“GLORY BE TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS.” NEWSLETTER OF THE SOCIETY OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, YOUNGSTOWN-WARREN OHIO CHAPTER VOLUME 13, NUMBER 5, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2014 VITO R. CARCHEDI, EDITOR, 35 SCHENLEY AVE. STRUTHERS, OH 44471 PHONE: 330-755-5635 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.byzcath.org/stjohnchrysostom/ FROM THE EDITOR... WHO ARE WE? Dear Members and Friends, The Society of St our next regular meeting will John Chrysostom be Wednesday, November 12, promotes greater 7pm at St. Maron Church appreciation of the 1555 S. Meridian Road spiritual, theological Youngstown, Ohio 44511. and liturgical Our speaker will be the pastor traditions of Eastern of St. Maron's, Chorbishop Christendom, works Michael Kail. Our chapter and prays for the will be celebrating the unity of the feastday of our patron, St. Churches of East John Chrysostom (Nov. 13 in and West, and the Eastern Church). encourages support Consequently, Chorbishop for the Eastern Michael's talk will be "St. John Chrysostom Churches : and the Maronites." - the Byzantine and Oriental Catholic Churches Please make a special effort to attend our - the Orthodox Church meetings thereby showing by your presence - the Oriental Orthodox Churches and support for our goal of unity. - the Church of the East. In the United Kingdom and Europe the Society Chapter Paid dues 2015 was founded in 1926 Demiduk, Fr. Conoboy, Fr. Rohan, Br. Calabro, In 1998 the Society was also founded in Br. Scalise, Sleever, Tavolario, Billcheck, the United States, where it runs the annual North Sarantopoulos. American and international Orientale Lumen Chapter dues are $20 ($25 family,$15 student) conferences yearly. Make check payable to the Society of St. Following some exploratory and preparatory John Chrysostom and send to the address in the meetings in 1998 and early 1999, the first masthead at top of page. Thank you! regular meeting of the Youngstown-Warren Chapter took place May 4, 1999. ***PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTEREST OF INQUIRY, OUR May the soul of Father Andrew NEWSLETTER SOMETIMES PRESENTS ARTICLES WITH POINTS OF VIEW Kolitsos rest in peace and may WITH WHICH WE DON’T NECESSARILY perpetual light shine upon him, AGREE.*** Father Andrew passed on October 7. Eternal Memory! SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM unfriendly capital, but he managed to arrive at the deathbed in time to be named head of that http://chrysostomsociety.org/ diocese. Our patron saint was generally considered the According to Palladius, a contemporary greatest of the Greek historian, John began Fathers of the Church—a “sweeping the stairs preacher and public from the top.” He cut speaker of such expenditures and gave eloquence that he was the money to the poor; given the nickname he supported the Chrysostomos, or hospitals and reformed “Golden-Tongued.” his clergy. In other In A.D. 349 or words, he pleased some thereabouts John was and displeased others. born in Antioch, second city in the eastern part At that time, at least to those who strode its of the Roman Empire. His father was in the streets, Constantinople seemed to be the hub of Syrian army, a vigorous commander who met an the universe. It was a tumultuous time. Pagans, early death. His wife Anthusa was twenty years Manichaeans, and Gnostics rubbed shoulders old at the time and a Christian; she saw to the with Arians, Apollinarians, and Jews. Christian education of John and his elder sister Pulcheria factions also contended with one another. at the best schools, both pagan and Christian. J ohn also found himself facing off against the Wanting to become a rhetorician, John studied Emperor Arcadius and his consort Eudoxia. For under Libanius, an easy-going pagan and the example, when a silver statue of Eudoxia was most eloquent orator of the day; the choice to erected near his cathedral, John denounced the succeed him at the school was his star pupil, ceremonies in fiery language. “had not the Christians stolen him from us.” He could be mild, saying from the pulpit of John went to the school for monks in Syria. God’s mercy: “If you’ve fallen a second time There he lived as an anchorite for two years into sin, or even a thousand times, come to me before his health caved in and he had to return to and you’ll be healed.” the city. But he could also be prophetic and In 386 he was ordained priest by Bishop Flavian, uncompromising. One Easter Sunday, he who then appointed him to the post of episcopal delivered a scorcher entitled Against the Games preacher. During Lent the following year, he and Shows of the Theater and Circus; too many gave twenty-one homilies entitled “On the Christians, it seemed, had gone to the races on Statues.” They had something to do with the tax Good Friday and Holy Saturday instead of to riots in Antioch during which the rampaging church. Christians just happened to topple the statues of One of the most controversial aspects of his the Emperor Theodosius, his father, his sons, career centers around the sermons he gave that and his consort. have been translated as Against the Jews. To administer punishment the Emperor in Scholarly opinion remains divided on how to Constantinople sent two muscular emissaries; interpret these homilies. Some believe them to but the bishop obtained clemency for the be egregious examples of inflammatory anti- Antiochenes; and next Lent John preached a Semitism. Others, such as the church historian series of sermons that both mollified the Robert Wilken (John Chrysostom and the Jews: imperial establishment and yet in the same Rhetoric and Reality in the Late Fourth breath managed to condemn the idolatrous Century), have argued that John’s target was the statuary. tendency of some Christians to become overly The next year John was pressured, against his engrossed in Judaizing practices. will, to succeed the failing Archbishop of This debate, of course, will remain unresolved, Constantinople. He was spirited into the but this episode in John’s career raises serious, painful questions (Continue next page) that require prayerful consideration. Vatican City One area where John’s influence for good has (AsiaNews) - been universally recognized lies in the realm of History has liturgy and prayer. To this day his “Divine separated Christians, Liturgy” serves as the basis of worship in "but we're on the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic way to reconciliation Churches of the Byzantine Rite. and communion". John had precious little time for writing, but he Pope Francis dedicated his address to the 50 managed to produce 67 homilies on Old thousand people in St Peter's Square for the Testament subjects, 8 of them on Genesis alone; general audience to ecumenism. The audience and 59 on the Psalms. On the New Testament, began as is tradition with a long tour among the he composed 90 homilies on St. Matthew; 88 on crowd in his white jeep, during which he John; 55 on Acts of the Apostles; 39 on Paul’s surprisingly invited two excited boys to joining Epistle to the Hebrews. And he was a prolific him onboard. correspondent, with 238 letters extant today. "During the journey through history - he said - His clashes with the Emperor and Empress the church has been tempted by the devil who ended in his banishment to the wilds of the tries to divide it, and unfortunately has been eastern empire. Accompanied by guards, he had marred by serious and painful separations. These to walk most of the way and, quite literally, he divisions have sometimes lasted for a long time, was walked to death in the year 407. some until today, so much so, that it is now In 451, at the Council of Chalcedon, he was difficult to retrace all the reasons [for these declared a Doctor of the Universal Church. divisions] and find possible solutions. The In 553 Pope Vigilius referred to him reasons that led to such fractures and separations as Chrysostom, a tag that stuck. can be varied and diverse: from differences in In the Byzantine Church he’s third of the Three dogmatic and moral principles; differences in Holy Hierarchs and Universal Teachers, the theological and pastoral conceptions; politically other two being Basil and Gregory Nazianzen; to motivated reasons or those of convenience, even them the Western Church has added Athanasius clashes due to personal dislikes and ambitions ... to make the four Greek Doctors of the Church. what is certain is that, in one way or another, St. John Chrysostom is commemorated in behind pride and selfishness are always these Eucharistic liturgies, chiefly in the great inter- tears which are the cause of all disagreement and cession, of the Byzantine, Syrian, Chaldean, and make us intolerant, unable to listen and accept Maronite rites. those who have a different vision or a position In 1909 Pope Pius X declared him heavenly from ours". patron of preachers of the word of God. "Many have resigned themselves to this division - even in our Catholic Church - which throughout history has often been a cause of » 10/08/2014 11:34 conflict and suffering, even of wars. This is a Pope: history has separated shame! Even today, relationships are not always Christians, "but we're on based on respect and cordiality ... But, I wonder: How do we react to all this? Are we also the path to reconciliation resigned, if not indifferent to this division? Or and communion" do we firmly believe that we can and we must "During the journey through history, the Church walk in direction of reconciliation and full has been tempted by the devil who tries to divide communion? ... the full communion that will it, and unfortunately has been marred by serious allow us to participate together in the body and and painful separations".