Meanwhile, the denouement was approaching. The messengers preceded the aged Flavian and before him conveyed to the emperor the news of the rebellion and the insult inflicted on him. The emperor immediately sent special authorized dignitaries to conduct the strictest interrogation, and now these dignitaries had already arrived in the city and began not only to investigate, but also to punish. The city was declared deprived of the rights and privileges assigned to it, numerous arrests were made of the guilty, of whom there were so many that there was no place for them in the dungeons, and they were locked up in a huge fence without a roof. The entire population fell into despondency and despair, and apparently there was no hope of salvation from anywhere. But when the plenipotentiary dignitaries on the third day of their reprisal were driving to the place of their public meeting, some strange people with emaciated lenten faces blocked their way. These were the surrounding hermits, who, hearing about the terrible calamity that had befallen Antioch, left their caves and came to the city to render all possible assistance to the unfortunates. Having nothing in common with this sinful world, and fearing no one but God, they boldly stood before the plenipotentiary dignitaries and implored them to grant mercy and forgiveness to Antioch. One of them, the little feeble elder Macedonius, acted and spoke especially fearlessly. Taking hold of the cloak of one of the dignitaries, he forced him to dismount, and when he dismounted, he began to persuade him and the other plenipotentiary to ask the emperor for mercy and forgiveness for the unfortunate city. After all, the emperor is a man, and he can understand how dangerous it is for a man to destroy those like him. Will he be able to resurrect those who fall victim to his wrath? Let us remember the wrath of God. The dignitaries were struck by these words of an extraordinary hermit, deeply respected by the people, and promising to intercede with the emperor, they moved on to the praetorium, where crowds of people condemned to death were already waiting for them with trepidation. But here they encounter a new obstacle: at the very gates of the praetorium they are met by a host of bishops and presbyters, among whom John Chrysostom was in the most prominent place, and these true pastors declare that they will not allow the dignitaries into the praetorium until they receive from them a promise to pardon the condemned; they can enter the praetorium only through their corpses. And then, embracing the knees of the dignitaries, they moved them so much with humble supplications, now with threats of the terrible wrath of God for their inhumanity, that they pronounced forgiveness, the rumor of which instantly spread through the huge crowd of people, and everyone, both pastors and flock, thanked them with tears of joy for such mercy. One of the dignitaries, the noble Caesarius, immediately went to Constantinople to report all that had happened and to intercede with the emperor for the unfortunate city.

When he was hastily going to the capital, there at that time the aged Flavian made every effort to obtain an audience with the emperor and to ask mercy for his criminal flock, but his efforts remained in vain. The enraged emperor did not even want to hear about the intercession of the elder-bishop for the criminal city and did not give an audience. The deeply distressed archpastor was already despairing of the success of his cause, when Caesarius arrived and, having explained to the emperor the state of affairs, persuaded him to pardon the foolish city, which had already suffered sufficient punishment for its folly. The emperor hesitated and did not give a final decision. But it was then that Flavian was admitted to him, who finally softened the anger of the sovereign. Humbly appearing before the emperor, he stood at a distance with a deeply dejected look and did not dare to raise his eyes. Seeing the venerable archpastor, who suffered so much for his flock, touched the good heart of Theodosius: he himself approached the bishop and in a voice more agitated than in a stern voice began to reproach the Antiochians for ingratitude for all the numerous rights and privileges that had been given to them. who is more deserving of pity than of wrath, and begged for mercy on his unfortunate city. The emperor can certainly burn and destroy Antioch, and it is indeed worthy of an even more severe punishment; but he must remember that there is a Heavenly King above him, Who commanded mutual mercy to all people, saying: "If you forgive men their trespasses, God will also forgive you your trespasses." The speech of the aged bishop made a strong impression on the emperor. His heart softened, and he cried out that if the Lord of the world, Who had come down to earth and been crucified by those to whom He had brought the greatest blessings, prayed to His Heavenly Father for His fierce enemies, saying: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do," how much more should people forgive the insults inflicted on them. The emperor gave full pardon to the city and hurried Flavian to go to Antioch as soon as possible, and by his news of the pardon to rouse the city from its terrible state of apprehension for the future. "Hurry quickly," said the Emperor, "go and comfort them. At the sight of their helmsman, they will forget all their misfortunes." The elder thanked the emperor for the Christian mercy he had shown to the city, and hastily set off with the joyful news, with which he arrived for Pascha. If this radiant feast of redemption was at all joyful for Christians, now it was even more joyful and solemn for the Antiochians. The news of the pardon preceded Flavian, and when he was approaching the city, all the population poured out to meet him, and he was solemnly brought into the city, as if in triumph. To the valiant saint, who so selflessly interceded for his people, the whole city rejoiced inexpressibly, but most of all John, who did not fail to pronounce an enthusiastic word on the occasion of the arrival of the dear archpastor. "Blessed be God," he said to his moved listeners to tears, "Who has vouchsafed us to celebrate this holy feast with great joy and gladness, Who has restored the head of the body, the shepherd of the flock, the teacher of his disciples, the high priest of the priests. Blessed be God, who has done immeasurably more than we have asked or thought of; for it seemed to us sufficient to be delivered for a time from threatening calamities, but the merciful God, far surpassing our petitions in His gifts, restored our father to us sooner than we could have expected." And then Chrysostom told in detail the whole story of the saint's intercession for his people, and in conclusion he exhorted the people never to forget this terrible trial.

The event described is remarkable in many respects, especially remarkable in that it reveals in all its force what influence Christianity had on the softening of the morals of that time.

And these speeches echoed in the hearts not only of Christians, but also of pagans. On account of the confusion, public baths, theaters, and other places of pleasure and entertainment were closed, only Christian churches were opened, and in one of them the speech of a sweet-tongued preacher constantly poured out like a golden stream. If before, the pagans, out of love of eloquence, were not averse to listening to the famous Christian teacher, whom the famous rhetorician Livanius had once admired, now, in times of social calamity, they went in masses to listen to Chrysostom, hoping to draw consolation for their suffering souls as well. And then they listened with amazement as the Christian preacher with irresistible power exposed the vices and follies that distinguished their large and dissolute city, as he called everyone like a trumpet to repentance and correction. From the words of the preacher, the pagans were undoubtedly convinced of how vain and fleeting are earthly honors and riches, how they are unable to satisfy the demands of the heart and save life in times of danger and calamity, and how much higher is their Christian hope, which places the goal and highest good of life in the indestructible treasures of the afterlife. They have heard here that virtue is the only indestructible good, and sin is the only real evil, that for a virtuous man death is only a transition to a happier or blissful life, and that the calamities of the earth are useful in that they purify and elevate souls.

Then many of these involuntary listeners of Chrysostom, fully convinced of the vanity of their idolatry, accepted the faith of Christ and were baptized, and Chrysostom gladly reports that soon after Flavian's return he was much occupied with "strengthening in the faith those who, as a result of the calamity, came to their senses and forsook their pagan error." In this way, the terrible event, which in all its horror revealed the savagery of human nature when it yields to passions, at the same time, by the inscrutable ways of God's Providence, served as a pretext for the triumph of Christianity, and the Kingdom of God on earth was replenished with many members who had hitherto been in the darkness of pagan error.

Not only from week to week, but one might say from day to day, the Church of Antioch had the great happiness of listening to the discourses of the golden-tongued pastor, who did not tire in his pastoral service and, having himself deeply studied the books of Holy Scripture, taught his listeners in it, revealing to them the mysteries of God's miraculous dispensation for the salvation of people. Possessing an amazing ability to respond to all the phenomena of social life and to all the movements of the human soul, St.

As a result, a deep moral bond has been formed between the pastor and the flock, which is an eternally instructive example of what a true Christian pastor can be for his flock. John himself depicts this connection with striking frankness and frankness, and it is not superfluous to set forth some features of these relations here, since they shed a bright light on the very nature of his personality and pastoral ministry in Antioch.

When considering John's pastoral activity from this point of view, one involuntarily recalls the saying of the divine Chief Shepherd, Who, defining the ideal of relations between pastors and flock in the Church of God, said that "the good shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him and listen to his voice." In the history of the Christian Church, there have been many pastors who have striven to implement this model in their lives and activities, but the most remarkable example of its realization within the limits of human power is St. John Chrysostom. Here we see an amazing spectacle that the heart of the people, so to speak, lived an inseparable life with the heart of the pastor, who devoted himself entirely to the good of his flock. Such a strong bond was established between them, such boundless love, that apparently neither a pastor could exist without a people, nor a people without a pastor. It was enough for the pastor, under the influence of natural fatigue or illness, to suspend his conversations or to retire for a few days outside the city to rest and refresh himself in the wilderness, and the city became sad, as if it had been struck by some great misfortune. But it was enough for John to appear again, and the city came to life again, shouts of joy were heard everywhere, and it was as if a great feast was approaching. For his part, the pastor himself was agitated by the same feelings, who also could not live without his flock. "I have been absent only for one day," he said on his return from a short journey, "and it seemed to me that I had been away from you for a whole year, so sad and bored was I! By the tribulation you have experienced, you can judge mine also. When a child is torn from his mother's breast, or carried away, he turns and looks around, looking for her; so when I was torn from among you, as from my mother's breast, all my thoughts directed me to this sacred assembly"[8]. On another occasion, when he had to stay in his house for several days because of illness, he said after his recovery: "Today, being among you again, I feel the same as if I had returned from a long journey. When two friends cannot see each other, what good is it if they even live in the same city? Without leaving my home, I was as alienated as if a great distance separated me from you, because I could not converse with you... In the midst of my sufferings, what depressed me most was that I could not take part in this beloved assembly, and now that I have recovered, I prefer the pleasure of freely enjoying your love to my health. The thirst of fever is never greater than the desire to see our friends again when we have been deprived of them. As a feverish man thirsts for fresh water, so an absent friend thirsts for his friends"[9]. Under another circumstance, when John, overwhelmed by his tireless labors, went to rest and breathe in the mountain air of the wilderness, letters flew to him from his flock, who begged him to return as soon as possible, and he returned, although his health would still require rest and strength. Ascending to his pulpit, he said: "Is it true that you remembered me in my absence? As for me, I could not forget you for a moment. Captivated by bodily beauty, everywhere they go, they carry in their thoughts their favorite image; so we, captivated by the beauty of your souls, carried your image everywhere in our hearts. And just as painters reproduce the appearance of objects through the combination of colors, so we, imagining your zeal for our conversations, your love for preaching, your benevolence towards the preacher, and all the good that distinguishes you, made of your virtues, as of paints, the image of your souls; contemplation of it relieved us of the boredom of absence. Sitting or standing, at rest or in motion, in the house or out of it, everywhere and at all times we have been haunted by these thoughts; even our dreams were occupied with your love, and during the nights, as well as during the day, we fed on the sweetness of these memories, repeating the words of Solomon: "I am asleep, but my heart is awake"... (Song II.V, 2). I yielded to your insistence, I preferred to return without recovery, rather than experience your love, waiting for my recovery... That is why I arose and came to you."[10] Here is truly a good shepherd, ready to lay down his life for his sheep!

But voluntarily submitting to this extremely strong love of his flock and indulging them in this respect even to the point of neglecting his health, John did not miss an opportunity to reproach his listeners for their frivolity and enthusiasm for the external beauties of speech, and not for its internal content, which demanded moral regeneration. When the listeners, delighted with the fascinating conversations of their favorite preacher, burst into thunderous applause, according to the custom of the time, John sternly said to them: "I do not desire your applause, nor this noise. All my desire is that you, having listened in silence to what I say to you, apply this instruction to life. These are the praises I would like... You are not in the theater, nor in front of the actors, here is a spiritual school, and you must prove your obedience by your deeds. Only then will I consider myself rewarded for my labors"[11]. Of course, many did not like such reproaches, and there were people who were not even ashamed to revile the preacher and disturb the conscience of his flock. In the struggle with these evil people, John must spend a lot of time and labor; but with boundless self-denial he forgave all such backbiting when they concerned him personally. On the other hand, his heart was struck with deep sorrow when, for one reason or another, his listeners grew cold to his conversations and were carried away by some new theatrical amusements. Such phenomena often occurred among this ardent, passionate, frivolous and mobile people, who quickly changed in their mood and in one day could spoil what had been built up over the years. However dear to them was the golden-tongued preacher, for whom they yearned when they had not seen or heard him for several days; But it was enough to arrange some unusual hippodrome in the theater with its fascinating races, and the Antiochians left the churches and rushed to watch the dashing races. Such inconstancy and frivolity grieved the great preacher to the extreme, and he repeatedly exclaimed with bitterness: "Am I really laboring in vain? Do I sow on a rock, or in the midst of thorns? I am afraid that my efforts will lead to nothing."[12] Even more upsetting was his irreverent behavior in church. "Can we say? The Church has become a theater! Women come here dressed with greater indecency and shamelessness than those who commit fornication there. They also attract shameless people here. If anyone wants to seduce a woman, I think no place seems to him more convenient than the church; And if someone needs to sell or buy, the church seems more convenient to him than the square. Here gossip is heard, here gossip is listened to more than anywhere else, and if you want to know the news, you will learn it here more than at a court of law, or in a doctor's office... Is it tolerable? Can we bear it? Every day I am weary and tormented because you may take away from this useful edification, and you go away with more harm than benefit"[13]. But an attack of indignation and anger immediately gave way to love and forgiveness, as soon as the preacher noticed the effect of his reproach. Unable to bear his own severity, he was already in a hurry to make amends for it and asked forgiveness from his frivolous spiritual children. "I feel," he said, "that I have used too cruel reproaches. I'm sorry. This is what happens to every sick soul. But I say this not from a hostile heart, but from the restlessness of a loving soul for you. Therefore, I weaken my severity"[14]. There were occasions when the inconstancy and windiness of the Antiochians drove Chrysostom even more out of patience and he threw thunders of righteous anger at them, but even among these peals of rebuke and reproach the dominant tone of love was always heard. The pastor severely reproached his flock because he loved them, and they humbly endured his well-deserved reproaches, because they themselves loved him. They were two friends, united by indissoluble bonds of love and devotion. John's earnest and deep, as well as his holy love for his flock, was in no way like the deceitful caresses of ambitious people and tribunes of the people, who with their flattery intoxicate the crowd in order to more easily submit it to the yoke of their autocracy. John was a stranger to any such caresses, he knew how to speak the bitter truth to the eyes of his listeners; but if he ever expressed love for them, it was from the depths of his sincere heart. What genuine sincerity are his following words: "I carry you in my heart, you occupy all my thoughts. Great is the people, but great is my love for them, and you will not be cramped in my soul. I have no other life but you and concern for your salvation."[15]

Being a true exponent of the spirit of Christ, St. John, as a pastor, cared mainly for those who labor and are burdened, whom the Savior Christ Himself called to Himself with boundless love. His loving heart was especially open to the younger brethren, and he, as a caring father, delved into all their needs, not only spiritual, but also material, worldly. When the situation of the poor inhabitants became especially difficult for some reason, Chrysostom boldly acted as an intercessor for them, and if the reason for the deterioration of their situation was greed or oppression on the part of the rich, then he, as a true guardian of the people, strongly reproached the latter, sparing no words to expose their greed and cruelty. At times, John's sermons were almost exclusively concerned with the situation of the poor inhabitants of the city, so that even reproaches were expressed to him for speaking only about the poor, as if others did not deserve his attention and edification. Chrysostom replied that the salvation of all, rich or poor, was dear to him; but he is especially concerned about the poor, because not only their souls, but also their bodies need the care of a pastor, which is why the Saviour at the Last Judgment will ask whether we have fed the hungry, whether we have clothed the naked. "Therefore I will not cease to repeat: give to the poor, and I will be a tireless accuser of those who do not give"[16]. And indeed, he never ceased to repeat this call, and was the true father of the poor and needy, that lover of poverty, whose love of poverty made him especially dear to the Orthodox Russian people, and to this day considers love of poverty and alms to be the main virtue of every true Christian.

The mercy of St. John Chrysostom was also clearly manifested in his attitude towards the sins and vices of his people. Being himself a great and severe ascetic, he was an implacable enemy and denouncer of all sin, an implacable persecutor of all vices and passions, and waged a fierce struggle against them. Vigilantly watching all the movements both in the external and in the internal life of his flock, he menacingly castigated all deviations from holiness and Christian duty, and his denunciatory speeches at times sounded like the peals of heavenly thunders, and his listeners trembled, imagining the terrible torments that they had prepared for themselves by their deeds. But this enmity to sins and vices in St. John never turned into enmity towards sinners themselves. On the contrary, the more strongly he hurled the thunders of rebuke against sins, the more pity and love he was imbued with sinners themselves, seeing in them erring sheep requiring the loving care of a shepherd. Therefore, as soon as he noticed the effect of his threats, he softened his tone, instead of thunders, words of love and encouragement were heard from his lips, and the main subject of his conversation was the infinity of God's mercy, before which every human sin sinks like a drop in the ocean. His favorite text was the saying of the Saviour: "The Son of man came not to destroy the souls of men, but to save" (Luke 2:11). IX, 56), and developing its meaning, St. John tried to impress upon his listeners the idea that there is no such sinful fall from which man could not rise, and his reasoning made an even stronger impression because it was often confirmed by illustrative examples not only from the Bible, but also from modern life. "Have you not heard," he once said, "of that harlot who surpassed all lost women, and who afterwards surpassed all the saints in her piety? I am not speaking of the one in the Gospel, but of the one that was so famous about the time of my birth. Originating from the most depraved city of Phoenicia, she occupied the first place in the theater and her fame spread to Cilicia and Cappadocia. How many rich people it has ruined! How many young people have been seduced! She was even accused of sorcery, as if her beauty alone, without love charms and sorcery, was not enough for her passion to devour her victims. She even caught the Empress's brother in her nets. No one could stand against her omnipotence. And suddenly, I do not know how, or rather I know, that by a change of her will, having attained the grace of God, she broke free from the demonic deceptions that captivated her, and directed her path to heaven. She, whom no one could equal in shamelessness on the stage, became a model of chastity and, dressed in sackcloth, spent her life in repentance. In vain did the prefect, urged on by certain persons, want to force her to return to the theatrical stage, and even the soldiers sent for her could not take her from the refuge of the virgins who sheltered her. Admitted to the holy mysteries, purified by grace, she attained the highest virtue, never showed herself to her admirers, and shut herself up in a kind of prison, where she spent several years. So the first will be the last, and the last first. Let us hope that nothing will prevent us from becoming great and glorious"[17]. Such conversations could have a profoundly encouraging meaning for the most hardened sinners, saving them from despondency and despair and supporting them with hope in God's mercy. Truly, the following words of the Chrysostom pastor can serve as an anchor of salvation for all desperate sinners: "Are you a sinner? "Don't despair; I will not cease to supply you with medicines, for I know what a weapon against the devil is not to despair! If you are in sins, do not despair, and I will never cease to repeat: if you sin every day, then repent every day... You are old in sins, renew yourself with repentance! But is it possible, you ask, to attain salvation through repentance? Of course you can. - If I have spent my whole life in sins and bring repentance, will I be saved? - Of course you will be saved, for God's mercy is immeasurable and His goodness is ineffable. Evil, whatever it may be, is human evil, and therefore limited, and forgiving mercy is God's, and therefore endless. Imagine a spark falling into the sea: can it remain there or be visible? As a spark is before the sea, so is human evil before the goodness of God; And not even that much, but goodness is much greater. The sea, great as it is, has limits, and the goodness of God has no bounds"[18].

Being a preacher of mercy and forgiveness, St. John Chrysostom was at the same time a pastor of peace. He was an enemy of all division and schism, and therefore his heart ached at the sight of the division that existed in Antioch itself among the Orthodox in his time. In his conversations he often returned to this subject and tried to understand the very root of the evil of division, which does not lie in religious zeal at all, but in selfishness and lust for power. "Nothing divides the Church so much," he said, "lust for power; nothing provokes the wrath of God so much as division in the church. Even if we were to do the most perfect deeds, when we break unity, we will be punished, as if we were tearing apart the body of the Lord... Even martyrdom does not atone for such a sin. Why do you bear martyrdom? Is it not for the glory of Jesus Christ? You're giving your life for Jesus Christ, and at the same time you're plundering the church that Jesus Christ died for." By such exhortations he did much to tame the passions of division in the Church, and at last had the good fortune to live to that sweet moment when the parties were finally reconciled and the division ceased.

In such living communion with his flock, St. John spent the best years of his life. It is to this time that all his most important works, both conversational and polemical, belong. In his incessant conversations he interpreted not only individual passages and texts, but also entire books of Holy Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, and it is these interpretations that constitute his main glory as an exegete. His interpretations are distinguished by wonderful clarity, simplicity and vitality, so that they constitute the best example of interpretive work and an inexhaustible source of theological knowledge and religious and moral edification. His best interpretations are recognized as the discourses on the Gospel of St. Matthew and on the Epistles of St. Paul. Paul. Belonging to the Antiochian school of interpreters, which set as its task, in contrast to the Alexandrian school, a literal interpretation, devoid of any mystery, St. John Chrysostom in this respect attained the highest interpretive perfection. Being acquainted with the works of the Alexandrian interpreters, and having studied the most famous of them, Origen, he occupied precisely that middle position, which constitutes the ideal and essence of Orthodox exegesis. Following the sacred text step by step, he expounds its most natural meaning, first of all given to the mind, and first deduces from it the dogmatic teaching, and then indicates the virtues arising from it, looking at the latter as teaching in its practical application. And all this is set forth with wonderful simplicity, clearly and extremely distinctly. He has nothing that would be mere speculation, a simple passion for teaching, with its inevitable subtleties and petty researches. Everything in him flows directly from the fullness of the heart and is directed towards the elevation and sanctification of life. He did not write his interpretations and did not sit in his study, but addressed them in a lively conversation with the people in church. Hence the animation and vitality of each of his words, which penetrated deeply into the souls of his listeners - the fire that was truly capable of kindling the hearts of people.

In the course of his long pastoral activity in Antioch, St. John became so accustomed and became so close to his flock that all his thoughts were concentrated on only one thing, how best and more effectively to edify them, to protect them more faithfully from errors, and to more fully reveal to them the truth that faith in Jesus Christ is the source of all good. He no longer set himself anything higher than this goal, and hoped to end his life among them. True, there were times when, exhausted to the extreme by his labors and overwhelmed by the grief caused by the frivolity and follies of his people, he involuntarily cast wistful glances at the surrounding mountains, where he had once asceticized in holy solitude in the years of his youth, where it was so peaceful and joyful to live in the bosom of serene nature in solitude with God, and where many of the "earthly angels" really continued to lead such a life. as he liked to call hermits. Sometimes he even temporarily withdrew to these mountains to rest and refresh himself from the exhausting toils and noisy bustle of city life; But the pastor's working life had now taken possession of him to such an extent that he could not break with it forever, and therefore, after a short rest, he always returned to his beloved flock, who also yearned for their absent pastor, and from the depths of his sincere heart he said: "I see well that I cannot leave this place of residence and that I must remain here until the end of my days"[20]. But God's Providence judged otherwise. The great lamp of the Church, once brought out of the latent solitude in the wilderness and placed on the candlestick of the church in the midst of a crowded city, gave around itself such a strong and beneficial light that even this city was not enough for it. Its light was to shine upon the entire universe, and for this purpose the lamp had to be placed even higher, in the very center of the Orthodox Christian world. And it came true. In the year 397 the aged Archbishop of Constantinople Nectarios died, and thus the first cathedra of the Eastern Universal Church became widowed. It was to this glorious cathedra that God's Providence elevated St. John, in order to make of him not only a great hierarch, but also a great martyr for the truth.