23rd Week, Saturday, Sept 13: Saint John Chrysostom
1 Tim 1:15-17 / Luke 6:43-49
Paul talks about his sinfulness; Jesus made me an example of his mercy.
The film Midnight Express is based on the true story of an American college student. He was caught smuggling a small amount of hashish out of Turkey. Customs officials in Turkey decided to make ‘‘an example” out of him by giving him a terrible prison sentence. After four years of brutal confinement, the young man miraculously escaped.
In a similar—but reverse—the way Paul says Jesus made “‘an example” out of him. Just as the Turkish customs officials sought to deter others from smuggling by giving the student an incredible sentence, so Jesus sought to draw others to himself by showing incredible mercy to Paul.
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How great is our faith in the incredible mercy of Jesus Christ? “Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving.” Isaiah 55:7
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“I myself am the greatest of sinners". We read that so often in the lives of the saints. Are they sincere? Or do they say this only to be contradicted? They are sincere. The only difference between the saints and us, is that they had a much higher idea of God. It is only when we have a great, more adequate idea of God that we see the distance between God and man. He is infinitely great and mighty. When we see this, we realize how small we are before him. It is here that we realize how great sin ts, if we - small men that we are - disobey the great God. When we see that we have nothing that we have not received, we realize the ingratitude that our sin is. When we have an idea of God’s wisdom and knowledge, we realize how stupid sin really is. God has planned our happiness. He made a plan for our life. In sin, we tell God that we know better than him what leads to our happiness. He came into the world to save sinners, and we think we do not need his saving help. Christ has made Paul the "greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience".
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Christ came to call sinners, and of this fact, Paul himself is the perfect example. Persecutor as he had been, God in his patience showed mercy to Paul, who had been a persecutor of Christians.
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From the words that come out of our hearts, we will know how aware we are of the presence of Christ in us. As Jesus said in the gospel: For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart. By our words, others will know whether we truly worship God or not.
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What every good teacher aims at is that his pupils reach maturity and leave him with a solid foundation. Both these our Lord tries to achieve with his apostles. Fruit is the state of maturity in a plant. The good deeds are the fruits that ripen on a healthy tree. From the fruit, we know what kind of a tree it is. It is not the outer appearance, words, or promises, not grand programs, or emotions that are the mark of the sincerity of a man. The measuring rod that is going to be applied is good deeds. Good intentions are of no value, if there is no reliability. The solid foundation upon which the edifice of Christian life has to be erected is faith. The faith like the foundation shows the design of the building. Every pillar and wall will have its footing there and it goes down to solid rock and is held together. The reading of the next two weeks is about faith. Jesus explains to his apostles what faith means, and what it can do, and educates his chosen apostles to live strong faith.
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Luke makes two main points today. Christians will be recognized for what they are worth by their Christian living. The faith that is in their hearts overflows in their deeds. God’s word has sunk in into their hearts and only goodness in accordance with the Gospel: will have to come from them. In such people faith is solid; it is built on rock; it does not waver. The rains and the storm of trials cannot blow that faith apart.
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Prayer: Lord our God, let the word of your Son sink into our hearts so deeply and so firmly, that all of our life is marked by it. Let no trial or doubt or fad or fear be powerful enough to shake that faith; for in you we trust and on you we rely on account of him, who is the living proof, that you love us and want us to be happy, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
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Saint John Chrysostom
Feast day September 13
People who are willing to stand up for what is right and condemn what is evil leave their mark on the world. But they also may find themselves with enemies. John Chrysostom, an eloquent bishop-preacher of the fourth century, understood this.
John was born around 347 in Antioch, Syria. His father died when he was a child, so his mother guided his education. John was a gifted student. At 18, he experienced a religious conversion and began to study the Bible. Three years later, John joined a group of monks in the mountains. He left them to live as a hermit in a cave. But his health suffered, and he returned to Antioch. There others quickly noticed his gifts as a monk, a biblical scholar, and an eloquent speaker. Soon he was ordained to the diaconate and was ordained a priest at 39.
In 397, John was made the bishop-patriarch of Constantinople. He lived a simple life, giving his wealth over for the building of hospitals, and he set about reforming the clergy and the city. He deposed bishops for buying their way into office. John sold much of the expensive furniture in the bishop’s residence and gave the money to those who were poor. He attacked wealthy people for misuse of their riches. John sought to reform the lax clergy, to straighten out the badly managed budget, and to rid the land of violence. His zeal for charity and justice angered the empress, Eudoxia, and provoked the jealousy of Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria. John was impeached and exiled. Even though he had the support of Pope Innocent I, John was exiled even farther away and died en route in 407.
The role of a true prophet is to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. John Chrysostom did just that.
