John was a contemporary of influential people. A glorious constellation of geniuses was the light during those years that St. John preached in Constantinople. In the West were Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine. In the east were three Cappadocian Saints: Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa, educated, magnetic and fascinating. They were men that St. John has divided the world’s attention.

Physical features

Regarding physical appearance, Chrysostom was small in stature and frail, his face was pleasant, but weakened by fasting and suffering, cheeks pulled, high forehead, free and wrinkled prominent bald head, ears a little higher, a face flat beard, deep eyes were like two burning torches and extremely sharp and penetrating. His stomach often create problems and often fever. It is very sensitive to cold. The physical that had nothing to impose the crowd. His whole life was bright and lively eyes and in his voice, a rare but relatively weak power of persuasion (Cf. J. Tixeront, Précis de Patrologie, Paris, 1927, pp. 264-266). His tastes were of the simplest, and life, a continuous austerity. It was a delicate nature, feeling down and translating things and impressions in a trenchant. Graceful, good, affectionate and cheerful with loved ones, remained in its external relations, always booked. Chrysostom attacked, slandered, refused the fight and i liked more to give than to fight. Against the enemies without conscience, scruples and he had not valued rights.

Opera of St. John Chrysostom

In the opera, we can say that it leaves to posterity a huge work, unequaled both in size and in content, comprising 18 volumes in Migne edition (Vol. 47-64), comparable only to that of Origen or St. Augustine . Among the ancient Antiochian, St. John is the only one whose writings have survived, while almost entirely. This privilege is due to the personality of the author, but in a lesser extent their value. No writer Oriental has not obtained such an extent admiration and appreciation of the posterity.

The writings of St. John Chrysostom, one of the richest and chosen literature’s, have been preserved almost in its entirety. His work contains treated, homilies, catechesis, Bible commentaries, speeches, letters and religious books, including the most famous remains undoubtedly liturgies then officiates Mass in mostly Orthodox Church .

Most of these writings are originally supported sermons by St. John of Antioch and Constantinople. Some of them were written by John itself, but shorthand for tachograph while he was speaking believers, and before you edit them were checked and corrected by Saint John.

All the writings of St. John attract and amaze so much that it completely conquer the reader. His literary works are a wellspring not only for scholars but for archaeologists and historians of culture.

John’s writings analyzed with clarity and conviction matters moral, social, doctrinal and interpretative comment on the practices of daily life, understood books of the Old and New Testaments, praised the personality of many biblical characters, saints, and his contemporaries chief, stop the fundamental teachings Church and defend genuine Christian doctrine of assault heresies quite numerous at the time.The richness, depth and logic of his ideas, his knowledge encyclopedic memory was phenomenal and accuracy in quoting and interpreting Scripture and discovering riches way of writing its beauty and attraction of style, rhetorical figures, pun used in some places, delighting soul spiritual reader constituting a real treat for it.

Almost every sentence of his homilies is certified by quoting Scripture. Each idea is immediately clarified by various examples taken from natural phenomena or similarities in the plant kingdom, or animal from human works, and especially the manners and customs of the people then.

The writings of St. John have a particular character that you immediately reveals whether or not St. writing belongs, even if it is not known from the beginning the author’s name, but wishes to prove in reading writing. For, indeed, all the writings of St. John, whether dogmatic or moral or comments on Scripture, wearing that particular type following characteristic: no writings dogmatic are not clean dogmatic or moral ones are not clean moral and free of the dogmatic and no explanation or herminiile of the Holy Scriptures can not be clean hermeneutical without the dogmatic, but all are presented in three sided dogmatic and moral hermeneutics.

Correspondence of St. John

In his letters, it seems that it was less nervous, less profound, subtle, but a sharp intelligence, more effective and comprehensible to listeners and readers who have a condition peculiar orator. It was well said that if Ippon enlighten minds, strengthen Chrysostom he will. The letters, which are about 240 in number, very short, almost all written in exile and on Providence theme that was best suited to comfort the souls of disturbance caused when the church disorder which caused him great distress, more than his own suffering. In this regard, the 17 letters are distinguished widow dedicated Olympics; of great historical interest turned out to be two letters of Pope Innocent dedicated to the Chrysostom makes an eloquent address. Epistles addressed to old friends in Antioch and Constantinople, bishops, priests, officials, who had taken part and that because of that loyalty to him, had been imprisoned, tortured or exiled. It may be that the author, a prisoner in his desert, having been subjected to censorship, and his band classical school of Libanius feels to some extent. He learned to treat correspondence as a genre, holding its own laws and rules, which, as a grown man, had kept. This consideration will explain why St. John Chrysostom, who also evidence of a genuine dominion of the language, he has held the same literary here.

St. John – outstanding theologian

In theology, St. John Chrysostom is, above all, a moralist that extracts the current teaching practical consequences. He knows, in fact, very good doctrine and, in some speeches controversy has exposed it in a scholar, but deepened it for herself, nor was mixed in theological discussions. It has been said often that St. John Chrysostom was less concerned with the problems of the dogmatic and more moral. Such dissociation is void because his moral teachings are always anchored in biblical and doctrinal structures of church tradition. We can better understand his passionate concern for the moral, if we consider the fact that he was considered first of all and then pastor of souls teacher. As a pastor of souls, he understood and cultivated the sacred duty of the faithful to teach them what it means in reality transposing notions of faith in life, thereby assuming the task of preaching the word evangelical. We can say that St. John was somewhat restrained in speculation about divine mysteries. The attributes of God are familiar, but he looks less analyze them wanting more to live and make them lived. Saint John Chrysostom had the curiosity to investigate how, in Christ, the two natures united, but on the other hand, as a genuine Antioch, he insisted especially on humanity holy life the opera and death of Christ.It must be emphasized that at that time were not worrying combated heresy, as they were before and after him. In this area, St. John did not have much work and not have seen serious compelled to deepen theological issues as they happened Athanasius, St. Basil, St. Augustine. He fought mainly against heretics anomie, and to create a paper entitled Contra anomeilor.

Unparalleled in Scripture exegesis

It is undeniable that St. John is the first in our ecclesiastical literature, especially as unsurpassed hermeneut of Holy Scripture. Faithful to the principles of the School of Antioch, whose illustrious representative and he attaches especially literary exegesis. However, tempering the rigidity of this method either through an appeal prudent and moderate in some allegorism always founded on the letter, either by insisting on moral teaching and wealth of practical applications. Chrysostom was a single man Books. His Bible was never closed. One knew by heart. A summons explains a comment and recommend permanent read. Scripture is for Saint John, the main source of his thinking and unique. He makes it a law for any Christian orator. St. John Chrysostom Bible is the book par excellence, bringing together the various lessons and practical training credincioşilor.Din holy texts, St. John Chrysostom aims to remove the entire depth. With his prolific imagination, he imagines characters weightless, weightless fall within the saints, their feelings, up to them himself and then transmits a movement whose emotion you molipseşte.

Grand Archbishop of Constantinople comment mostly books Old and New Testaments, from Genesis until the Epistle to Hebrew. St. Paul is for him the subject of a special predilections. Undoubtedly, the most numerous and most vivid speeches of praise are those devoted to St. Paul. Almost every step remembers fondly named after the great Apostle.

As a preacher, St. John Chrysostom was considered the first. Drawing a parallel between Chrysostom and Augustine, the theologian Bardenhewer said, “Augustine spoke briefly prefer syllogism; Chrysostom very long, often two hours without causing fatigue listeners, quite the contrary. Augustin is more to the mind, soul Chrysostom whole, he wanted to see him moved to Christian acts. Augustin in his speech after a severe way, logical, cold, abstract, often very cumbersome, St. John spoke but warm, italic, figuratively breathe from his audience or circumstances; hearers held continuously strained by living examples and plastic that was served by the figures of speech that never were exaggerated. His sermon was a sort of exegesis. We find him some interpretations of rare beauty. About Noah’s ark, he says somewhere: It had a mystical sense, was the prototype of the future; because the ship was foreshadowed Church; by Noah Christ; the dove, the Holy Spirit, through olive leaf, God’s love for people (Geschihte der Altkirchlichen Literature, 1923, p. 355).

The word was his ardent wish and vocation and purest greatness. Already his contemporaries liked to say words coming out of his mouth and sweeter than honey. All Christian centuries eulogy confirmed this. He was named Homer’s speakers. He knew the rules of art oratorical that no Christian Greek writer would not be able to compare and these rules apply them with the greatest freedom. With all this praise, it is little known, and certainly too little researched, even by those who consider his name a symbol.

While others are only servants of school rules, St. John Chrysostom apply these rules somewhat unthinkingly, without any artifice and with a perfect sense of measure.

His contemporaries, and along with them, generations, do not cease to proclaim the greatest orators of the Greek Church. Pope Pius X decreed him patron of Christian preachers (Altaner Berthold, Patrology, ed. MARIETTA, 1977, p. 334), and his name is on everyone’s lips today.

Preaching and caring soul became for Saint John, the main purpose of his life; in fact, been passed on to offspring more than 700 authentic homilies, the fruit of 12 years of ministry in Antioch and 6 years of episcopate (until his exile) in Constantinople.

His sermons were practical. Sermon topics or themes burdensome – sin, repentance, faith, Christ’s work of salvation. Many of them explains Scripture, inexhaustible source of moral teachings and exhortations to holiness pretext.

His sermons, which often lasted even two hours, not bored, tired as they are not animated images and comparisons; they are also correlated in conclusions with contemporary events and sometimes enriched by meander around some very interesting arguments.

As bishop, John alleviated some conflict between the king and his officials, especially in the very important issues; intervene in disciplinary matters convening synods, bishops dismissing closing non-Nicene church; also often visited monasteries for nuns in the neighborhood to train community members. St. John did not hesitate to put right even in foreign dioceses, as was that of Ephesus, and deposited in a local synod, the bishops and six governors bought with money. One of his missionary work missionary mention: Goths converting to orthodoxy (he gave them a church and ordained priests of them) and sending monks spread Christianity in Scythia, Persia and Phoenicia. So the Scythians who lived around the Danube and the enlightened (ie populations living in our country, our ancestors). Meanwhile, St. John and served, preaching, meditating, catechize, made pastoral visits, research establishments Church administration was doing, reading and writing. Most of these obligations would meet daily as St. Basil the Great and St. Augustine. It’s hard to imagine how he managed to face such an enormous work, especially that it was a man’s hand, and often sick.

Nektarios previous patriarch, had a great gentleman, and the pomp of the high clergy had to compete with that of the civil aristocracy. Most of clergymen collaborators were very dissatisfied with the austerity and frugality of the new patriarch, who demanded to be sold luxury items Patriarchate, refusing hearty meals, always eating alone.

A reorganized city hospitals and asylums going to try to surpass St. Basil in its attempt to set up a school for lepers; sold church property, using the money for philanthropy; and even in exile, he is redeemed captives whom restored families. To do this, like other bishops before and after him, he used the money from wealthy supporters.

Apostle of charity and ambassador of poor

St. John Chrysostom is, par excellence, the apostle of mercy. He urged listeners to charity. A harshly condemned avarice (in homilies about Lazarus and the rich bad) and made panegyrist mercy. His eloquence is inexhaustible subject to resume unabated. Giving a poor means giving God and John found the sight of Bossuet, magnificent accents to celebrate the eminent dignity of the poor. In his zeal, he was carried away to the point that appears as a tribune seat height discussing the social question. But rather than conclude that a tribune of the poor the right to revolt against the rich, he has no other purpose than to bring it to the rich and practicing charity in helping.

The surname Chrysostom

If we ask, what was the quality of higher and that was his special feature, we will surely answer that on philosophical and encyclopedic culture, was not inferior writers of his times; as interpreter of Holy Scripture he is nearly unsurpassed for which all researchers after him, they took him to their base; on the sacredness of life he was one of the rare men of the Christian Church as a pastor and administrator and was admired. But such qualities we find adorned with others of the Fathers of the Christian Church. That, however, which distinguishes the Saint John all other parents, teachers and writers of the Christian church, so that it looks to be unbeatable, and they never had before equal anyone who is glory particular, is quality of Chrysostom whom they have granted centuries after him.

This is St. John of Constantinople: a messenger of the people, a big heart, an avid study of the Book (ie the Bible – nn) and caring for others; a man who seemed to know intuitively that there were people’s needs and to distinguish truth from falsehood. It was truly golden mouth, was the most eloquent orator of the Christian Church until today. Christendom whole, immediately after the termination of his life, proclaimed teacher ecumenical greatest luminary of the world, the pillar of the Church, the light of truth, the trumpet of Christ, prophet and speaker of the mysteries of God, Theophoros John, Chrysostom John, wishing thereby to demonstrate his great oratorical talent.

Great teacher of the world

This divine word virtuoso worked for the church all his life with untold eagerness Church has placed him among parents not only religious but also among doctors and its most famous writers. Also literary qualities of his works that have captivated his contemporaries require him forever Christian literature and universal. Shortly after his death, Saint John Chrysostom was regarded as Orthodox and Catholics not only as an outstanding preacher and exegete, but also as an authoritative voice in matters of faith. Because Chrysostom was a great performer – although not systematizer – Christian doctrine, the Church appointed him grand master of the world. Ecumenical Councils of Chalcedon (451), Constantinople (680) and Nicaea (787), shows him as a witness of true faith. As Pope Leo the Great and Agatho.

Title learned (wise) of the Church applies only to a very small number of writers church used both in Christian antiquity (they are the Fathers of the Church and also Teach) and in the following centuries. It requires a special approval by the Church, and this is not only authors who once added to a higher wisdom, truths Christian orthodoxy strict and holy living. Among them, some enjoy an exceptional authority. The Orthodox Church has especially respect for St. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint John Chrysostom, whom he calls Learn ecumenical.

Making a very brief characterization of Saint John, we can say that has everything it takes to succeed in serving his profound faith, zeal devouring, eloquence while warm and homely enriched with the most beautiful flowers of rhetoric and most accurate knowledge of souls. This is one of the most attractive characters who might encounter. A soul gentle, delicate, vibrating all emotions, a strong heart, hard on himself, ruthless vices, being nervous into the presence of evil, but also a spirit insufficiently trained requirements battle and sentenced, by its nature, a continuous suffering, the suffering of men loyal, launching hardly in a fight and do not find in front of them masked enemies than before which all their sincerity is futile. His behavior towards some and others was dominated by truth and charity.St. John Chrysostom remains the most famous of the Greek fathers and one of the most fascinating figures of Christian antiquity. Living with awe remember him, that all Masses call him and we want protector.

Rev. Fr. Liviu Petcu