Conversations upon return from first exile

When a terrible earthquake occurred in Constantinople, the frightened Empress Eudoxia, seeing in this the wrath of God for the injustice caused to St. John Chrysostom, immediately sent messengers to return him from exile to the capital. The saint was solemnly received in the city, where he delivered two discourses. The first of them was pronounced at the beginning of October 403 in the Church of the Holy Apostles, the second - the next day, on Sunday in the Great Church, when St. John returned to his episcopal duties. In the first conversation (2 chapters) the saint gives thanks to God for his return. He rejoices in the love of the people with whom he remained one in heart even during his exile. The saint praises his flock for their heartfelt devotion and prays to the Lord to reward everyone. In the second conversation (5 chapters) St. John compares his church to Sarah, and his enemy, the Archbishop of Alexandria, to Pharaoh, who took Sarah from the hands of Abraham, but was soon to return him. He praises the loyalty of his church, rebels against the violence of his persecutor, which only served to prove how beloved the Bishop of Constantinople is in his city. The faithful, heretics, even Jews expressed their devotion to him. He describes the extraordinary and enthusiastic reception he received and tells some of the circumstances of his return. The saint praises his flock, who, despite threats and deception, have shown unshakable firmness in faith and loyalty to the archpastor. *The title of the essay in Latin is Sermo post reditum a priore exsilio. This conversation exists only in a Latin translation. When, after the saint’s expulsion from the capital, a terrible earthquake occurred, the Empress Eudoskia, frightened by it, seeing in this the wrath of God for the injustice done to the saint, immediately sent messengers to return him to the capital. When the people learned of his return, the entire Bosporus was covered with boats of jubilant people. The saint was received with triumph in the city, where a large crowd, with torches and singing, brought him to the church of the apostles, where he delivered this conversation. In it, he gives thanks to God for his return, as he thanked Him during his departure, accepting from His hand with gratitude both good and evil, following the example of Job. He rejoices in the love of the people with whom he remained one in heart even during his exile. His enemies did him a great service, thinking to harm him: they gave a reason to reveal how much the people loved him. The saint praises his flock more: under the image of a virgin wife who, being separated from her husband, remains faithful to him, he praises the people for the heartfelt devotion to which he now testified, and prays to the Lord to reward him according to his deserts. 1. What will I say or talk about? "Blessed be God!" I spoke these words when leaving you; I repeat this again, or - or rather - I did not stop saying the same thing there. You remember how I introduced Job to you and said: “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” ( Job 1:21 ). I left this as a parting word for you; I offer this again in gratitude: “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” The circumstances are different, but the doxology is the same. Being expelled, I blessed and, returning, I bless. The circumstances are different, but there is one goal for winter and summer, one goal - the well-being of the field. Blessed is God who allowed me to leave; Blessed is He, who commanded me to return again; blessed is God who allowed the storm; Blessed be God, who has ceased and brought about silence. I say this, teaching you to bless God. Did something good happen? Bless God - and good things will remain. Did something bad happen? Bless God and the bad things will stop. So Job, when he was rich, gave thanks, and when he became poor, he praised; and then he did not forget God, and therefore did not blaspheme. The circumstances were different, but the spiritual disposition was the same. Thus, the helmsman’s courage is neither weakened by silence nor suppressed by a storm. Blessed be God both when I was separated from you and when I met you again. Both are a matter of one thought. I was separated from you by body, but I was not separated from you by soul. Do you see what the cunning of the enemies has done? It strengthened my affection, ignited love, and brought me thousands of well-wishers. Formerly my people loved me, but now the Jews also honor me; They thought to remove me from my own people - and they attracted strangers to me. But thanks be given not to them, but to God’s name that their malice turned to our honor. Thus, the Jews crucified our Lord, and through Him the universe was saved, but I thank not the Jews for this, but the Crucified One. Let them see what kind of God our God is, what peace their deceit has produced, what glory it has prepared. Previously, only the church was filled, but now the square has become a church; one chapter both here and here. No one has imposed silence on your meeting, and yet everyone is silent, everyone is lamenting. And before, some sang, others praised those who sang. Today is the horse race and no one is there, but everyone has flocked to the church like streams. The streams are your multitude, and the river is your voices, rising to Heaven and expressing love for your father. Your prayers are more glorious to me than a diadem. Husbands and wives together. Of course: “There is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:28). “Whoever speaks of the power of the Lord will declare all His praises” (Ps. 106:2)? You see how true it is that I have always told you, that is, whoever endures temptation courageously reaps great fruits from it. 2. I have called you to the apostles 1. So, we, the exiled ones, came to those who were expelled. We were subjected to intrigues, and they were persecuted. We came to Timothy, the new Paul, we came to the holy bodies that bore the stripes of Christ. Never be afraid of temptation if you have a valiant soul; through this the saints were awarded crowns. Great is the suffering for the body, but even greater is the peace for the soul. Oh, that you would always be in such suffering! So the shepherd rejoices, enduring labor for the sheep. What should I say? Where to sow? There is no unoccupied country for me. Where should I work? There is no open vineyard for me. Where should I create? The church is overcrowded, my nets are bursting with many fish. What should I do? I don't have time to do anything. That’s why I teach you, not because you need teaching, but to show my sincere love for you. The ears of corn are green everywhere; so many sheep, and nowhere a wolf; so many ears of grain, and nowhere - thorns; so many grapes, and nowhere - foxes! The wild beasts drowned and the wolves fled. Who drove them away? Not I, the shepherd, but you, the sheep. O valor of the sheep! In the absence of the shepherd, they drove away the wolves. Oh, the beauty of the bride, or better yet, chastity! In the absence of her husband, she drove out the adulterers! Oh, the beauty and chastity of the bride! She exposed her beauty, showed her purity. How did you drive away the adulterers? Love for my husband. How did you drive away the adulterers? The excellence of chastity; I did not take weapons, I did not take either spears or shields; I showed them my beauty, and they could not bear its shine. Where are they now? In shame. Where are we? In joy. Kings are with us, leaders are with us. So what should I say? What to talk about? “May the Lord give you more and more, you and your children” (Ps. 113:22), and may he keep your zeal in his net! Here we will stop speaking, for everything we give thanks to the loving God, to whom be glory forever. Amen. In this conversation, delivered the next day, St. John Chrysostom speaks in more detail about the circumstances of his arrival and return. He compares his church to Sarah, and his enemy, the Archbishop of Alexandria, to Pharaoh, who took Sarah from the hands of Abraham, but was soon to return him. He praises the loyalty of his church, rebels against the violence of his persecutor, which only served to prove how beloved the Bishop of Constantinople is in his city. The faithful, heretics, even Jews expressed their devotion to him. He praises the people for the fact that they responded to the cruel violence of their enemies only with prayers. He describes the extraordinary and enthusiastic reception given to him, tells some of the circumstances of his return and quotes his own words from the empress’s letter, on the basis of which he makes several praises for the empress. Having once again praised the people for their willingness to sacrifice even their lives for the benefit of their shepherd and expressing a complaint against those members of the clergy who entered into an alliance with his enemies, the saint thanks God for the benefits he has received, which is how he ends this second conversation on the occasion of his return. 1. When Pharaoh took Sarah from Abraham, a wicked barbarian, an Egyptian - a beautiful and comely wife, looking with unrighteous eyes at her beauty and intending to commit adultery with her, then God did not punish him at the very beginning - so that the courage of the righteous, and the chastity of the wife, and the debauchery of the barbarian, and the love of God would be revealed. The courage of the righteous man was revealed in the fact that he complacently endured what happened; the wife's chastity lies in the fact that, having fallen into barbaric hands, she retained her purity; The debauchery of a barbarian is that he ascended to someone else's bed; God’s love for mankind was manifested in the fact that, against the hopes of people, He then delivered a crown to the righteous. This happened then to Abraham; the same thing happened now with the Church. There is an Egyptian, and there is an Egyptian; he had spearmen, and this one had companions; he attempted against Sarah, and this one against the Church; this one kept her for one night, this one entered here for one day; Even for one day it would not have been allowed to him, but it was allowed so that the chastity of the bride would be revealed; he entered, but the beauty of her chastity was not corrupted, although he was already preparing adultery, and the manuscripts were drawn up, and many of those in the house signed. The instruments of intrigue were ready, but the goal was not achieved. His wickedness and God’s love for mankind were revealed. But that barbarian, then realizing his sin, confessed his iniquity and said to Abraham: “Why did you say: she is my sister?” , and I almost sinned (Gen. 12:19). And this one continues to fight even after lawlessness. Pathetic and unfortunate, you “have sinned... if you have, be silent” (Gen. 4:7), do not add sin to sin! And she returned, having received Egyptian wealth, and the Church returned, possessing spiritual wealth, and appeared most chaste. Look at the fury of this barbarian. You drove out the shepherd, so why scatter the flock? You have deposed the helmsman, so why break the rudders? You drove out the vinedresser; why damage the vines? Why did he destroy the monasteries? You imitated the barbarian invasion. 2. He did everything to reveal your courage; I did everything to find out that there is a flock here, fed by Christ. The shepherd was away, but the flock remained together, and the apostolic saying was fulfilled: “Not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). This is how those who fear your courage, zeal, love and affection for me threatened: “We dare not do anything,” they said, “in the city: give it to us outside the city.” Take me outside the city, so that you can know the disposition of the Church, the valor of my children, the strength of warriors, the strength of warriors, the shine of diadems, the abundance of wealth, the greatness of love, the firmness of patience, the color of freedom, the glory of victory, the shame of your defeat. Oh, extraordinary and wondrous things! The shepherd is outside, and the flock is rejoicing; the military commander is in the distance, and the warriors are fighting. And not only the Church accommodated the soldiers, but the whole city became the Church; the streets, squares, and air were sanctified; the heretics converted, the Jews, praising God, ran to us. So it was with Christ: Caiaphas crucified Him, and the thief confessed. Oh, extraordinary and wondrous things! The priests killed Him, and the wise men worshiped Him. But let this not confuse the Church; if this had not happened, our wealth would not have been revealed; although it existed, it would not open. Just as Job was always righteous, but would not have exalted himself to such an extent if there were no wounds and worms, so our wealth would not have been revealed if there were no intrigues. God, as if justifying himself before Job, said: “Should I justify myself with useless words and speech that has no power?” ( Job 15:3 ). They built forges, fought - and were defeated. How did you fight? With clubs. How amazed? By prayers. “But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him” (Matthew 5:39). And you bring clubs into the Church and wage war. Where [it is proclaimed]: “peace to all,” there you start a war; You are not ashamed, pathetic and unfortunate, of either the place, or the sacred dignity, or the greatness of power. The baptismal sanctuary filled with blood; where remission of sins is granted, there you have shed blood. In what army does this happen? The king, entering here, puts aside his shield and diadem, and you entered, grabbing your clubs; he leaves out the signs of royal dignity, but you brought in the signs of war. However, you did not harm my bride at all, and she continues to show her beauty. 3. Therefore, I rejoice not only that you won, but that you won in my absence. If I were here, we would share the victory with you; but since I was absent, the victory belongs entirely to you. However, this is my praise, and again I share the victory with you, because I raised you in such a way that even in the absence of your father you showed your own valor. Just as the valiant slavers show their strength even in the absence of a mentor, so the valor of your faith showed beauty in the absence of a teacher. And are words needed? The very stones cry out, the walls make a voice. Go to the royal palaces, and you will immediately hear: the people of Constantinople... Go to the sea, to the desert, to the mountains, to houses - your praise is depicted everywhere. How did you win? Not with money, but with faith. O people who love teachers! O people who love their father! Blessed is this city, not with its columns and golden roof, but with your virtue! There are so many intrigues, but your prayers have won; and very justly, because the prayers were fervent and sources of tears flowed. Those have arrows, but you have tears; those have wrath, but you have meekness; do what you want, and you pray. Where are those who resisted now? Have we taken up arms? Did you string the bows? Did they shoot arrows? We prayed, and they fled. They scattered like cobwebs; and you stand like a rock. Blessed am I through you. And before I knew what wealth I had, but now I was surprised. I was away from you, and the city was moved; for the sake of one man the sea became a city; wives, husbands, immature children, women with children in their arms dared to go to the sea, despised the waves; the slave was not afraid of his master, and the woman forgot about her natural weakness. The square became a Church; everything was in motion for us. Who haven't you taught? And the queen joined your host; I will not keep silent about her jealousy. I say this not out of flattery to the queen, but out of respect for piety. I won’t hide her jealousy; after all, she did not resort to force, but hastened to restore virtue. Then I was taken away, you know how - it is necessary to talk about the sad, so that you know the joyful - you know how I was taken away and how I returned. “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. He who bears seeds weeping will return with joy, bearing his sheaves” (Ps. 125:5-6). These words became deeds. You received with gratitude the one whom you sent away with sorrow; and not for a long time, but in one day everything was decided. But even this delay was for you; and God decided so from the very beginning. 4. I’ll tell you my secret. I crossed the sea, alone containing the Church, because there are no boundaries for love; and the ship was not cramped, because “you are not cramped with us” (2 Cor. 6:12). I withdrew, caring for your affairs, separated from you in body, but united with you in soul. I withdrew, praying to God and trusting in your love. I withdrew and in solitude took care of your affairs, in solitude I thought about exile. Suddenly, at a later time, on the very first day, this most God-loving [queen] sends a letter containing the following words [her very words must be quoted here]: “Let not your holiness think that I knew about what happened; I am innocent of your blood; evil and depraved people staged these machinations; God, to whom I am a priest, is witness of my tears.” What kind of sacrificial libation did she make? Her tears were a sacrificial libation! “To whom I worship.” Here is a priestess who ordained herself, offering sacrifice to God and pouring out tears, confession and repentance, not for the priest, but for the Church, for the scattered people! She remembered, she remembered both about children and about baptism. “I remember that my children were baptized by your hands.” The queen wrote this. Meanwhile, the priests, out of hatred, did not even know the place where I was staying; and she, I’ll say something truly amazing, fearing as if for her child, went around everywhere, not personally, but with her own detachment of soldiers, because she also did not know the place where I was. She sent everywhere, worrying that the shepherd would not be treacherously captured and killed, so as not to lose the spoils. “Only this is what I try for my part; I only strive so that they do not overcome it.” Enemies walked around everywhere, laying nets to catch and grab me into their hands. And she begged and touched the king’s knees, trying to make her husband a participant in this trap. As Abraham convinced Sarah, so she convinced her husband. “We have lost a priest, but we will return him; we have no hope of remaining on the throne if we do not return him; it is impossible for me to have communication with any of those who committed this,” she said, shedding tears, begging God, using all measures. And you know with what kindness she received us, how she hugged us as if she were her own members, and said how she was worried along with you. These words were not hidden from your gratitude, because you have in her the mother of churches, the nourisher of monks, the patroness of saints, the support of the poor. Her praise becomes the praise of God, the crown of churches. Should we talk about her fiery love? Should I talk about goodwill towards me? Yesterday, late in the evening, she sent to me with these words: “Tell him: my prayer has been fulfilled; I have achieved what I wanted; I am crowned better than with a diadem; I received the priest, returned the head to the body, the helmsman to the ship, the shepherd to the flock, the groom to the bridal chamber.” 5. Adulterers are put to shame. Whether I live or die, I am calm about everything. You see the consequences of temptation. What should I do to give you a reward worthy of your love? I cannot give what is worthy, but what I can, I reward. I love you so much that I am ready to shed my blood for your salvation. No one has such children, no one has such a herd, no one has such a blooming field. I don't have to till the land; I sleep, and the ears of corn are blooming. I don't have to work; I rest, and the sheep defeat the wolves. What should I call you? Sheep or shepherds, or helmsmen, or warriors, or military leaders? I can rightly attribute all these names to you. Seeing the deanery, I call you sheep; Seeing the thoughtfulness, I call them shepherds; Seeing wisdom, I call them pilots; Seeing courage and firmness, I call you all warriors and military leaders. Oh, work! Oh, the thoughtfulness of the people! You chased away the wolves and never stopped caring. The swimmers who were with you turned against you and began a war against the ship. You cry: away with this clergy, another clergy for the church! Why call out like that? They left, they were driven away, without any pursuit, they fled. It is not the person who condemns them, but their conscience. “For it is not the enemy who reproaches me; I would have endured this” (Ps. 54:13). Those who were with us did not rebel against us; those who wanted to steer the ship with us wanted to sink the ship. I am all the more surprised at your prudence. I am not saying this to incite you to indignation. Indignation is their business, and your business is jealousy. You did not demand to kill them, but to prevent them from doing this both for your sake and for the sake of the Church, so that it would not be drowned again. Your courage would not have allowed the storm to pass, but their intention caused disturbances. And I judge not by the end of the case, but by their intention. You, a man standing before the altar, taking upon yourself the care of so many people, obliged to eliminate the deplorable, you intensified the storm, turned the sword against yourself, destroyed your children by intention, if not by deed itself. But God prevented this. And now I am surprised at you and praise you that after the war and after the establishment of peace, you take care that the world is perfect. Truly, the helmsman must be in agreement with the swimmers; and if they disagree, the ship will sink. You, with the help of God's grace, restored the world; I will make you also participants in safety. I will not do anything without you, as well as without the most God-loving queen, because she also cares, tries and uses all possible measures so that what has been planted remains firm, so that the Church remains serene. So I praised both your prudence and the care of the kings, because they are not so much concerned about the war as about the Church, not so much about the city as about the Church. Let us pray to God, let us ask for it, let us remain in prayer, and after the disasters have ceased, let us not give in to carelessness. That is why, to this day, we continue to pray for an end to the disasters. Let us thank God; Just as we were courageous then, so will we be zealous now. And for all this let us give thanks to God, to whom be glory and power, with the Son and with the Good, Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Those. to the Constantinople Church of St. apostles, where the relics of St. Timofey. You might be interested in: