At the Feet of the Fathers—St. John Chrysostom on the Lord’s Supper

At the Feet of the Fathers

Monday, April 10, 2023

St. John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom (c. AD  347 – 14 September AD 407) was an important early Church father who served as archbishop of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). He is known for his preaching, public speaking, his stand against abuses both among secular authorities and in the church, and his Divine Liturgy used to this day in Eastern Orthodoxy. The name Chrysostom means "golden-mouthed" in Greek and was given to him for his celebrated eloquence. Chrysostom was one of the most prolific authors in the early Christian Church.

Like Lions Breathing Fire

Let us then return from the [Communion] table like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil, thinking on our Head [Christ] and on the love that He has shown for us.… Our Lord says: 'I feed you with My own flesh, desiring that you all be nobly born, and holding forth good hopes for your future.… I have willed to become your Brother. For your sake, I shared in flesh and blood, and, in turn, I give you the flesh and the blood by which I became your kinsman.' This blood causes the image of our King to be fresh within us. It produces beauty unspeakable and prevents the nobleness of our souls from wasting away.… It nourishes our souls and works in them a mighty power. This blood, if rightly taken, drives away devils, and keeps them far from us, while it calls the angels and the Lord of angels to us. For wherever they see the Lord's blood, devils flee, and angels run together.

-St. John Chrysostom, Homily 46 on the Gospel of John

(Thank you to my brothers at Gottesdienst for bringing this quote to our attention)