Memorial Day of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (26/11)

Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople — is one of the three Ecumenical Saints, along with Saints Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian.

The future saint was born in Antioch around 347, in the family of a military leader. His father, Secundus, died shortly after the birth of his son; the mother, Anfusa, no longer married and devoted all her strength to raising John. The young man studied with the best philosophers and rhetoricians, and early turned to in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures and prayerful contemplation. Saint Meletius, Bishop of Antioch, who fell in love with John as a son, instructed him in the faith and baptized him in 367.

Three years later, Saint John was appointed reader. After Saint Meletius was sent into exile by Emperor Valens in 372, Saint John, together with Theodore (later — Bishop of Mopsuest), studied with the experienced mentors — presbyters Flavian and Diodorus of Tarsus — ascetic life.

In 386, Saint John was consecrated by Bishop Flavian of Antioch as presbyter. He was entrusted with the responsibility of preaching the Word of God. Saint John turned out to be a brilliant preacher, and for a rare gift of the Inspired Word he received the name «Chrysostom» from his flock. For twelve years, the saint, with a crowd of people, usually twice a week, and sometimes daily, preached in the temple, shaking the hearts of listeners.

In 397, after the death of Archbishop Nectarius of Constantinople, Saint John Chrysostom was summoned from Antioch to be installed in the see of Constantinople. Many things awaited the saint's decision, but he began with the main — with the spiritual improvement of the priesthood. And here the best example was himself. The saint used the funds intended for the archbishop to maintain several hospitals and two hotels for pilgrims. The archpastor was content with meager food and refused invitations to dinners.

The saint's zeal for establishing the Christian faith extended not only to the inhabitants of Constantinople, but also to Thrace, including the Slavs and Goths, Asia Minor and the Pontic region. He appointed a bishop for the Church of the Bosporus, located in Crimea. The saint put a lot of work into organizing a splendid Divine Service: he composed the rite of the Liturgy, introduced antiphon singing at the all-night vigil, and wrote several prayers for the rite of consecration.

While in Armenia, Saint John tried to strengthen his spiritual children. In numerous letters (245 of them have survived) to the bishops of Asia, Africa, Europe and his friends in Constantinople, he consoled the suffering, instructed and supported his adherents. In the winter of 406, the saint was bedridden by illness. But his enemies did not let up. An order came from the capital to transfer him to the remote Pitnus (Pitsunda, in Abkhazia). Exhausted by illness, the saint, accompanied by a convoy, made his last crossing for three months in the rain and heat. In the Komani, his strength left him. At the crypt of St. Basiliscus, consoled by the appearance of a martyr (« Do not be discouraged, brother John! Tomorrow we will be together»), having received communion from the Holy Mysteries, the universal saint with the words «Thank God for everything!» went to the Lord.

Saint John Chrysostom was buried in the Comani. In 438, Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople (434—447), while performing a service in the Church of St. Sophia, uttered a word of praise in memory of his great teacher, in which he compared St. John Chrysostom with St. John, the Forerunner of the Lord, who preached repentance and also suffered for denouncing vices.

The people, who were burning with love for St. John Chrysostom, without allowing the Patriarch to finish his word, began to unanimously ask him to appeal to the emperor with a request to transfer the holy relics of the saint from Coman to Constantinople. Saint Proclus went to King Theodosius II (408-450) and asked him for it on behalf of the Church and the people. The emperor agreed and sent special envoys with silver crayfish to Comana to carry the holy relics with honor.

The inhabitants of Koman deeply mourned that they were being deprived of a great treasure, but could not resist the royal decree. When the imperial envoys began to the tomb of St. John, they were unable to take his relics. Then the emperor, in repentance, wrote a message to the saint, asking him for forgiveness for himself and for his mother Eudoxia. This message was read at the tomb of St. John, placed on it and an all-night vigil was held. Then they proceeded to the tomb, easily raised the relics and carried them onto the ship (the tomb of St. John remained in Komani, near Pitsunda).

At the same time, the healing of a wretched man who venerated the cover from the saint’s tomb took place. Upon the arrival of the relics of St. John in Constantinople in 438, the entire city, led by Patriarch Proclus, Emperor Theodosius, with all its synclitis and many people, came out to meet him. Numerous clerics with candles, censers and banners took a silver shrine and chanted it into the Church of the Holy Martyr Irene. When Patriarch Proclus opened the coffin, the body of St. John turned out to be incorruptible, and fragrance emanated from it. Having fallen to the coffin, Emperor Theodosius II tearfully asked the saint to forgive his mother.

People did not leave cancer all day and all night. The next morning, the relics of the saint were taken to the cathedral church of the Holy Apostles. When Raka was installed on the patriarchal throne, all the people exclaimed with one mouth: « Accept your throne, father!». And Patriarch Proclus, with many standing at the shrine, saw St. John open his mouth and say: «Peace to all!».

527