St. John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom (347-407) was born in Antioch to a fairly well-educated family. Early on, John became a hermit, living a life of silent prayer. He committed most of the Scripture to memory. When poor health forced him to return to Antioch, his gift with words, now purified by years of silent meditation on God's Word, came alive again. John, ordained a priest, began to preach in Antioch's cathedral. People came and the word began to spread: this preacher is "Chrysostom," golden-mouthed. In 397,...See more

John Chrysostom (347-407) was born in Antioch to a fairly well-educated family. Early on, John became a hermit, living a life of silent prayer. He committed most of the Scripture to memory. When poor health forced him to return to Antioch, his gift with words, now purified by years of silent meditation on God's Word, came alive again. John, ordained a priest, began to preach in Antioch's cathedral. People came and the word began to spread: this preacher is "Chrysostom," golden-mouthed. In 397, against his will and knowledge, he was nominated Patriarch of Constantinople, the capital of the Empire. As bishop, John Chrysostom dealt more with politics than pastoral ministry and overstepped his boundaries by removing bishops from office in Ephesus which was outside his jurisdiction. As a result of this, he was eventually exiled to a village in the Black Sea (but received much support from the Christian community) and lived out his final years in exile there. See less