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John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople
This greatest and
most beloved of all Christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in
the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus
and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at
the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder
sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his
literary training under Anthragathius the
philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was
the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, and when asked before his death
whom he wished to have for his
successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from
us." With such a training, and with such gifts as he had by nature,
John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the
good example of his godly mother Anthusa and of
the holy Bishop Meletius of Antioch (see Feb.
12), by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370, he chose instead
to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to 381 he lived the
monastic life in the hermitages that were near Antioch. His extreme
asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to return to Antioch,
where Saint Meletius ordained him deacon about
the year 381. Saint Meletius was called to
Constantinople later that year to preside over the Second Ecumenical
Council, during which he fell asleep in the Lord. In 386 Bishop
Flavian ordained John presbyter of the Church of Antioch. Upon his
elevation to the priesthood his career as a public preacher began, and
his exceptional oratorical gifts were made manifest through his many
sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished by their eloquence and
the remarkable ease with which rich imagery and scriptural allusions are
multiplied; by their depth of insight into the meaning of Scripture and
the workings of God's providence; and, not least of all, by their
earnestness and moral force, which issue from the heart of a blameless
and guileless man who lived first what he preached to others. Because of
his fame, he was chosen to succeed Saint Nectarius
as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away by stealth, to avoid
the opposition of the people, and consecrated Patriarch of Constantinople
on February 28, 398, by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was to
prove his mortal enemy.
At that time the
Emperor of the East was Arcadius, who had had Saint Arsenius
the Great as his tutor (see May 8); Arcadius was a man of weak character,
and much under the influence of his wife Eudoxia.
The zealous and upright Chrysostom's unsparing censures of the lax morals
in the imperial city stung the vain Eudoxia;
through Theophilus' plottings and her
collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontus in 403. The people were
in an uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this
so frightened the Empress Eudoxia that she
begged Arcadius to call Chrysostom back. While his return was triumphant,
his reconciliation with the Empress did not last long. When she had a silver
statue of herself erected in the forum before the Church of the Holy
Wisdom (Saint Sophia) in September of 403, and had it dedicated with much
unseemly revelry, Saint John thundered against her, and she could not
forgive him. In June of 404 he was exiled to Cucusus,
on the borders of Cilicia and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters
with Pope Innocent of Rome, who sent bishops and priests to
Constantinople requesting that a council be held. Saint John's enemies,
dreading his return, prevailed upon the Emperor to see an insult in this,
and had John taken to a more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The journey was filled with
bitter sufferings for
the aged bishop, both because of the harshness of the elements and the
cruelty of one of his 310 guards. He did not reach Pityus,
but gave up his soul to the Lord near Comana in
Pontus, at the chapel of the Martyr Basiliscus
(see May 22), who had appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day
of his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407. His last words
were "Glory be to God for all things." His holy relics were
brought from Comana to Constantinople
thirty-one years later by the Emperor Theodosius the Younger and
Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of
Arcadius and Eudoxia, with fervent
supplications that the sin of their parents against him be forgiven; this
return of his holy relics is celebrated on January 27.
Saint John was
surnamed Chrysostom ("Golden-mouth") because of his eloquence.
He made exhaustive commentaries on the divine Scriptures and was the
author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us complete
commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints Matthew and
John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His extant works are 1,447
sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teachers of the Church have written
homilies of praise in his honour. Besides his feasts today and on January
27, he is celebrated as one of the Three Hierarchs on January 30,
together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian.
It should be
noted that, because September 14 is the Exaltation of the Cross, the
Saint's memory has been transferred to this day.
Apolytikion
of John Chrysostom, Abp. Of Constantinople
Plagal
of the Fourth Tone
The grace of your words
illuminated the universe like a shining beacon. It
amassed treasures of munificence in the world. It demonstrated the
greatness of humility, teaching us by your own words; therefore, O Father
John Chrysostom, intercede to Christ the Logos for the salvation of our
souls.
Kontakion
of John Chrysostom, Abp. Of Constantinople
Plagal
of the Second Tone
You received divine grace from
Heaven, and by your own lips taught all to worship the One God in
Trinity. All-blessed, venerable John Chrysostom, deservedly, we praise
you for you are a teacher clearly revealing things divine.
Philip the Apostle
This Apostle, one
of the Twelve, was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was a compatriot of
Andrew and Peter. He was instructed in the teachings of the Law, and
devoted himself to the study of the prophetic books. Therefore, when the
Lord Jesus called him to the dignity of apostleship, he immediately
sought out and found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him
of Whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth,
the son of Joseph" (John 1.45). Having preached Jesus
the God-man throughout many parts of Asia Minor, and having suffered many
things for His Name's sake, he was finally crucified upside down in
Hierapolis of Phrygia.
Apolytikion
of Apostle Philip
Third
Tone
O Holy Apostle Philip, intercede to our merciful God, that He may
grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion
of Apostle Philip
Plagal
of the Fourth Tone
Your disciple and friend, emulator of Your passion, the divinely
eloquent Philip, proclaimed You to the world as God. By his entreaties,
and through the Theotokos, keep Your Church from lawless enemies, O most
merciful.
Matthew the Apostle & Evangelist
This Apostle, who was also called Levi,
was the son of Alphaeus and had Galilee as his homeland. A publican
before being called by Christ, he became one of the Twelve Apostles, and
an Evangelist. While still in Palestine, he wrote his Gospel first in
Hebrew, being also the first of all to write the Gospel. When he is
depicted in icons, there is portrayed next to him the likeness of a man,
one of the symbolic living creatures mentioned by Ezekiel (1.10), which,
as Saint Irenaeus writes, is a symbol of our Saviour's
Incarnation.
Apolytikion
of Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
Third
Tone
O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, intercede to our merciful
God, that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion
of Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
Fourth
Tone
When thou didst cast away the publican's balance and wast united to the yoke of uprightness, then didst
thou prove a merchant of great excellence, one that gathered in the
wealth of the wisdom of Heaven; for this cause, the word of truth thou
didst herald, O Matthew, and didst arouse the souls of sluggish men by
signifying the dread day of reckoning.
Special Announcement:
·
We need volunteer teachers for our Sunday
School Program for September, 2019 up to May, 2020. If interested please
contact Peter Klentos at 714-466-0356 or send
him email at peter.klentos@sbcglobal.net.
·
If someone wants to sponsor the coffee hour,
there is a sign-up sheet in the Hall. Please write legibly your name next
to the date you want to sponsor
·
We need oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for the
Church, please donate.
·
Please notify us if someone in the member of
the family or yourself is sick, so that we may offer healing prayer.
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