St John Chrysostom - Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church · exile. In the midst of his ... Some...
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St John Chrysostom St. John, named Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) on ac- count of his eloquence, came into the world of Chris- tian parents, about the year 344, in the city of An- tioch. His mother, at the age of 20, was a model of virtue. He studied rhetoric under Libanius, a pagan, the most famous orator of the age. In 374, he began to lead the life of an ancho- rite in the mountains near Antioch, but in 386 the poor state of his health forced him to return to Antioch, where he was ordained a priest. In 398, he was elevated to the See of Constantinople and became one of the greatest lights of the Church. But he had enemies in high places and some were ec- clesiastics, not the least being Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who repented of this before he died. His most powerful enemy, however, was the empress Eudoxia, who was offended by the apostolic freedom of his discourses. Several accusations were brought against him in a pseudo-council, and he was sent into exile. In the midst of his sufferings, like the apostle, St. Paul, whom he so greatly admired, he found the great- est peace and happiness. He had the consolation of knowing that the Pope remained his friend, and did for him what lay in his power. His enemies were not satis- fied with the sufferings he had already endured, and they banished him still further, to Pythius, at the very extremity of the Empire. He died on his way there on September 14, 407. Some teachings of St John Chrysostom The value of fasting consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices… Homily 3, On the Statues Do you see that our practice has more power to do good? By practice I mean… if you be kindly affec- tionate, if you give your bread to the hungry, if you control anger, if you cast out vainglory, if you put away envy…the greatest thing is charity, and modera- tion, and almsgiving; which hits a higher mark even than virginity. Homily 46, Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew Let us not then make ourselves unworthy of entrance into the bride-chamber: for as long as we are in this world, even if we commit countless sins it is possible to wash them all away by manifesting repentance for our offenses: but when once we have departed to the other world, even if we display the most earnest re- pentance it will be of no avail, not even if we gnash our teeth, beat our breasts, and utter innumerable calls for succor, no one with the tip of his finger will ap- ply a drop to our burning bodies, but we shall only hear those words which the rich man heard in the par- able ‘Between us and you a great gulf has been fixed.’ [Luke xvi. 26] An Exhortation to Theodore After His Fall, Letter 1 In children we have a great charge committed to us. Let us bestow great care upon them, and do everything that the Evil One may not rob us of them. But now our practice is the reverse of this...We take care of our possessions for our children, but of the children them- selves we take no care at all. Form the soul of thy son aright, and all the rest will be added hereafter. Homilies on 1 Timothy, Homily 9 Very few have come here today. Whatever is the reason? We celebrated the Feast of the Martyrs, and nobody comes? The length of the road makes them reluctant; or rather it is not the length of the road that prevents them from coming, but their own laziness. For just as nothing stops an earnest man, one whose soul is upright and awake, so anything at all will stand in the way of the half-hearted and the lazy. On the Respect Due to the Church of God and to the Sacred Mysteries Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all. I am often reproached for continually attack- ing the rich. Yes, because the rich are continually at- tacking the poor. But those I attack are not the rich as such, only those who misuse their wealth. I point out constantly that those I accuse are not the rich but the rapacious. Wealth is one thing, covetousness another. Learn to distinguish. Homily on the Fall of Eutropius Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this re- quires transforming greed into gratitude. (source un- known)
Transcript of St John Chrysostom - Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church · exile. In the midst of his ... Some...
St John ChrysostomSt. John, named Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) on ac-count of his eloquence, came into the world of Chris-tian parents, about the year 344, in the city of An-tioch. His mother, at the age of 20, was a model of virtue. He studied rhetoric under Libanius, a pagan, the most famous orator of the age.
In 374, he began to lead the life of an ancho-rite in the mountains near Antioch, but in 386 the poor state of his health forced him to return to Antioch, where he was ordained a priest.
In 398, he was elevated to the See of Constantinople and became one of the greatest lights of the Church. But he had enemies in high places and some were ec-clesiastics, not the least being Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who repented of this before he died. His most powerful enemy, however, was the empress Eudoxia, who was offended by the apostolic freedom of his discourses. Several accusations were brought against him in a pseudo-council, and he was sent into exile.
In the midst of his sufferings, like the apostle, St. Paul, whom he so greatly admired, he found the great-est peace and happiness. He had the consolation of knowing that the Pope remained his friend, and did for him what lay in his power. His enemies were not satis-fied with the sufferings he had already endured, and they banished him still further, to Pythius, at the very extremity of the Empire. He died on his way there on September 14, 407. Some teachings of St John Chrysostom
The value of fasting consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices… Homily 3, On the Statues
Do you see that our practice has more power to do good? By practice I mean… if you be kindly affec-tionate, if you give your bread to the hungry, if you control anger, if you cast out vainglory, if you put away envy…the greatest thing is charity, and modera-tion, and almsgiving; which hits a higher mark even than virginity. Homily 46, Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew
Let us not then make ourselves unworthy of entrance into the bride-chamber: for as long as we are in this world, even if we commit countless sins it is possible to wash them all away by manifesting repentance for
our offenses: but when once we have departed to the other world, even if we display the most earnest re-pentance it will be of no avail, not even if we gnash our teeth, beat our breasts, and utter innumerable calls for succor, no one with the tip of his finger will ap-ply a drop to our burning bodies, but we shall only hear those words which the rich man heard in the par-able ‘Between us and you a great gulf has been fixed.’ [Luke xvi. 26] An Exhortation to Theodore After His Fall, Letter 1
In children we have a great charge committed to us. Let us bestow great care upon them, and do everything that the Evil One may not rob us of them. But now our practice is the reverse of this...We take care of our possessions for our children, but of the children them-selves we take no care at all. Form the soul of thy son aright, and all the rest will be added hereafter. Homilies on 1 Timothy, Homily 9
Very few have come here today. Whatever is the reason? We celebrated the Feast of the Martyrs, and nobody comes? The length of the road makes them reluctant; or rather it is not the length of the road that prevents them from coming, but their own laziness. For just as nothing stops an earnest man, one whose soul is upright and awake, so anything at all will stand in the way of the half-hearted and the lazy.On the Respect Due to the Church of God and to the Sacred Mysteries
Almsgiving above all else requires money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all. I am often reproached for continually attack-ing the rich. Yes, because the rich are continually at-tacking the poor. But those I attack are not the rich as such, only those who misuse their wealth. I point out constantly that those I accuse are not the rich but the rapacious. Wealth is one thing, covetousness another. Learn to distinguish. Homily on the Fall of Eutropius
Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this re-quires transforming greed into gratitude. (source un-known)
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Weekly BulletinSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church
A Community of the Orthodox Church in AmericaWitnessing to the Apostolic Faith in Lake County for over 42 Years
Father Andrew Clements, Pastor
ATTENDANCE / STEWARDSHIP / Nov 6Attendance: (Adults 105, Children 37) 142Operating $4,311.00Uganda Children 33.00Seminarians 25.00Icons 190.00Charities 25.00NEW CATECHUMENS Please keep in your prayers Ted, Megan & Magnus Tollefson and Tim Price who will embrace the Ortho-dox Faith for Christmas.ADULT / CATECHUMEN CLASS The class will meet this week on Tuesday, Nov 15 at 7:00 pm.CONFESSION NOTE Christmas Lent begins this Tuesday, so please be plan-ning your Advent Confession. Many special times have been added to the calendar for your convienence.ANNUAL MEETING NOTES The meeting will take place next Sunday, Nov 20 following a short Coffee Hour. Also, remember that Liturgy begins at 9:00 am that day and Turkeys will be distributed for the Annual Dinner Project before the meeting.TURKEY PROJECT Please sign-up and pick up your shopping list today. Hopefully you have recipients in mind for the dinners you will sponsor. If not, we can find homes for fifty or so meals.
Sunday Nov 13 21st Sunday after Pentecost / Tone 4 / St John Chrysostom 9:00 am Church School 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Coffee Hour
Saturday Nov 19 Prophet Obadiah 4:00 pm Confession 5:30 pm Great Vespers Confession
Sunday Nov 20 22nd Sunday after Pentecost / Tone 5 / Ven Gregory Decapolites Readings: Gal 6:11-18 Luke 12:16-21 9:00 am Divine Liturgy / Coffee / Turkey Dinner Project / Annual Meeting 5:00 pm Great Vespers & Litya for the Entry of the Theotokos
Volume 30 2016 Number 45
NEED AT ST HERMAN’S During his recent visit to St Herman’s to drop off food, Matthew Bailey (Ann Lynch’s grandson) dis-covered that there is always a shortage of men’s socks. Matthew will place a box in the foyer, and is asking for donations of men’s socks to be delivered to St. Herman’s. Thanks.PRAYER CORNER + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Eleanor Alexander (Tom’s mom), Perry (Capitan), Bess (Chongris grndma), Mary & Bruno, Subdea-con Leonard, Jim, (Denise F’s bro), Fr Ted Bobosh, Helen Cicmanski (Andy D’s mom), Linnea Kaminsky (Matt’s mom), Cathy Theophylactos, Ron Bede, Linda Stiscak (Furman sis-n-law), Jim (Ruth’s dad), Zorka, Matushka Laryssa Hutnyan, Sharon Georges, Mar-garet Pellack, suffering Christians in Ukraine and the Middle East.Anniversaries: Dennis & Gloria Hocevar (11/15).Birthdays: Luann Dzura (11/16), Marie Joslin, Eric Clouse (11/17), Denise Fross, Ken Walker (11/19).Newborns: Benjamin (Tom & Ellen), Mahala (Bob & Lucinda) Alexander (Dima & Lea), Mason (Nick & Lindsey).Expecting: Danny & Maria, Patrick & Deanna, Chris & Vallery, Brian & Rose, Vitaly & Luba, Tim & Ash-ley, Dan & April, Patrick & Ashley.
