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Saint John Chrysostom

Saint John Chrysostom Quotes

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Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347 – September 14, 407) was an early Church Father and Archbishop of Constantinople, renowned for his eloquent preaching and oratory, earning the epithet 'Chrysostom' meaning 'golden-mouthed.' Born in Antioch, he received a classical education and later became a hermit. His sermons emphasized moral reform, social justice, and biblical exegesis, often criticizing luxury and corruption. His conflicts with the imperial court and clergy led to multiple exiles, and he died during a forced march. His extensive writings, including homilies, commentaries, and letters, profoundly influenced Eastern Christianity. He is venerated as a saint and Doctor of the Church in Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and other traditions.

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Famous Saint John Chrysostom Quotes

“...there is nothing that has been created without some reason, even if human nature is incapable of knowing precisely the reason for them all.”

Ifs Humans Has Beens Reason Knowing Human Nature Environmental Incapable

Book:Homilies on Genesis

Source: Homilies on Genesis

“From the creation learn to admire thy Lord! And if any of the things thou see exceed thy comprehension, and thou are not able to find the reason thereof, yet for this glorify the Creator, that the wisdom of these works surpass thine understanding.”

Ifs Reason Able Understanding Lord Creation Environmental Creator Admire Exceed Comprehension Glorify

Book:The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the Statues: Or, To the People of Antioch

Source: The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the Statues: Or, To the People of Antioch

“For Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force...it is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor, if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil, not by force, but by choice.”

Ifs Knows Men Giving Should Use Christian Law Choices Evil Force Know How Authority Granted Sinner Crowns Persuasion Forbidden Stumbling

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If we were not passionately inclined to money or to vainglory, then we would not fear death or poverty. We would not know enmity or hatred, and we would not suffer from the sorrows of ourselves or others.”

Ifs Knows Inspirational Christian Suffering Religious Poverty Sorrow Hatred Orthodox Fear Of Death Enmity

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Let the mouth also fast from disgraceful speeches and railings. For what does it profit if we abstain from fish and fowl and yet bite and devour our brothers and sisters? The evil speaker eats the flesh of his brother and bites the body of his neighbor.”

Ifs Doe Body Evil Brother Speech Mouths Fishes Profit Neighbor Flesh Bites Speakers Brothers And Sisters Disgraceful Fowl

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“We must not mind insulting men, if by respecting them we offend God.”

Ifs Men Mind Insulting

Book:Six Books on the Priesthood

Source: Six Books on the Priesthood

“A man's readiness and commitment are not enough if he does not enjoy help from above as well; equally help from above is no benefit to us unless there is also commitment and readiness on our part.”

Ifs Men Wells Doe Enough Helping Enjoy Benefits Commitment Readiness

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If then we have Angels, let us be sober, as though we were in the presence of tutors; for there is a demon present also.”

Ifs Angel Demon Sober Tutor If Then

Book:Homilies: On the Epistles of St. Paul, the Apostle, to the Philippians, Colassians and Thessalonians. 1843

Source: Homilies: On the Epistles of St. Paul, the Apostle, to the Philippians, Colassians and Thessalonians. 1843

“If you wish to leave much wealth to your children, leave them in God's care. Do not leave them riches, but virtue and skill. For if they learn to expect riches, they will not mind anything besides, and their abundant riches shall give them the means of screening the wickedness of their ways.”

Ifs Way Giving Mind Mean Children Care Wish Wealth Virtue Skills Our Children Riches Your Children Wickedness Screening

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Make account that thou hast done nothing, and then thou hast done all. For if, being sinners, when we account ourselves to be what we are, we become righteous, as indeed the Publican did; how much more, when being righteous we account ourselves to be sinners.”

Ifs Done Humility Accounts Sinner Righteous

Book:The homilies of S. John Chrysostom ... on the gospel of St. Matthew

Source: The homilies of S. John Chrysostom ... on the gospel of St. Matthew

“If there were no tribulation, there would be no rest; if there were no winter, there would be no summer.”

Ifs Would Be Summer Garden Winter August Tribulation Summer Garden

Book:To the People of Antioch

Source: To the People of Antioch

“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.”

Ifs Giving Should May Doe Able Suffering Lord Love You Bears Miracle Raises Rewards Sufficient Debtors Great Reward Remuneration

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.”

Ifs Christianity Virtue Mercy Saved Orthodox Summit Orthodox Christian

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“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.”

Ifs Want Giving Should Stills Hands Heaven Shapes Eating Shoes Jew Touched Clothings Staff Sacraments Palestine Enthusiastic Haste Ardent Vigilant Fervent Sandals

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If you say, "Would there were no wine" because of the drunkards, then you must say, going on by degrees, "Would there were no steel," because of the murderers, "Would there were no night," because of the thieves, "Would there were no light," because of the informers, and "Would there were no women," because of adultery.”

Ifs War Light Night Drug Degrees Wine Users Thieves Steel Murderer Adultery Drunkards Drug Prohibition Informers

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“What good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger. Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.”

Ifs Wells May Inspiration Faith Left Dying Brother Catholic Tables Hunger Christian Inspirational Golden Satisfying Altars Your Brother Eucharistic Chalice Overloaded

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If we approach with faith, we too will see Jesus... for the Eucharistic table takes the place of the crib. Here the Body of the Lord is present, wrapped not in swaddling clothes but in the rays of the Holy Spirit.”

Ifs Body Inspiration Spirit Faith Jesus Lord Holy Approach Clothes Tables Christian Inspirational Holy Spirit Rays Eucharistic

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If you would rise, shun luxury, for luxury lowers and degrades.”

Ifs Inspiration Faith Luxury Degrade

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“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.”

Ifs Soul Use Spirit Suffering Boys Childhood Youth Train Patient Aids Be Patient Fitting Sufferers Being Wrong Wronged

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Imagine your anger to be a kind of wild beast, because it has ferocious teeth and claws, and if you don't tame it, it will devastate all things even corrupting the soul.”

Ifs Kind Soul Imagine All Things Saint Teeth Beast Claws Wild Beasts

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If repentance is neglected for an instant, one can lose the power of the Resurrection as he lives with the weakness of tepidity and the potential of his fall.”

Ifs Christian Fall Loses Weakness Instant Repentance Resurrection Neglected Backsliding

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“For if you change from inhumanity to alms giving, you have stretched fourth the hand that was withered. If you withdraw from theaters and go to church, you have cured the lame foot. If you draw back your eyes from a harlot ... you have opened them when they were blind ... These are the greatest miracles.”

Ifs Love Giving Hands Eye Church Healing Feet Draws Miracle Theater Blind Fourth Lame Inhumanity Withered Alms Harlots

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“We should not bear it with bad grace if the answer to our prayer is long delayed. Rather, let us, because of this, show great patience and resignation. For He delays for this reason: that we may offer Him a fitting occasion of honoring us through His divine providence.”

“And all men are ready to pass judgement on the priest as if he was not a being clothed with flesh, or one who inherited a human nature.”

Ifs Men Humans Human Nature Ready Flesh Judgement Priests Judgemental

Book:A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: St. Chrysostom: On the priesthood; Ascetic treatises; Select homilies and letters; Homilies on the statutes

Source: A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: St. Chrysostom: On the priesthood; Ascetic treatises; Select homilies and letters; Homilies on the statutes

“Words would be superfluous if we had deeds to show for Them.”

Ifs Shows Would Be Action Deeds Superfluous

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God's mercy and His love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.”

Ifs Men Christian Virtue Heard Mercy Credit Saved Orthodox His Love Summit Orthodox Christian

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Abba Moses asked Abba Sylvanus, Can a person lay a new foundation every day? The old man replied, If you work hard, you can lay a new foundation every moment. Abba Pimen said, To throw yourself before God, not to measure your progress, to leave behind all self-will; these are the instruments for the work of the soul. The desire to rule is the mother of heresies.”

Ifs Men Persons Said Soul Self Hard Moments Christian Mother Desire Behinds Progress Hard Work Foundation Instruments Lays Orthodox Old Man Moses Heresy Self Will Abba

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.”

Ifs Christ Church Doors Beggar Chalice

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“I do not know whether anyone has ever succeeded in not enjoying praise. And, if we enjoy it, we naturally wants to receive it. And if we want to receive it, we cannot help but being distraught at losing it. Those who are in love with applause have their spirits starved not only when they are blamed off-hand, but even when they fail to be constantly praised.”

Ifs Knows Want Helping Hands Spirit Enjoy Failing Losing Praise Applause Distraught

Author:Saint John Chrysostom