My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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ON NOVEMBER 13th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES OUR HOLY FATHER AND TEACHER SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (Part III)
There lived in Constantinople a good, God-fearing nobleman name Theognostos. Theognostos was slandered to Emperor Theophilos by a certain envious official, a heretic, who said that the pious nobleman had cursed and reviled the Emperor, accusing Arcadius of having an insatiable lust for gold. For this reason, the Emperor condemned Theognostos and sent him to be imprisoned in Salonika. All his wealth and property were confiscated, save a single vineyard, which was situated outside the city. This the Emperor permitted to remain in Theognostos' possession, for the support of his wife and children. On the way to Salonika, Theognostos fell ill from grief and died. His wife was cast into deep sorrow, both on account of her husband's death and because of the loss of their possessions, so she went tearfully to Saint John and told him all her woes. He permitted her to receive food for herself and her children every day at the Church's hostels for the poor and began to look for a convenient opportunity to intercede with the Emperor on behalf of the widow so that the possessions belonging to her would be returned. But the Empress' malice prevented this, and Evdoxia brought great misfortune not only upon the widow but upon the blessed John as well.
When the time of the grape harvest drew near, all the people went out to their vineyards, and the Empress also went to see the imperial vineyards. On her way, she passed Theognostos' vineyard and saw that it was truly beautiful. She entered it, picked some of the grapes from the vines with her own hands, and ate them. In those days there was a law which deprived the landowner of possession should the Emperor or Empress enter his vineyard and remove grapes. After this the vineyard was to be counted as the Emperor's vineyard but the owner was either to be paid for it or receive another vineyard from the Emperor in exchange. In accordance with this law, the Empress ordered that Theognostos' vineyard be numbered among those belonging to the Emperor. She did this for two reasons. On the one hand, she wished to do evil for Theognostos' widow and her children, since she was angry with her for having gone to John and told him of her woes; and on the other, she hoped to find an excuse to drive John out of the Church. She knew that if John learned what she had done, he would not remain silent but would rise to the defense of the offended widow. From this, Evdoxia reasoned, dissension would arise, which would allow her to accomplish her purpose; and, indeed, the matter ended as she hoped.
Saint John Chrysostom immediately sent his archdeacon, Eftychios, to the Empress with a letter which he hoped would incline her to show mercy. He begged her to return the vineyard to the poor widow and striving to awaken in her the fear of the Lord and to frighten her soul with the remembrance of the Dread Judgment of God, but the Empress refused to heed his admonitions. Moreover, she declared that she would no longer endue such insults...
"...When the feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross arrived and the people had assembled in the church, the Emperor came also with his nobles and the Empress with all the members of her court. When the porters caught sight of the Empress approaching, they shut the doors of the church before her, and in accordance with the command of the Patriarch, forbade her entrance. When her servants cried out, "Open for our lady the Empress!" the porters replied, "The Patriarch has forbidden it!"
The Empress was filled with shame and anger, and exclaimed, "See, O people, how this stubborn man insults me! All are permitted to enter the church unhindered except for me. Shall I not take revenge on him and remove him from his throne?"
"...The imperial decree ordering Saint's John's exile was issued on the feast of Pentecost. At that time a certain nobleman advised St. John to leave the city secretly, less the people rise up against the soldiers who were to take him away. "Otherwise," said he, "you will be guilty of causing much bloodshed, for according to the decree you are to be taken by force. If the people resist, a massacre will result."
Hearing this, Saint John summoned a number of the bishops and clergymen who were devoted to him and also the blessed deaconess Olympia. He exhorted them to stand firm in the Orthodox faith, while they wept bitterly for him. He also began to weep in his sorrow at leaving them. Finally, he bade them farewell, and departing unnoticed by a side door, made his way to the harbor where the soldiers were waiting for him. They placed him in a small boat and sailed to Bithynia, from there setting out on the remainder of their journey.
The blessed John was forced to endure much torment at the hands of the soldiers on the way to imprisonment. They had received orders from the Empress to afflict him in every manner possible during the journey so that he would perish more quickly. Therefore, they sat him on an ass unbroken to the saddle and drove the beast along quickly, covering in a single day a journey which ought to have taken two or three. They gave the Saint no rest or peace whatsoever along the way, compelling him to sleep in common, filthy inns, sometimes in the houses of Jews, and performing many vile acts in his presence. Nowhere was he permitted to enter a church. Moreover, they harassed, reproached, and reviled him, and took from him the money given him to buy food during the journey...They forced the Saint to travel through rain and in burning heat with his head uncovered, forbade him to enter cities or villages, and sought in every way to make grievous the journey to his new place of banishment.
A few days before his repose, while the Saint was standing at prayer by night, according to his custom, the holy Apostles Peter and John, who had appeared to him before, when he was living in the Monastery near Antioch, came to him and said, "Rejoice, good pastor of the rational flock of Christ, O great passion-bearer! We have been sent to you by our common Master, Jesus Christ, to help and comfort you amid the sorrows and tribulations you suffer for the sake of your purity of conscience. Like John the Baptist, you have upbraided rulers who have fallen into sin, boldly reproving them for transgressing the law of God. Therefore, be strong and of good cheer, for a rich reward has been prepared for you in His Kingdom of heaven...
"...After this the holy Apostles gave Saint John something to eat and said, "Take this; from this time forth you shall require no other food. This will suffice until you surrender your soul into God's hands." Saint John took what they offered him, ate it, and was filled with joy. Then the holy Apostles departed.
"...After several days of travel, the exiles reached Comana. Near the city there was a church dedicated to the holy hiero-martyr Vasiliscos, the Bishop of Comana, who had suffered for Christ in Nicomedia. They passed the night at this church. The following day was the feast of the Elevation of the Precious Cross, and that night, the holy Martyr Vasiliscos appeared to the blessed John and said, "Take heart, brother John; tomorrow we shall be together!'
The holy Martyr also appeared to one of the priests of his church and said, "Prepare a place for our brother John, for he is coming unto us!"
When the dawn came, Saint John begged the soldiers not to depart until the fifth hour of the day, but they refused, for they wished to on their way immediately. As the journey could only be continued by water, they took ship and within a short time sailed over three miles from the city. By God's Providence, however, they soon touched shore again at the church of Saint Vasiliscos, which caused them great perplexity. Saint John again asked them to remain a short time while he prayed in the church. Realizing that it was the power of God that had prevented them from continuing their journey and that it was His unseen hand which had returned them there, the soldiers agreed to Saint John's request. The Saint entered the church, asked for ecclesiastical vestments of a bright color, and changed all his clothing. He gave his garments to those who had been with him on ship, served the Divine Liturgy in the church, and communed of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Body and Blood of Christ. After praying for a long time, he gave a final kiss to those present, lay down, and spoke the words he was accustomed to use on every occasion: "Glory be to God for all things!" Then he signed himself with the Cross and uttered his final word: "Amen."
With this, Saint John Chrysostom surrendered his soul into God's hands. He reposed on the very day of the Elevation of the Precious Holy Cross, as was fitting, since he bore the cross throughout the course of his whole life, crucified with Christ and crucifying himself to the world. (Source: The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George