Saint John Chrysostom is one of the greatest preachers in Christian history and the author of the Divine Liturgy most Orthodox Christians celebrate every Sunday.
He was born around 347 in Antioch, Syria. That’s our Antioch, the city where believers were first called Christians, the patriarchal see of our Archdiocese. His mother Anthusa was widowed young and raised John in the faith with remarkable devotion. He studied rhetoric under Libanius, one of the most famous pagan teachers of the age, and became brilliant at public speaking. But instead of pursuing a career in law or politics, John felt called to the ascetic life.
He spent several years living in caves near Antioch as a monk. The life was harsh. He damaged his health so badly through fasting and exposure that he had to return to the city. In 381 he was ordained a deacon, then a presbyter in 386. And that’s when his preaching ministry exploded.
Golden Mouth
John preached in Antioch for twelve years. Sometimes twice a week. Sometimes daily. His sermons were verse-by-verse expositions of Scripture, long series through Genesis, the Psalms, Matthew, John, Romans. He combined rigorous biblical interpretation with direct application to everyday life. How should Christians handle money? What does it mean to care for the poor? How should clergy conduct themselves? What’s expected of married couples?
People called him Chrysostom, Golden Mouth, because of his eloquence. But it wasn’t just rhetorical polish. His preaching had teeth. He confronted social injustice, called out the wealthy for hoarding while the poor starved, and didn’t soften his message for powerful listeners.
In 398 the emperor essentially drafted him to become Archbishop of Constantinople. John didn’t want the job. He went anyway. And he brought the same uncompromising pastoral approach to the capital that he’d practiced in Antioch.
He reformed the clergy, cut back on lavish spending, redirected church funds to hospitals and care for the poor. He preached against the excesses of the imperial court. Empress Eudoxia took it personally. Political enemies saw an opportunity. In 404 he was deposed and exiled.
Exile and Death
John was sent away from Constantinople, then moved to a harsher location, then ordered to an even more remote exile. The forced march through terrible weather broke his already fragile health. He died on the road in 407 near the town of Comana. His last words were reported as “Glory to God for all things.”
Thirty-one years later his relics were brought back to Constantinople with great honor. The Church recognized what had been obvious all along, that John was a saint and a prophet, and that his enemies had been wrong.
Why He Matters Today
Every Sunday at St. Michael’s we celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. It’s the same liturgy used by Orthodox Christians around the world, over 300 million of us. John didn’t write the whole thing from scratch, but he shaped and reformed the Byzantine liturgical tradition during his time as archbishop. The prayers, the structure, the flow of the service all bear his influence.
We also still read his homilies. His “Six Discourses on the Priesthood” remains essential reading for Orthodox clergy. His scriptural commentaries are quoted constantly. His pastoral wisdom about money, family life, and the spiritual struggle feels startlingly contemporary.
John represents the Antiochian school of biblical interpretation, careful attention to the literal and historical meaning of the text, combined with pastoral concern for how Scripture shapes Christian living. He wasn’t interested in abstract speculation. He wanted to know what the Bible actually says and how it changes us.
If you visit an Orthodox church during the week and hear the priest say “Let us pray to the Lord” and the people respond “Lord, have mercy,” you’re participating in the liturgical tradition John Chrysostom helped form. If you hear a sermon that works through a passage of Scripture verse by verse and applies it directly to how we live, you’re hearing an approach John pioneered. His feast day is November 13, and he’s commemorated along with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian on January 30 as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs.
He was fearless, eloquent, and uncompromising. He suffered for speaking truth. And the Church has never stopped listening to his golden voice.
