He was born in Antioch around 347, in the family of a military commander, and died on September 14, 407

Commemorated on January 30 (3 svt.), November 13, September 14, January 27

St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, is one of the three Ecumenical hierarchs, along with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian. He was born in Antioch around 347, in the family of a military commander. His father, Secundus, died shortly after the birth of his son; his mother, Anthusa, did not marry again and devoted all her strength to the education of John. The young man studied with the best philosophers and rhetoricians, and early turned to an in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures and prayerful contemplation. Saint Meletius, Bishop of Antioch (Comm. 12 February), loving John as a son, instructed him in the faith and in the year 367 baptized him. After three years Saint John was ordained a reader. After Saint Meletius was sent into exile by the emperor Valens, in the year 372, Saint John, together with Theodore (afterwards Bishop of Mopsuestia), studied under experienced instructors of the ascetic life, the presbyters Flavian and Diodorus of Tarsus.

When the mother of Saint John died, he accepted monasticism, which he called "true philosophy". Soon Saint John was considered a worthy candidate for occupying the episcopal cathedra. However, out of humility, he declined the episcopal rank. At this time Saint John wrote "Six Homilies on the Priesthood", a great work of Orthodox pastoral theology. The saint spent four years in the labors of wilderness life, writing "Against Those Who Arm Themselves Against Those Who Seek Monasticism" and "A Comparison of the Power, Wealth and Privileges of the Tsar with the True and Christian Wisdom of Monastic Life." For two years the saint observed complete silence, being in a solitary cave. In order to restore his health, Saint John had to return to Antioch. In the year 381, Bishop Meletius of Antioch ordained him a deacon. The following years were devoted to the creation of new theological works: "On Providence", "The Book of Virginity", "To the Young Widow" (two words), "The Book of St. Babylon and Against Julian and the Gentiles".

In the year 386 Saint John was consecrated by the bishop of Antioch Flavian as a presbyter. He was entrusted with the duty of preaching the Word of God. Saint John turned out to be a brilliant preacher, and for the rare gift of the Divinely inspired word he received from his flock the name "Chrysostom". For twelve years the saint, in the presence of a gathering of people, usually twice a week, and sometimes daily, preached in the church, shaking the hearts of his listeners.

In pastoral zeal for the best assimilation of Holy Scripture by Christians, Saint John turned to hermeneutics – the science of interpreting the Word of God. He wrote commentaries on many books of Holy Scripture (Genesis, Psalter, the Gospels of Matthew and John, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul) and many discourses on individual biblical texts, as well as sermons on feasts, in praise of the saints, and apologetic words (against the Anomoeans, Judaizers, and pagans). Saint John, as a presbyter, zealously fulfilled the commandment of caring for the poor: under him the Church of Antioch nourished every day up to 3000 virgins and widows, not counting prisoners, strangers and the sick. The fame of the remarkable pastor and preacher grew.

In the year 397, after the death of Archbishop Nektarios of Constantinople, Saint John Chrysostom was summoned from Antioch to be taken to the Constantinople cathedra. In the capital the holy archpastor could not preach as often as in Antioch. A multitude of things awaited the decision of the saint, he began with the main thing – with the spiritual perfection of the priesthood. And here the best example was himself. The funds that were intended for the archbishop, the saint turned to the maintenance of several hospitals and two hotels for pilgrims. The archpastor was content with meager food, refusing invitations to dinners. The zeal of the saint for the affirmation of the Christian faith extended not only to the inhabitants of Constantinople, but also to Thrace, including the Slavs and Goths, Asia Minor and the Pontic region. He appointed a bishop for the Church of the Bosporus, located in the Crimea. Saint John sent zealous missionaries to Phoenicia, Persia, to the Scythians, wrote epistles to Syria in order to return the Marcionites to the Church, and he achieved this. The saint put much effort into the organization of splendid Divine services: he composed the rite of the Liturgy, introduced antiphonal singing at the all-night vigil, and wrote several prayers of the rite of Anointing of the Sick. The licentiousness of the morals of the capital, especially of the imperial court, found in the person of the saint an impartial accuser.

When the Empress Eudoxia, wife of the emperor Arcadius (395408), ordered the confiscation of the property of the widow and children of the disgraced nobleman, the saint rose up in their defense. The proud empress did not give in and harbored anger against the archpastor. Eudoxia's hatred for the saint flared up with a new force, when ill-wishers told her that the saint in his teaching about vain women had her in mind. The court, composed of hierarchs, justly denounced earlier by Chrysostom, decreed to depose Saint John and to put him to death for insulting the empress. Emperor Arcadius replaced the execution with exile. Excited people crowded around the church, determined to defend their pastor. The saint, in order to avoid unrest, gave himself over to the authorities. That same night, an earthquake occurred in Constantinople. The frightened Eudoxia besought the emperor to return the saint urgently, and she immediately sent a letter to the exiled pastor, beseeching him to return. But two months later, a new denunciation aroused the anger of Eudoxia. In March 404 an unrighteous council took place, which decreed the expulsion of Saint John. Upon his removal from the capital, a fire reduced the building of the senate to ashes, devastating barbarian raids followed, and in October 404 Eudoxia died. Even the pagans saw in these events the Heavenly punishment for the unjust condemnation of the saint of God.

While in Armenia, Saint John tried to strengthen his spiritual children. In numerous letters (245 of them have survived) to the bishops of Asia, Africa, Europe and his friends in Constantinople, he consoled the suffering, instructed and supported his adherents. In the winter of 406 the saint was bedridden by illness. But his enemies did not calm down. An order came from the capital to transfer him to the remote Pitnus (Pitsunda, in Abkhazia). Exhausted by illness, the saint, accompanied by an escort, made his last march for three months in the rain and heat. In Comana, his forces left him. At the crypt of Saint Basiliscus (+ c. 308, Comm. 22 May), comforted by the appearance of the martyr ("Do not lose heart, brother John! Tomorrow we will be together"), having communed of the Holy Mysteries, the ecumenical hierarch departed to the Lord with the words "Glory to God for everything!"

Saint John Chrysostom died on September 14, 407, but for the sake of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord, the memory of the saint was transferred to November 13. On January 27, the transfer of the holy relics of St. John Chrysostom from Comana to Constantinople is commemorated, and on January 30, the Council of the Three Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs is celebrated.

Saint John Chrysostom was buried in Comana. In the year 438, Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople (434447), performing Divine services in the church of Hagia Sophia, pronounced a eulogy in memory of his great teacher, in which he compared Saint John Chrysostom with Saint John, the Forerunner of the Lord, who preached repentance and also suffered for the denunciation of vices. The people, burning with love for Saint John Chrysostom, not allowing the Patriarch to finish his words, began to unanimously beseech him to appeal to the emperor with a request to transfer the holy relics of the saint from Comana to Constantinople. Saint Proclus went to the emperor Theodosius II (408450) and on behalf of the Church and the people asked him for this. The emperor agreed and sent special envoys to Comana with a silver reliquary in order to transport the holy relics with honor. The inhabitants of Coman deeply grieved that they were being deprived of a great treasure, but could not resist the royal decree. When the imperial envoys approached the grave of Saint John, they were unable to take his relics. Then the emperor, in repentance, wrote an epistle to the saint, asking him forgiveness for himself and for his mother Eudoxia. This epistle was read at the grave of Saint John, placed on it and they performed an all-night vigil. Then they approached the tomb, lightly lifted up the relics and carried them onto the ship (the tomb of Saint John remained in Comana, near Pitsunda). At the same time the healing of the wretched man took place, venerating the veil from the grave of the saint. Upon the arrival of the relics of Saint John in Constantinople, on January 27, 438, the whole city, headed by Patriarch Proclus, the emperor Theodosius, with all his synclitus and a multitude of people, went out to meet them. A multitude of clergymen with candles, censers and banners took the silver reliquary and with hymns brought it into the church of the Holy Martyress Irene. When Patriarch Proclus opened the coffin, the body of Saint John turned out to be incorrupt, and a fragrance emanated from it. Falling down at the grave, the emperor Theodosius II with tears besought the saint to forgive his mother. The people did not leave the shrine all day and all night. In the morning the relics of the saint were taken to the cathedral church of the Holy Apostles. When the reliquary was placed on the patriarchal throne, all the people with one mouth exclaimed: "Accept thy throne, father!" – and Patriarch Proclus with many standing at the reliquary saw how Saint John opened his mouth and pronounced: "Peace be unto all!"

In the ninth century, Joseph the Hymn-Writer, Cosmas Vestitor and others wrote hymns in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. John Chrysostom, which are still sung by the Church in memory of this event.

The text is quoted from: Service Menaion. January. Part 2.– Edition of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1983, pp. 404–406.