O God, You gave to Your servant John Chrysostom grace to proclaim the Gospel with eloquence and power. As bishop of the great congregations at Antioch and Constantinople, he fearlessly bore reproach for the honor of Your name. Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and fidelity in ministering Your Word that Your people shall be partakers of the divine nature; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Our Treasury notes:
His determination to reform the church, court, and city brought him into conflict with established authorities. Eventually he was exiled from his adopted city. Although removed from his parishes and people, he continued writing and preaching until the time of his death in A.D. 407. It is reported that his final words were "Glory to God for all things! Amen." (p. 1158)
The writing for today also features the great saint:
And what does "ransom" mean? God was about to punish them, but He did not do it. They were about to perish, but in their stead He gave His own Son and sent us as heralds to proclaim the cross.
The Book of Concord cites from Chrysostom as perfectly capturing the doctrine of the consecration of the elements in the Sacrament of the Altar by the Words of Christ.
Fittingly, the hymn assigned for today's commemoration is LSB 578:5:
Give us lips to sing Thy glory,
Tongues Thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats that shout the hope that fills us,
Mouths to speak Thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the light which Thou dost send
Fill our songs with alleluias,
Alleluias without end!
It is also Mozart's birthday. Many do not know that before his common name of WOlfgang, his baptismal name was Johannes Chyrsostomos.
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