+(Intro) This morning we celebrate of the most influential Fathers of the early Church, St John Chrysostom. We might remember also our former Br Chrysostom who contributed so much to our Liturgy. To begin let us be mindful of our sins and need for God’s loving presence.
(After the gospel) One sees in the life of St John Chrysostom the fulfillment of what Jesus said about one who listens to his words and acts on them. He was like one who building his house, “dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock.”
He suffered many of the inflictions of our own time. He lost his father when he was an infant. As a young man he received a good education but decided to live as a monk. His health gave out because of his severe ascetical life and he returned to city life.
He became a priest and preached in the cathedral at Antioch and gave courses on the books of the Bible. So eloquent was he, that they called him “Chrysostom” that means “golden mouthed.” He focused on moral and spiritual guidance, care for the poor, and condemned the materialism of the wealthy. He was made Archbishop of Constantinople, a Doctor of the Church, a very prominent figure in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Each of our lives, however hidden they may be, when grounded in faith in the Lord Jesus, are built on rock. The floods may come, rivers of tribulation may burst upon them, but we will not be shaken because we are built on solid ground.
Tim 1:15-17; Luke 6:43-49