John Chrysostom is one of the most important Early Church Fathers. He was born around the year 349 in Antioch, an ancient Greek city that is located in modern-day Turkey. As a young adult, he became an anchorite in the mountains surrounding Antioch. An anchorite is a type of hermit who separates himself from the world and devotes his life to prayer and love of the Eucharist. However, he was ordained a priest when he returned from the wilderness due to poor health. John Chrysostom became an important theologian, liturgist, and preacher as Archbishop of Constantinople, an important center of Christianity in the Early Church. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1568 and is known as one of the four Great Greek Fathers of the faith, along with St Basil the Great, St Athanasius, and St Gregory of Nazianzus. His outspoken nature and honesty made him many enemies. However, he is revered to this day in the Church for his great contributions to our faith. He has many wonderful, profound quotes. Here is one of his quotes that I particularly like: “We pray not to inform God or instruct God, but to become intimate with him.” He also said: “A comprehended god is no god.” We unite our prayers with the prayers of St John Chrysostom today.
Our Gospel today tells us that a good tree bears good fruit, that we need to build our lives of faith on a strong foundation. I think of the early Church fathers and the members of the community of saints like John Chyrsostom who exemplified this Gospel message by the way they lived out their lives each day. A good example for us to emulate.
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