Sunday, January 29, 2012

St John Chrysostom


Wikipedia has the following to say about this Saint, this Doctor of the Church, who is one of the Three Holy Hierarchs:


"Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. After his death in 407 (or, according to some sources, during his life) he was given the Greek epithet chrysostomos, meaning "golden mouthed", in English and Anglicized to Chrysostom.

The Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches honor him as a saint and count him among the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church."

In the icon above of the Three Holy Hierarchs, St. John Chrysostom (middle) is commonly shown balding, with dark hair and a small beard.

Links:
Readings:
Optional Readings:
  • St. John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instructions, No. 6, p. 93, addressed to the neophytes in criticism of those who have abandoned the religious service and have gone off to the chariot races and the theatres.
  • Background on public amusements in Constantinople, including the importance of chariot races at the hippodrome, p. 161-164, in the book St. Chrysostom’s Picture of His Age.  Chrysostom’s actual treatise Contra Ludos, and others, are hard to find online.

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