Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Biographical Information about St. John Chrysostom[1]
Readings for the Memorial of St. John Chrysostom[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 3:12-17
St. Paul continues to exhort the Colossians, this time with a litany of positive attitudes that culminate in the cardinal axiom of the faith “love one another.” He goes on to implore them to let the peace of Christ control their every action and to praise God constantly through Jesus, God’s only Son.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Psalm 150 contains this litany of praise. First praising God for what He is. Then, in the following strophes, offering praise with various media, instruments dance, and song.
Gospel Lk 6:27-38
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Plain. In this section, Jesus extends the commandment to love one’s neighbor to include one’s enemy, breaking new ground in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. What follows is an extension of each of the laws governing hospitality and continues by extending even the judicial laws that govern dispute resolution. In conclusion of this section, the Lord exhorts the disciples to embrace forgiveness, saying “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Homily:
Have you ever wondered what you would say to someone about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? If you were placed in a situation where you didn’t have much time and the person you were talking to did not have even a clue who Jesus was and is, what would you say? Say, for instance, you found yourself in a remote village where Jesus was a name not heard before, and one of the villagers approached you and asked, “Who is this ‘Jesus’ you pray to and why is he important to you?”
The answer to that question is given today. If we had to summarize what the Lord taught in just a few phrases we could say what Paul wrote to the Colossians in the first reading and punctuate it with that part of the sermon on the plain we were given from St. Luke’s Gospel.
Love God first and love on another second. If we had just one short sentence that communicated how we are commanded to live our faith, that would be it. Sure there is a huge body of work that provides a frame work for how that love should be expressed, but when it is all distilled down, when all of the embellishments and flowery words are taken away, we are left with one clear and concise message; love God first and love one another.
St. Paul tells the Colossians that in that love they can embrace the peace of Christ which will buoy them up and allow them to face the most difficult times. Jesus extends that love to not just the “nice” neighbors, but to those who consider themselves to be our enemies. Again it is the same message that echoes; “Love God and love one another!”
Pax
[1] Portrait of Saint John Chrysostom of Antioch (Hagios Ioannis Chrysostomos). An early Byzantine mosaic from the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (modern Istanbul). The mosaic is approximately 1,000 years old.
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Biographical Information about St. John Chrysostom[1]
Readings for the Memorial of St. John Chrysostom[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Col 3:12-17
St. Paul continues to exhort the Colossians, this time with a litany of positive attitudes that culminate in the cardinal axiom of the faith “love one another.” He goes on to implore them to let the peace of Christ control their every action and to praise God constantly through Jesus, God’s only Son.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Psalm 150 contains this litany of praise. First praising God for what He is. Then, in the following strophes, offering praise with various media, instruments dance, and song.
Gospel Lk 6:27-38
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Plain. In this section, Jesus extends the commandment to love one’s neighbor to include one’s enemy, breaking new ground in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. What follows is an extension of each of the laws governing hospitality and continues by extending even the judicial laws that govern dispute resolution. In conclusion of this section, the Lord exhorts the disciples to embrace forgiveness, saying “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Homily:
Have you ever wondered what you would say to someone about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? If you were placed in a situation where you didn’t have much time and the person you were talking to did not have even a clue who Jesus was and is, what would you say? Say, for instance, you found yourself in a remote village where Jesus was a name not heard before, and one of the villagers approached you and asked, “Who is this ‘Jesus’ you pray to and why is he important to you?”
The answer to that question is given today. If we had to summarize what the Lord taught in just a few phrases we could say what Paul wrote to the Colossians in the first reading and punctuate it with that part of the sermon on the plain we were given from St. Luke’s Gospel.
Love God first and love on another second. If we had just one short sentence that communicated how we are commanded to live our faith, that would be it. Sure there is a huge body of work that provides a frame work for how that love should be expressed, but when it is all distilled down, when all of the embellishments and flowery words are taken away, we are left with one clear and concise message; love God first and love one another.
St. Paul tells the Colossians that in that love they can embrace the peace of Christ which will buoy them up and allow them to face the most difficult times. Jesus extends that love to not just the “nice” neighbors, but to those who consider themselves to be our enemies. Again it is the same message that echoes; “Love God and love one another!”
Pax
[1] Portrait of Saint John Chrysostom of Antioch (Hagios Ioannis Chrysostomos). An early Byzantine mosaic from the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (modern Istanbul). The mosaic is approximately 1,000 years old.
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
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