Did you hear Abraham saying in the Old Testament: "They will keep you for themselves, but will kill me"? Did you hear Jacob saying: "Snatch me away, Lord, from the hand of Esau, my brother, because I am afraid of him"? Did you see Elijah fleeing a woman's threat because of death? Hear how Paul is disposed regarding this matter - whether he considers it terrifying like they; whether he's distressed when it's approaching, and is afraid. To the contrary, he even thought the thing desirable. For this reason he says: "That I may depart and be with Christ is far better." To them it was terrifying, to him better. To them unpleasant, to him a pleasure. And rightly so! For previously death led us down into Hades. Now death sends us on to meet Christ.
- St. John Chrysostom, Sermon on Saints Bernike, Prosdoke, and Domnina, par. 9
9 comments:
Fr. Weedon,
Where DO you get all those quotes from St. John Chrysostom from sermons on the saints? I love that: "Now death sends us on to meet Christ."
The Fathers are breathtakingly beautiful in their expressions. You once posted a letter (somewhere) from St. Basil upon the death of a young man. I copied out the whole letter from the NPNF series. I now send it to anyone who is grieved at the loss of a loved one. Thanks for posting all these quotes.
Fr. Cota
Fr. Cota,
This particular quote comes from a book in SVS's Popular Patristic Series called *The Cult of the Saints* composed of sermons preached by St. John Chrysostom. It was published this year, so I'm not surprised you've not seen it. I just saw it in a bookstore and picked it up last month. Good reading, as always, with the Golden Mouth!
Pastor Weedon,
Greetings in GOD through Jesus Christ .
I was wondering if you have to type out these quotes that you post? You could probably have them on-line or maybe not. I love the Augustine ones the best...O.K. I'm a true Western person after all. I think Our Lord brings our Hearts and Minds into certain directions at times and other directions at other times. Church History is so good. I love Martin Luther and the way he so sweats over the Hebrew text in his Genesis Commentary- Wow! I feel like I need a rest after reading his Genesis 49th Chapter werk. I should stop here.
Salvatore
Dear Sal,
Yes, I type them out. Keeps the old fingers in practice. : )
I love St. Augustine too, but I confess that St. John Chrysostom is my favorite!
Luther's Genesis is just awesome, I agree. Some of my favorite Luther writing (next to his homilies, where I think he especially shines).
Pax!
Ahh, I see that volume "The Cult of the Saints" in the mailing I got from St. Vlad's Press recently. I guess I'll be ordering that straightway.
Fr. Cota
By the way, did you get the new book by John Behr? "The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death" It is very, very good.
Fr. Cota
New Behr? Juicy! I'll have to see if they sent a free review copy to a friend of mine that I can hijack! : )
Greetings Pastor Weedon,
While I was in Phsyical Therapy yesterday I was "on the bike" going no where yet going every where. I came upon this Augustine quote:"The death of Christ was the death of the most fertile grain of wheat"(John 12:24).
Sal Palamara
Sal,
I like that a great deal. Thanks for sharing!
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