Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom
The Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom is a Christian religious celebration of the life of a 4th century Christian saint, known for his public speaking, particularly his denunciation of the abuse of authority both within the Church and by politicians. “Chrysostom” is a reference to his eloquence, as it means “golden mouthed.” He is widely regarded as an important early Church Father and is a patron saint of preachers, public speakers, and education.
He is honoured as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, as well as in some others. The Eastern Orthodox, together with the ByzantineCatholics, hold him in special regard as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs (alongside Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus). The feast days of John Chrysostom in the Eastern Orthodox Church are 14 September, 13 November and 27 January. In the Roman Catholic Church he is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. Because the date of his death is occupied by the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September), the General Roman Calendar celebrates him since 1970 on the previous day, 13 September; from the 13th century to 1969 it did so on 27 January, the anniversary of the translation of his body to Constantinople. Of other Western churches, including Anglican provinces and Lutheran churches, some commemorate him on 13 September, others on 27 January. John Chrysostom is honored on the calendars of the Church of England and the Episcopal Church on 13 September. The Coptic Church also recognizes him as a saint (with feast days on 16 Thout and 17 Hathor).
Biography
Early life
John was born in Antioch, Roman Syria (modern-day Antakya, Hatay, Turkey) in 347 AD. Different scholars describe his mother Anthusa as a pagan or as a Christian. His father was a high-ranking military officer. John’s father died soon after his birth and he was raised by his mother. He was baptised in 368 or 373, and tonsured as a reader (one of the minor orders of the Church). It is sometimes said that he was bitten by a snake when he was ten years old, leading to him getting an infection from the bite.
As a result of his mother’s influential connections in the city, John began his education under the pagan preacher Libanius. From Libanius, John acquired the skills for a career in rhetoric, as well as a love of the Greek language and literature. Eventually, he became a lawyer.
As he grew older, however, John became more deeply committed to Christianity and went on to study theology under Diodore of Tarsus, founder of the re-constituted School of Antioch. According to the Christian historian Sozomen, Libanius was supposed to have said on his deathbed that John would have been his successor “if the Christians had not taken him from us”.
John lived in extreme asceticism and became a hermit in about 375; he spent the next two years continually standing, scarcely sleeping, and committing the Bible to memory. As a consequence of these practices, his stomach and kidneys were permanently damaged and poor health forced him to return to Antioch.
Diaconate and service in Antioch
John was first appointed as a reader in the church of Antioch by Zeno of Verona upon the latter’s return from Jerusalem. Later, he was ordained as a deacon in 381 by the bishop Meletius of Antioch who was not then in communion with Alexandria and Rome. After the death of Meletius, John separated himself from the followers of Meletius, without joining Paulinus, the rival of Meletius for the bishopric of Antioch. But after the death of Paulinus (388) he was ordained a presbyter (priest) by Evagrius of Antioch, the successor of Paulinus by the Eustathian faction in the city. He was destined later to bring about reconciliation between Flavian I of Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome, thus bringing those three sees into communion for the first time in nearly seventy years.
In Antioch, over the course of twelve years (386–397), John gained popularity because of the eloquence of his public speaking at the Golden Church, Antioch’s cathedral, especially his insightful expositions of Bible passages and moral teaching. The most valuable of his works from this period are his homilies on various books of the Bible. He emphasised charitable giving and was concerned with the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. He spoke against abuse of wealth and personal property:
Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold and ill-clad. He who said: “This is my body” is the same who said: “You saw me hungry and you gave me no food”, and “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me”… What good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.
His straightforward understanding of the Scriptures – in contrast to the Alexandrian tendency towards allegorical interpretation – meant that the themes of his talks were practical, explaining the Bible’s application to everyday life. Such straightforward preaching helped Chrysostom to garner popular support.
One incident that happened during his service in Antioch illustrates the influence of his homilies. When Chrysostom arrived in Antioch, Flavian, the bishop of the city, had to intervene with emperor Theodosius I on behalf of citizens who had gone on a rampage mutilating statues of the emperor and his family. During the weeks of Lent in 387, John preached more than twenty homilies in which he entreated the people to see the error of their ways. These made a lasting impression on the general population of the city: many pagans converted to Christianity as a result of the homilies. The city was ultimately spared from severe consequences.
In the autumn of 397, John was appointed archbishop of Constantinople, after having been nominated without his knowledge by the eunuchEutropius. He had to leave Antioch in secret due to fears that the departure of such a popular figure would cause civil unrest.
During his time as archbishop he adamantly refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people, but unpopular with wealthy citizens and the clergy. His reforms of the clergy were also unpopular. He told visiting regional preachers to return to the churches they were meant to be serving – without any pay-out. Also he founded a number of hospitals in Constantinople.
His time in Constantinople was more tumultuous than his time in Antioch. Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria, wanted to bring Constantinople under his sway and opposed John’s appointment to Constantinople. Theophilus had disciplined four Egyptianmonks (known as “the Tall Brothers“) over their support of Origen‘s teachings. They fled to John and were welcomed by him. Theophilus therefore accused John of being too partial to the teaching of Origen. He made another enemy in Aelia Eudoxia, wife of emperor Arcadius, who assumed that John’s denunciations of extravagance in feminine dress were aimed at her. Eudoxia, Theophilus and other of his enemies held a synod in 403 (the Synod of the Oak) to charge John, in which his connection to Origen was used against him. It resulted in his deposition and banishment. He was called back by Arcadius almost immediately, as the people became “tumultuous” over his departure, even threatening to burn the imperial palace. There was an earthquake the night of his arrest, which Eudoxia took for a sign of God’s anger, prompting her to ask Arcadius for John’s reinstatement.
Peace was short-lived. A silver statue of Eudoxia was erected in the Augustaion, near his cathedral, the Constantinian Hagia Sophia. John denounced the dedication ceremonies as pagan and spoke against the empress in harsh terms: “Again Herodias raves, again she dances, and again desires to receive John’s head on a charger”, an allusion to the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist. Once again he was banished, this time to the Caucasus in Abkhazia. His banishment sparked riots among his supporters in the capital, and in the fighting the cathedral built by Constantius II was burnt down, necessitating the construction of the second cathedral on the site, the Theodosian Hagia Sophia.
Around 405, John began to lend moral and financial support to Christian monks who were enforcing the emperors’ anti-pagan laws, by destroying temples and shrines in Phoenicia and nearby regions.
The causes of John’s exile are not clear, though Jennifer Barry suggests that they have to do with his connections to Arianism. Other historians, including Wendy Mayer and Geoffrey Dunn, have argued that “the surplus of evidence reveals a struggle between Johannite and anti-Johannite camps in Constantinople soon after John’s departure and for a few years after his death”. Faced with exile, John Chrysostom wrote an appeal for help to three churchmen: Pope Innocent I; Venerius, the bishop of Mediolanum (Milan); and Chromatius, the bishop of Aquileia. In 1872, church historian William Stephens wrote:
The Patriarch of the Eastern Rome appeals to the great bishops of the West, as the champions of an ecclesiastical discipline which he confesses himself unable to enforce, or to see any prospect of establishing. No jealousy is entertained of the Patriarch of the Old Rome by the patriarch of the New Rome. The interference of Innocent is courted, a certain primacy is accorded him, but at the same time he is not addressed as a supreme arbitrator; assistance and sympathy are solicited from him as from an elder brother, and two other prelates of Italy are joint recipients with him of the appeal.
Pope Innocent I protested John’s banishment from Constantinople to the town of Cucusus (Göksun) in Cappadocia, but to no avail. Innocent sent a delegation to intercede on behalf of John in 405. It was led by Gaudentius of Brescia; Gaudentius and his companions, two bishops, encountered many difficulties and never reached their goal of entering Constantinople.
John wrote letters which still held great influence in Constantinople. As a result of this, he was further exiled from Cucusus (where he stayed from 404 to 407) to Pitiunt (Pityus) (in modern Georgia). He never reached this destination alive, as he died at Comana Pontica (modern-day Gümenek, Tokat, Turkey) on 14 September 407 during the journey. He died in the Presbyterium or community of the clergy belonging to the church of Saint Basiliscus of Comana. His last words are said to have been “Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν” (‘Glory be to God for all things’).
What do you eat for the Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom?
St. John Chrsostom is known as “Golden Mouth” so it might make sense to some of you to celebrate his feast day by eating something golden. That’s what I will suggest here!
Pour into your prepared pan and baked for 20 to 25 minutes until the corn bread is a golden brown.
Allow to cool, and then cut. Serve with butter and enjoy!
What is a prayer to say for the Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom?
St. John Chrysostom is famous for creating what are known as “arrow prayers” (short and to the point prayers.) I will share some of those below. (via aleteia.org)
The following eight “arrow” prayers are attributed to St. John Chrysostom. The description arrow prayers refers to short, frequent thoughts that we direct to God, as a reminder that we are constantly in his presence, and to call down his grace.
In the long tradition of the Church, various names have been given to these short prayers — our little hellos — that we speak to Our Lord throughout the day. They are called aspirations, or ejaculatory prayers (from the Latin for bursting forth), or as well, “arrow” prayers.
This last title was used by Padre Pio when he described these short, spontaneous prayers. He said they are like “arrows that wound God’s heart.”
Here are eight from John Chrysostom:
O Lord, enlighten my heart that evil desires have darkened.
O Lord, send down Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy name.
O Lord Jesus Christ, write me in the book of life and grant unto me a good end.
O Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Thy grace.
O Lord, quicken in me a good thought.
O Lord, give me tears and remembrance of death, and contrition.
O Lord, implant in me the root of all good: Thy fear in my heart.
O Lord, grant that I may love Thee from all my soul and mind, and in everything do Thy will.
When is the Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom celebrated?
There are a lot of feast day celebrations associated with St. John Chrysostom, in various traditions. I will list them below:
Byzantine Christianity: 14 September (Departure), 13 November (Celebration transferred from 14 September) 27 January (Translation of relics) 30 January (Three Holy Hierarchs)
Coptic Christianity 17 Hathor (Departure) 16 Thout (Translocation of relics) 12 Pashons (Commemoration of relocation of relics from Comana to Constantinople AD 437)
Western Christianity 13 September 27 January
I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful day!
Lol. I used to buy movie props and I always really wanted the Witch King’s helmet. But I never bought it. I was informed that the Maximus helmet from Gladiator was scary and off-putting, so I figured the Nazgul helmet would be worse. HOWEVER… wearing that while eating dinner and uttering that phrase was definitely a dream I used to harbor.
Your comment kind of makes me wonder if I can start incorporating “Looks like meat’s back on the menu boys!” into the posts wherein that fits.
.jpg)
I have a mental tick where every time I see one of these posts I think of the LOTR ‘ Feast on his flesh’ scene.
Lol. I used to buy movie props and I always really wanted the Witch King’s helmet. But I never bought it. I was informed that the Maximus helmet from Gladiator was scary and off-putting, so I figured the Nazgul helmet would be worse. HOWEVER… wearing that while eating dinner and uttering that phrase was definitely a dream I used to harbor.
Your comment kind of makes me wonder if I can start incorporating “Looks like meat’s back on the menu boys!” into the posts wherein that fits.
I think that one apropos of nothing sometimes when I’m cooking