THE WORD AND THE SAINT
September 13, 2023: Celebrating John Chrysostom, the Golden Mouth
Colossians 3: 1-11; Luke 6: 20-26
There is no more Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, slaves or free persons, there is only Christ, says Paul. Christ alone makes the difference. There is no more religious or lay, catholics or others, believers or non believers, practitioners or indifferent, regular-to-the-Church or non-church-goers... nothing is going to make a difference! There is Christ and only Christ who is going to make all the difference.
God has chosen each of us, and if God has chosen us in Christ, we have a duty to respond. It is our response that is going to make the difference. If I choose Christ, if I value Christ, if I value the call that I have received to be a child of God, I have to show it in my life, I have to live it on a daily basis, I have to prove it at times of real crisis in my practical living. When I choose Christ, the difference will be seen.
John Chrysostom, whom we celebrate today, was born just John. He was given the title Chyrsostom, which means "Golden Mouth" because of the way he spoke God's Word, the way he inspired others through his life so absolutely guided by the Word. He made a choice for Christ, in the midst of his early education with a climate so anti-christian and pagan, and his choice he lived for the rest of his life and was even killed for it. Let our choice for Christ make a concrete difference in our lives. Let the world around me see a difference in me, the Christ difference!