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Saint John Chrysostom

Saint John Chrysostom Quotes

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Famous Saint John Chrysostom Quotes

“If the Lord should give you power to raise the dead, He would give much less than He does when he bestows suffering. By miracles you would make yourself debtor to Him, while by suffering He may become debtor to you. And even if sufferings had no other reward than being able to bear something for that God who loves you, is not this a great reward and a sufficient remuneration? Whoever loves, understands what I say.”

IfsGivingShouldMayDoeAbleSufferingLordLove YouBearsMiracleRaisesRewardsSufficientDebtorsGreat RewardRemuneration
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“You see how many are the benefits of baptism, and some think its heavenly grace consists only in the remission of sins, but we have enumerated ten honors [it bestows]! For this reason we baptize even infants, though they are not defiled by [personal] sins, so that there may be given to them holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ, and that they may be his [Christ's] members”

ThinkingMayReasonGivenChristSinGraceHonorTenMembersBenefitsHolinessHeavenlyRighteousnessBrotherhoodAdoptionInfantInheritanceBaptismRemission
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infant's bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness.”

MenHandsLyingSimpleWonderChristianitySubjectsBrokenBirthHonorBandGoodnessGloryBoundsAncientComplexityTouchedSinnerHeavenlyThronesSublimeHumiliationInfantAstonishmentInfamyIgnominy
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“A mother experiences more than one death, even though she herself will only die once. She fears for her husband; she fears for her children; again she fears for the women and children who belong to her children. ... For each of these-whether for loss of possessions, bodily illness, or undesired misfortune-she mourns and grieves no less than those who suffer.”

ChildrenMotherSufferingDiesLossChristianityHusbandIllnessPossessionGrievingMisfortunesMourn
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance.”

GivingKindMightSpiritualForgetAcceptingDrinkComfortSickForgivingFruitPatientCalmHumbleHungryPityGrievingGrantsRepentanceTruthfulSympatheticMercifulFastingPiousThirsty
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“How many there are who still say, 'I want to see His shape, His image, His clothing, His sandals.' Behold, you do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him! You want to see His clothing. He gives Himself to you, not just to be seen but to be touched, to be eaten, to be received within .... Let all of you be ardent, fervent, enthusiastic. If the Jews stood, shoes on, staff in hand, and eating in haste, how much more vigilant should you be. They were about to go to Palestine; ... you are about to go to heaven.”

IfsWantGivingShouldStillsHandsHeavenShapesEatingShoesJewTouchedClothingsStaffSacramentsPalestineEnthusiasticHasteArdentVigilantFerventSandals
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“Paul commands: 'Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the Traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter.' From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by letter, but there is much also that was not written. Like that which was written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief. So let us regard the Tradition of the Church also as worthy of belief. Is it a Tradition? Seek no further.”

Has BeensHandsBeliefChurchClearWrittenTaughtTraditionLettersRegardWorthyCommandCatholicismBrethrenUnwritten
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“For nothing so much disturbs the mind, though it be done for some beneficial purpose, as to innovate and introduce strange things, and most of all when this is done in matters relating to divine worship and the glory of God.”

MindMatterDonePurposeDivineStrangeWorshipGloryCatholicismIntroducingBeneficialGlory Of GodStrange Things
Book:The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians: Hom. 1-24. Pt. 2. Hom. 25-44
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“Since it is likely that, being men, they would sin every day, St. Paul consoles his hearers by saying 'renew yourselves' from day to day. This is what we do with houses: we keep constantly repairing them as they wear old. You should do the same thing to yourself. Have you sinned today? Have you made your soul old? Do not despair, do not despond, but renew your soul by repentance, and tears, and Confession, and by doing good things. And never cease doing this.”

MenShouldMadeSoulTodayChristianFaithHouseSinTearsDespairGood ThingsCeaseYour SoulRepentanceConfessionDay To DayDoing GoodBeing MeConsoleOld YouRepairing
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“A friend is more to be longed for than the light; I speak of a genuine one. And wonder not: for it were better for us that the sun should be extinguished, than that we should be deprived of friends; better to live in darkness, than to be without friends”

ShouldLightSpeakWonderDarknessSunGenuineDeprivedWithout Friends
Book:A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: St. Chrysostom: Homilies on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon
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“Let us pass to the despotic part of the soul, spirit. We must not eliminate it utterly from the youth nor yet allow him to use it all the time. Let us train boys from earliest childhood to be patient when they suffer wrongs themselves, but, if they see another being wronged, to sally forth courageously and aid the sufferer in fitting measure.”

IfsSoulUseSpiritSufferingBoysChildhoodYouthTrainPatientAidsBe PatientFittingSufferersBeing WrongWronged
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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“Do not the angels differs from us in this respect, that they do not want so many things as we do? Therefore the less we need, the more we are on our way to them; the more we need, the more we sink down to this perishable life.”

WayWantNeedsAngelDenialSelf-denial
Book:The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Gospel of St. John: Hom. xlii-lxxxviii
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“Be ashamed when you sin, don't be ashamed when you repent [To repent means to have a change of heart and mind. It is not simply a feeling of sorrow ,but a psycho/spiritual growth away from evil/death and a turning to God/life]. Sin is the wound, repentance is the medicine. Sin is followed by shame; repentance is followed by boldness [ Boldness means to beg God for undeserved mercy]. Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.”

LoveMindHeartMeanFeelingsSpiritualOrderEvilGivenGrowthSinHealingSorrowMercyShameMedicineWoundsSatanAshamedSpiritual GrowthRepentanceHeart And MindRepentBoldnessPsychoGod LifeChange Of Heart
Author:Saint John Chrysostom
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