Ecumenical Commemoration
Bishop of Constantinople & Teacher of the Faith
September 13 · d. 407
also known as John Chrysostom, John of Constantinople, The Golden-Mouthed
John Chrysostom — 'Golden-Mouthed' for his extraordinary preaching ability — was the Bishop of Constantinople whose pastoral zeal and ecclesiastical reforms brought him into conflict with the imperial court, resulting in his deposition and exile. Despite these trials, his vast body of surviving homilies and biblical commentaries became foundational texts for Christian preaching and exegesis, and he is remembered as one of the greatest preachers and pastoral theologians the Church has ever produced.
Traditionally, John's deposition and exile were understood as martyrdom — suffering for righteousness' sake without shedding of blood. Palladius records stories of John's patience and faith during exile, his correspondence with supporters, and his miraculous sustenance. According to tradition, he wrote letters of encouragement to his partisans and composed liturgical works even in exile. His final days were marked by spiritual triumph rather than despair, and his vindication after death (through the translation of his relics in 438) was interpreted as God's vindication of his character and cause.
John was born around 349 in Antioch, Syria, into a prosperous Christian family. His father died while John was an infant, and his mother, Anthusa, raised him as a widow — a fact he celebrated throughout his life and that shaped his profound respect for Christian women. He received an excellent rhetorical education from the pagan sophist Libanius, who allegedly said that John would have been his greatest student if Christians had not claimed him.
After his rhetorical training, John was drawn to the ascetic life and spent several years as a hermit in the mountains around Antioch, where his asceticism nearly destroyed his health. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained a deacon around 381 and a priest around 386. It was during his years as a priest in Antioch that John earned the epithet 'Chrysostom' (Golden-Mouthed) — his sermons became famous throughout the city for their eloquence, accessibility, and moral power.
His thirty years of service in Antioch produced the vast majority of his surviving homilies and biblical commentaries: detailed exegesis of books of Scripture marked by attention to the literal historical sense, practical application to Christian living, and extraordinary rhetorical power. Chrysostom's homiletical method — combining careful biblical exegesis with pastoral concern for the daily lives of his congregation — became the model for Christian preaching.
In 398, the imperial court summoned John to Constantinople to become bishop. The capital's imperial court and aristocracy had little use for his ascetic ideals and pastoral directness, and John's sermons began to address the luxurious lifestyle and moral compromises of the wealthy — which included the Emperor Arcadius and, particularly, his wife, the Empress Eudoxia.
In 403, a synod convened by the imperial court, orchestrated by the powerful Patriarch of Alexandria named Theophilus, deposed John on dubious charges. He was exiled from Constantinople. A popular uprising nearly reversed the decision, and he was temporarily restored, but Eudoxia demanded his final removal. In 404, John was permanently exiled to Cucusus, a remote fortress town in Armenia.
During his exile, John maintained correspondence with supporters throughout the Christian world and continued to write. According to Palladius's biography, he endured extreme hardship — harsh climate, minimal food, physical abuse — but his faith remained unshaken. He died on September 14, 407, in Comana in Pontus, during forced transport to an even more remote location. His last recorded words were: 'Glory be to God for all things.'
John was vindicated after his death. In 438, under a new imperial regime more sympathetic to his memory, his remains were translated back to Constantinople with great ceremony, and he was recognized as one of the greatest figures of the Church.
Almighty God, you gave your servant John Chrysostom special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth revealed in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.