Memorial Day of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

One of the greatest saints and theologians of the Christian Church is venerated on November 26 - the Day of Remembrance of St John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople Since the date of the saint’s death, September 14, coincides with another significant religious festival - the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a decision was made to postpone the day of his memory John not only has the title “Father of the Church,” but along with Gregory the Theologian and Basil the Great, he is especially revered as an Ecumenical Teacher Few of the servants of Christianity have done as much as St John His charitable and missionary activities served as an example for his contemporaries and followers Researchers divide John's entire life into three periods, and the first of them is Antioch John was born in the city of Antioch (Byzantium), but the exact date of birth is only known approximately - around 347 The wealthy family into which he was born made it possible to receive a comprehensive secular education and allowed him to study with the best philosophers of that time John also studied the Holy Scriptures, coming to true faith Having subsequently become a monk, he did not strive for career growth and high rank: he spent 4 years in the desert as a hermit, writing theological works and books From 386 he was engaged in preaching the Word of God, reaching unprecedented heights in this matter, for which he received the nickname “Chrysostom” For several years he preached, sometimes daily In 397, the next stage in his life began - receiving the rank of archbishop in Constantinople, at that time the capital of the Byzantine Empire From that time on, he directed his activities towards the modernization of the church structure and the spiritual improvement of the priesthood John zealously fought against the non-Christian lifestyle of his contemporaries, especially representatives of the nobility, for which he began to be persecuted The imperial court was mired in vices: the conflict with Empress Eudoxia, namely the exposure of her sinful image and adultery, almost cost him his life His trial was carried out by hierarchs who had previously been criticized by John But by the will of the emperor, the execution was replaced by exile Thus began the last period of the great man’s life, and it first took place in Armenia The exile did not change him - he continued to write letters to his followers, instructing them and strengthening them in the faith But John’s enemies did not calm down, despite the poor state of the saint’s health In 407, the order came to transport him to Abkhazia During the long and difficult journey his health deteriorated and he died in Komana (modern Turkey) on September 14 Surprisingly, the empress died much earlier - in September 404, shortly after the birth of the heir This premature death began to be considered a punishment for the persecution of John, whose trial took place in the same year Only 30 years later, it was decided to transfer the relics to the capital at the request of his disciple Proclus, who had reached the highest rank of Patriarch of Constantinople The moment of opening the tomb was not without a holy miracle Not only the incorruptibility of the relics amazed eyewitnesses - the saint’s lips opened with a wish for peace to everyone In 1208, the remains were transported to Rome, where they remained until 2004 They are now kept in St George's Cathedral (Istanbul) Today, on Memorial Day, the Divine Liturgy is held, authored by John Chrysostom They are composed in the same way as the evening prayers, which are read daily by believers His sermons and teachings are still relevant today, and prayer helps in life situations