John Chrysostom was an important Early Father of the Church who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, his Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. The epithet Chrysostom means "golden-mouthed" in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence. In the Roman Catholic Church, he is recognized as a Doctor of the Church.
John was born in Antioch in 347. His father was a high-ranking military officer, who died soon after the birth of John. As he grew older, John became more deeply committed to Christianity and went on to study theology under Diodore of Tarsus. He lived in extreme asceticism and became a hermit in by 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.
John was ordained as a deacon in 381 and was ordained a priest in 386. He was destined 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.
His straightforward understanding of the Scriptures 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.
In 397, John was appointed archbishop of Constantinople. During his time as archbishop, he refused to host lavish social gatherings, which made him popular with the common people, but unpopular with wealthy citizens and the clergy. He had enemies in high places, and some were ecclesiastics like Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who however, repented of this before he died. John's most powerful enemy was the empress Eudoxia, who felt offended by the apostolic freedom of his discourses. In turn, several accusations were brought against him in a pseudo-council, and John was sent into exile.
His banishment sparked riots among his supporters in the capital, and the cathedral built by Constantius II was burnt down, necessitating the construction of the second cathedral on the site, the Theodosian Hagia Sophia.
Faced with exile, John wrote to Pope Innocent I, Venerius, the bishop of Mediolanum (Milan), and to Chromatius, the bishop of Aquileia. Pope Innocent I protested John's excile from Constantinople to the town of Cucusus in Cappadocia, but to no avail. John continued writing letters for support and as a result, he was further exiled from Cucusus to Pitiunt (in modern Georgia). However, John never reached this destination, as he died at Comana Pontica on 14 September 407 during the journey.
John 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 “Glory be to God for all things”.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Amatus of Sion
2. Saint Columbinus of Lure
3. Saint Gordian of Pontus
4. Saint Julian of Ankyra
5. Saint Philip of Rome