St John Chrysostom

 Another saint in the early Church shared by both the Orthodox and Catholic Church is St John Chrysostom.   Chrysostom means 'golden tongue' for his sermons were so well received and this name was given to him.

Let us hear him on the Mass.

"It is not man who causes what is present to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but Christ Himself who was crucified for us.  The priest is the representative when he pronounces those words, but the power and the grace are those of the Lord.    'This is my Body' he says', the word changes the things that lie before us, and at that sentence 'increase and multiply' once spoken extends through all time and gives our human nature the power to reproduce itself, even so that saying 'This is my Body' once uttered, does in every table in the Churches from that time to the present day, and even till Christ's coming, make the sacrifice complete". 

Now I am not a scholar but what I believe he is saying is that just as he made Adam and Eve as the first humans he made them so that they could reproduce other human beings until the world comes to an rnd with his coming.   When the priest says these words "This is my Body" the Lord enables us to share in his Last Supper when he first said them to the Apostles and they ate of his Body.   So the sacrifice was complete for as we gather around we too in our time and those in times to come will partake in the Sacrifice of His death and eat His body and drink His blood.   "Unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood you cannot have life in you"  John 6.   And so the prophecy and sacrifice are complete.

St John became upset with the way people behaved as regards marriage and family. there were different standards for men and women as regards fidelity.    Masters often abused their female slaves.   Wedding receptions even of Christians, were marred by drunkenness, bawdy behaviour, and even songs to the goddess Aphrodite.    He spoke out and condemned them.

"I know that some people think I am burdensome and difficult, giving advice like this and uprooting ancient customs.  But I do not care at all about their objections.   I do not seek your favour but your benefit.   I do not ask for the applause of praise, but the profit of wisdom.    Let no one tell me that this is the custom.   When sin is boldly committed forget about custom.    If evil things are done even if the custom is ancient, abolish them.    If they are not evil, even though they are not customary, introduce them and establish them".

I wonder what St John would say about the customs within the Church of the present day.  Notice he is not seeking popularity.   He is teaching for their benefit not for popularity.   He is not seeking applause, but hoping to fill his flock with wisdom.


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