Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
‘Dealing with addiction is enough for me to want to end it all.’ The desire of this person whom I encountered was that they be restored to their old self who lived solely for the faith in Christ who was their Lord and savior. They implied that because of their journey into sin that they must have caused God to turn their back on them. Although I assured this person that Christ, this dichotomous understanding that many of us, myself included can enter into. The sentiments of this person’s feelings reminded me of today’s first reading. Paul challenges us to put to death, to end anything in our earthly selves that causes us to take our focus off of Christ who has saved us. All forms of sin, and any actions that are impure are a form of idolatry that must be put away so that we can put on new self, renewed in the image of God who made us.
Like St. Paul’s encouragement today, putting to death all that is offensive to the Lord was a hallmark of St. John Chrysostom life a ministry. The message of his preaching was meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, especially as his position as bishop of Constantinople meant he was expected to participate in the court of the wealthy and powerful. St. John detested the hypocrisy of the rich people he was surrounded by and his fiery preaching ending in his being exiled. At the heart of St. John’s message was the challenge for to people to appreciate all of their blessings and to conform themselves Christ when their idolatrous living seemed to reject Gospel values. How is Christ calling us to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel?
In today’s Gospel, Luke’s blessings and woes, Jesus offers us a similar challenge. This pericope balances each blessing with a woe that drives home the understanding that we must look deeply at our own lives. Jesus is calling on us to appreciate our blessings. Conversely, Jesus is also challenging us to recognize the areas in which are out of balance so that we can return to the values of the Kingdom.
Today’s Gospel is found in the larger context of Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Plain’ which at its core expresses the Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This is as difficult to do, as recognizing the blessings in lives. Loving someone else, including the people who do not like us is especially challenging when we do not realize that we are loved and forgiven by the Lord.
Loving God, we thank you for all of your blessings especially the people you have placed in our lives that can both comfort and challenge us to be faith followers of you oh Lord. Amen.
- Deacon Michael Montgomery
Today’s reflection is dedicated to Fr. John Turnbull, O.F.M who pastored my family for many years, baptized our children, loved us like Christ loved and modeled for us how to live like Jesus following the example of St. Francis.