Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor (349 – 407)
White
He was born in Antioch. After a thorough education, he took up the ascetic life. He was ordained to the priesthood and became a fruitful and effective preacher. The term Chrysostom meaning “golden-mouthed” was given because of his great eloquence.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Dn 12: 3
Those who are wise will shine brightly like the splendour of the firmament and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars for ever.
Collect
O God, strength of those who hope in you, who willed that the Bishop Saint John Chrysostom should be illustrious by his wonderful eloquence and his experience of suffering, grant us, we pray, that, instructed by his teachings, we may be strengthened through the example of his invincible patience. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-27
I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me. So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings. All the runners at the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run in the same way, meaning to win. All the fighters at the games go into strict training; they do this just to win a wreath that will wither away, but we do it for a wreath that will never wither. That is how I run, intent on winning; that is how I fight, not beating the air. I treat my body hard and make it obey me, for, having been an announcer myself, I should not want to be disqualified.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
83(84):3-6,12
R/ How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning, is yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my soul ring out their joy to God, the living God.
The sparrow herself finds a home and the swallow a nest for her brood; she lays her young by your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
They are happy, who dwell in your house, for ever singing your praise. They are happy, whose strength is in you, in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.
For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield; he will give us his favour and glory. The Lord will not refuse any good to those who walk without blame.
Gospel Acclamation: John 17:17b, 17a
Alleluia, alleluia. Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel : Luke 6:39-42
Jesus told a parable to the disciples: ‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice which we gladly present in commemoration of Saint John Chrysostom be pleasing to you, O God, for, taught by him, we, too, give ourselves entirely to you in praise. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. 1 Cor 1: 23-24
We proclaim Christ crucified; Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O merciful God, that these mysteries we have received as we commemorate Saint John Chrysostom, may confirm us in your love and enable us to be faithful in confessing your truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Passing of Judgment has become a common phenomenon these days. With the internet, facebook, twitter, billboards, TVs and other forms of social media at our beck and call, posting of comments, likes and dislikes have become an everyday affair. Nothing is private anymore and everyone has comment about everything and everyone. But while we are too quick to notice what everyone else is doing, very seldom do we notice or critique ourselves. We often forget that we all ‘live in a glass house and should never keep stones close by’. The next time we have to make comments in the form of a judgment about others, we need to take a good look at ourselves in the mirror then we can see more clearly and speak more wisely.