divine among people, died, this way was given over to the earth. The news of his death brought great sorrow to everyone; bishops and presbyters all mourned his death; for with his death they lost a great lamp of faith, a defender of the truth, a model of pastoral zeal and at the same time a true friend. The poor also grieved for him, and the weak shed tears: in him they lost a comforter and a father. The hermits, virgins and widows were no less given over to grief when they heard about his death: for he was for them both a faithful leader and a tender father. The whole Church mourned him; for in him she lost one of the greatest saints, one of the fearless and most zealous defenders of the Holy Faith. But the death of St. Chrysostom, whom almost the whole world mourned, did not touch the cruel hearts of his enemies, did not breathe into them feelings of reconciliation; their malice was not satisfied with the fact that they caused him so much illness and suffering with their persecution, slander and slander during his lifetime. Not being able to make him suffer any more, they could not, however, leave him in complete peace and beyond the grave, trying to darken at least his memory with slander. We would like to pass in silence the vicious and seductive actions of our enemies, but we find it necessary to mention them for the sake of completeness of the story; especially since this can serve not only for the glory of St. Chrysostom, but also for our edification. Those who read about them will be more in awe of the secret ways of Divine Providence, will understand human powerlessness, will sigh for those blinded by passions and will take care to block the entry of such passions into their own hearts. In this new persecution against St. Chrysostom we will meet the same defenders and persecutors. Enemies of St. Chrysostom, driven by passions, wanting to support in others the conviction of the legality of their actions against St. Chrysostom, did not want to include his name in the diptychs for commemoration at the Divine Liturgy along with the names of other Orthodox bishops, and at the same time they contributed a lot of slander to him as a disturber of the public world. But everyone who reverently honored his memory was indignant at the injustice of their actions against Saint John. All the Illyrian bishops and others joined the same side. After the death of the great ecumenical teacher, the Western bishops did not come into communion with the bishops of Egypt, the East, Bosporus and Thrace until they learned that they had added the name of St. Chrysostom to the names of other bishops 420. The fact that the main and powerful perpetrators of the misfortunes of St. Chrysostom, Emperor Arcadius, Empress Eudoxia and Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria also passed away from this life, and their place was taken by pious persons who knew how to appreciate the great virtues of St. Chrysostom. People with a true disposition for all that is good also ascended to the other episcopal sees of his ill-wishers, who not only wrote down his name in themselves, but also convinced others to do the same, and through this contributed to the establishment of peace between all private churches and all members of the Church, and at the same time a feeling of reverence for St. Chrysostom penetrated into the souls of all believers who were previously offended by him. But this was still not enough for the complete destruction of temptation and for the restoration of the glory of St. bishop. In slander, slander and exile of St. Chrysostom was attended by royalty, nobles, bishops, many members of the clergy and a large part of the people; he was shamefully expelled from the church from among his spiritual children; but God wanted, in order to restore and establish the reverent memory of him among the people, that he would enter Constantinople again with the highest, extraordinary honors; so that his return would be incomparably more majestic and solemn than how humiliating his exile was. After the death of Arkady, the throne of the eastern empire was taken by his son, the younger Theodosius. This new sovereign was gifted with excellent qualities of soul; he had a meek and philanthropic character, patient, humble and very disposed towards works of piety. After many changes in the church hierarchy of Constantinople, St. finally ascended to the episcopal see of this city. Proclus, Bishop of Cyzicus. To this pious bishop and friend of St. Chrysostom was destined by God for the honor of transferring St. his relics. For thirty-five years, after the deposition of St. Chrysostom, the memory of him not only did not disappear from the memory of the inhabitants of Constantinople, but veneration for him grew more and more every year. From the first year of his accession to the See of Constantinople, St. Proclus spoke a word in praise of St. Chrysostom did the same thing every year. But at last the day had come, appointed by God for the glorification of his faithful servant, for the consolation of the pious, and for the solemn overthrow of all slander against him. The hearts of all were thus imbued with reverence for St. Chrysostom, that only St. Proclus proposed to transfer the relics of the saint from Comana to Constantinople; Emperor Theodosius, his sister Pulcheria, Arkady and Marina expressed full consent to his proposal, wanting, among other things, to alleviate the sin of Arcadius and Eudoxia by this act. And wishing to accomplish this task with solemnity and splendor befitting the high dignity of the saint. Chrysostom, Theodosius sent ambassadors from senators and high state dignitaries to Comana. Having given letters from Theodosius to the local bishop and residents of the city with orders regarding the transfer of the relics, the messengers began to carry out the orders received. They opened the grave: but at that moment, as soon as they wanted to take the shrine from St. with relics, the Lord performed a miracle, thereby wanting to demonstrate the great holiness of his servant. Perhaps some thought that by carrying the relics of a saint, they were doing a great service to the saint; but the Lord wanted to show that the saints never need us, that the honors given to them by us, the prayers offered to them, do not add anything significant to their inner bliss and perfection, and that everything we do for them benefits us more than them. Despite all possible efforts to lift the crayfish for several days, they could not move it from its place; the crayfish remained motionless, as if chained to the place. St. Chrysostom, as if he did not want to leave the place of his exile, in which his holy relics had rested for several years. The envoys wrote to the emperor about this. The pious sovereign, amazed by the miracle, immediately invited Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, to come to him. Having listened to his judgment on this subject and the advice of other pious bishops, the sovereign understood God's intention hidden in this miracle. According to the unjust trial of his father Arkady, St. Chrysostom was expelled from Constantinople with dishonor; by right of justice, wanting to return the saint to the city, Theodosius had to ask him for this, as if he had been innocently offended. Therefore, he wrote a letter to the saint, in which he humbly begged him to take pity on the empire, to remember that Constantinople was his flock, entrusted to him by God himself, and that he himself was the emperor, his spiritual son through baptism. He begged him at the same time to forget all the injustice, all the insults inflicted on him by his father, and not to upset the city with his refusal, which had placed all its good in the possession of his saint. relics. As soon as the embassy from the emperor arrived in Comani, a letter of petition was placed on the chest of the holy exile, and all the people spent the night in prayer; the just and at the same time merciful Lord heeded the humble pleas of repentance - and the next day the tomb was raised without any difficulty. The elders placed the sacred burden on their shoulders, and, preceded by messengers from the king and accompanied by a large assembly of people, set off on their journey. The news of the transfer of the relics spread further and further to all ends of the empire. Elders, hermits, virgins and all the faithful of all ages and conditions flocked to the road along which the procession continued, carrying lighted Torches in their hands, chanting hymns and various chants, and the air was filled with mellifluous and solemn exclamations. When the holy body was brought to Chalcedon, the entire city of Constantinople, with a large gathering of surrounding residents, rushed to meet their former shepherd. The entire Strait of Constantinople was covered with numerous ships, which in different directions, cutting through the waves of the sea, were illuminated by lit torches and candles. The holy relics were transported on an imperial ship; and as soon as they arrived at the shore, the cancer was immediately transferred to the royal chariot and transported to the church of St. Apostle, amidst cries of joy, tears and blessings from all sides. When the shrine with holy relics was placed in the church, the emperor and his sister Pulcheria humbly bowed their head and knees before them; then Theodosius, taking off all the signs of royal dignity, approached the tomb, and, bowing his head to the relics, fixing his eyes on the face of the saint, begged him for the forgiveness of his parents - Arkady, and especially Eudoxia, as more guilty of all the sufferings of the saint. The entire people, touched to the depths of their hearts by this touching spectacle, together with the emperor, shed bitter tears. When the emperor departed from the tomb, Saint Proclus placed it in the patriarchal place, and at that time a voice was heard saying: “Holy Father! take back your former throne! They say that at this time the saint’s lips opened and he uttered the words: “Peace be with you.” Since then St. The church celebrates the transfer of the relics of St. Chrysostom January 27. Saint Chrysostom on earth burned with true love for everyone, and now he himself rests in the One Who Himself is Love (1 John 4:8). Years and centuries pass, many changes have happened and will happen in different countries, but the name of St. Chrysostom will remain forever, his glory and reward will never perish. Chr. Thurs. 18 0 g. Zlat. v. 3. to young people widow §3, p. 406. This speech was sent to St. John after, upon leaving the school. Palladium and the life of Zlat. Ch. 3, page 16. St. John of Damascus. commendable word of St. John. Zlat. 1, 8. About the priesthood of Zlat. sl. 2. About the priesthood of Zlat. sl. 1. Sozomen 8, 2. Socrates 6, 3. St. Gold. in praise of Diodorus, said in his presence when Chrysostom was a presbyter. About the priesthood pp. 136‒143. About the priesthood pp. 144‒145. Sozomen book. 8, ch. 2, Socrates book. 6, ch. 3. On Matt. conversations 72, p. 244. On Matt. conversations 69, pp. 196‒197. On Matt. conversations 62, pp. Sozomen book. 8, ch. 2. Socrates book. 6, 3. Lais. Diodog. G. 13, pag. 749. This word was written by St. John at the end of 374 or at the beginning of 375, soon after he retired to the monastery of monks. Socrates 6, 3. Sozomen 8, 2. The first of these words is called: against those who persecute leaders to monastic life; second: to the unbelieving father, and third: to the believing father. 1st word against the uprising of the monks §6. 3rd word to the believing father §2. Cheti-Menaia November 13 days. Pallas. about Zlat's life. Ch. 5, §17. Commendable word to Meletius. Chr. Thurs. 1836 part. 1, p. 117. Chr. Thurs. 1857 Zlat. on Acts of Conversations. 46 p. 288. Ibid §6, p. 249. ‒ §7, p. 252. Ibid §11, pp. 265‒266. Third word to Stagyrius §16. 2nd word to the widow §1, p. 429. Palladium about life. Zlat. Ch. 5, p.17. To Antioch. people of conversation. 5. Against Jews and Gentiles. Christ. Read 1832 Part 47, pp. 4‒6. Conversation in memory of St. Vavily. Christ. Thurs. 1842, part III, pp. 318 - 319. Against the Jews with fishing. 6 §2. Against the Jews with fishing. 5 §17. Against Jude. and pagan Chr. Thurs. 1832, part 47, pp. 42‒50. Conversation Zlat. ed. 1846, p. 426. Against Anomeev Art. 2. Chronicle Thurs. 1841 Part 4, p. 39. Against Anomeev sl. 5. Chronicle Thurs. 1842 Part 1, p. 34. Against Anomeev sl. 3. Chronicle Thurs. 1841 Part 4, pp. 182‒189. On the Post. to Tim. Conversation 10 Sl. to new year. Chr. Thurs. 1822 pp. 56‒59. On the last to Rome conversations 16. On Matt. conversations 35, §§3‒5. Socrates book 5, ch. 2. Sozomen book. 7, 2. Oh, overthrown. statues ch. 1, §3. O overthrower. statues of conversations. 1, §1. Word on return. Flavian. Chr. Thurs. 1841, part III, p. ‒331. There are also conversations. 73, pp. 258‒259. Chr. Thurs. 1838, part 2, page 288. Praise. sl. martyrs. Sl. in honor Egypt much Chr. Thurs. 1835, part 1, page 26. Pokhv. sl. Jul. much Chr. Thurs. 1834 Part III, p. 126. Chr. Thurs. 1838, part II, p. 300. In illud: Filius ex se nihil fecit, et saet. Nomil. T. VI, p. 25. About alms Zlat. T. II, conversation. 32, ed. St. Petersburg d. Acad. 1849 Pallas. page . Sozomen book. 8, ch. 2. Socrates book 6, ch. 2. Sozomen, ibid. ch. 2. When he was elected to the episcopal see, he had not yet been baptized, and therefore it is natural to assume that he did not have the qualities required for a bishop, and this can be seen in part from the fact that when Diodorus began to praise him to the Bishop of Antioch and ask for his intercession on his behalf, the bishop, in such an important matter, when many of the most famous men were already proposed for election, laughed at Diodorus’ choice. Sozomen book. Chapter 7 8. Conversation 3 on last to Kolos. Conversation 3, prot. Jude Conversation 78, on John. Conversation 3 about incomprehensible. Con. conversations 10. Conversation. 29 on Acts. Conversation on the last to Heb. Const. Conversation on Acts pp. 159‒160. Conversation 3 on last to Solun. Conversation 3 on last Ear. Conversation 36 on the last one Corinne. Conversation on the 2nd last Cor. Conversation 23 on Matt. Conversation 82 on Matt. Conversation 18 on. 2nd last Cor. Conversation on the last Eph. Conversation 4 about incomprehensible. Conversation 18 by 2 last. Corinne. Conversation 23 on Matt. Conversation on the last Ephesus Conversation about Friday Conversation 3 on last Ear. Conversation 9 about repentance. Conversation 22 on last. Heb. Conversation 18 by 2 last. Corinne. Conversation 25 on Matt. Conversation 21 on Acts. Conversation 18 by 2 last. Corinne. Conversation 24 for 1 last. Corinne. Conversation about names cemeteries. Conversation 41 on last. Cor. Conversation 3 on last Philip. Conversation 21 on Acts. Conversation 10 on last Ear. Conversation to Eutropius. Pallas. about Zlat's life. page 46. Zlat. Volume. IX, neg. 214. Chr. Thurs. 1821 Part IV, p. 256. Chr. Thurs. 1833 Part I, pp. 289‒292. Chr. Thurs. 1829 Part III, p. 67. Chr. Thurs. 1838 Part III, pp. 152‒153. Socrates book 6, ch. 5. Sozomen there. Theodoret is there. Sozomen is there. Sozomen, ibid. Socrates book VI, ch. 6. Pallas. about the life of St. Zlat. Sozomen book. VIII, ch. 7. Palladium, ibid., pp. 47, 48. Palladium, ibid. p. 45. Socrates, book. VI, ch. 15. Sozomen book. VIII, ch. 16. Ch. 13. Socrates book. 6, ch. 9. Palladium pp. 64, 65. Socrates, ibid. Sozomen book. 8, ch. 17. Palladium, right there. Letter from St. John to Pope Innocent volume 3, page 516. Palladium, ibid., p. 65. Pallas. Ibid pp. 63‒73. Socrates. Right there. Sozomen. Ibid., ch. 18. Zlat. Volume III, pp. 415‒419. Christ. Thurs. 1821, part 4, p. 290. Socrates book Ch. 16. Sozomen book. 8, ch. 18. Zlat. volume III, pp. 424, 425. Chr. 1825, part 4, p. 299. Chrysostom in a letter to Innok. vol. III, p. 518. Right there. Sozomen book. 8, ch. 20. Theodoret book 5, ch. 34. Palladium, ibid. Sozomen ibid. 21, 22. Socrates, ibid. Sozomen, ibid. Palladium, ibid., pp. 91, 92. Sozomen and Socrates, ibid. Zlat. volume. 3, letter 54, 76. Published. 1853 in Russian translation for the Olympics, letter 10. Here, it seems, of course, is Leontius, the archbishop of the city of Ancyra in Galatia, who was among the first enemies of St. Chrysostom. Palladium about the life of Zlat. pp. 9, 23, 24. Chr. Read 1824, part 13, pp. 8, 9. Palladium, about the life of Zlat. pp. 97–100. Palladium, ibid. p. 101.