SJ Chrysostom's Paschal Homily: A reading & discussion

Show Notes

Who is St. John Chrysostom? In episode 2, Andrea speaks about St. John Chrysostom & his Paschal homily. She explains what he is trying to say in the homily & how we are meant to hear it.

St. John Chrysostom Paschal Homily in English
St. John Chrysostom Paschal Homily in Greek

In the above English translation of St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily, "epikranthi" is translated as "troubled" and "uproar".  Neither of these words capture the meaning of "epikranthi" quite the way that "vexed" does. Words matter. It is a difficult task to capture the spirit of the original meaning of words. When it comes to the Bible, we must make the effort - as Chrysostom did.
 

What is Vexed?

Join Andrea Bakas, as she explores examples from our world and culture to help us better understand the biblical text.

Now that we've reviewed the word "epikranthi," "vexed," and its meaning; in today's episode, I'd like to turn attention to the content of St. John Chrysostom's Paschal homily. I will read the homily and then offer some observations about it and what it has to teach us.

Let's start by reviewing - who is St. John Chrysostom? St. John Chrysostom is a father of the church. He was Archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century AD. He was renowned for being a great orator. In fact, his name, Chrysostom, which is Greek, means "golden-mouthed." Chrysostom knew scripture, and he knew it well. He was a great teacher of the Bible. It's what he's primarily known for. He gave a number of homilies on different books of the Bible, many of which are available today in English.

This particular homily at Pascha is well-known to Orthodox Christians. I will read his homily from the black Holy Week service book produced by the Greek archdiocese in the 1970s. There is a relatively new translation, which is the purple Holy Week book that is now widely used, at least in the Greek jurisdiction. But I prefer this older version. I like the old style language, the thees and the thous that we find in the black book. I also have a sentimental attachment to the book. I've had it for so long. The pages are worn. It has candle wax all over it and flowers pressed in from Easter's past.

This is St. John Chrysostom's Paschal homily:

Whoever is a devout lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful bright festival. And whoever is a grateful servant, let him rejoice and enter into the joy of his Lord.

And if any be weary with fasting, let him now receive his penny. If any have toiled from the first hour, let him receive his due reward. If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude, join in the feast. And he that arrived after the six hour. Let him not doubt for he too, shall sustain no loss.

And if any have delayed to the ninth hour, let him not hesitate, but let him come too. And he, that hath arrived only at the 11th hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay, for the Lord is gracious and receiveth the last, even as the first. He giveth rest to him that cometh at the 11th hour, as well as to him that hath toiled from the first. Yay, to this one he giveth, and upon that one he bestoweth. He accepteth works as he greeteth the endeavor. The deed he honoreth and the intention he commendeth. Let all then, enter into the joy of our Lord. Ye first and last, receiving alike your reward. Ye rich and poor, rejoice together. Ye sober and ye slothful, celebrate the day. Ye that have kept the fast and ye that have not, rejoice today, for the table is richly laden. Fare ye royally on it. The calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake ye all of the cup of faith. Enjoy ye all the riches of his goodness. Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom hath been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he hath fallen again and again, for forgiveness hath risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the death of our savior hath set us free. He hath destroyed it by enduring it. He spoiled Hades when he descended thereto. He vexed it even as it tasted of his flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he cried - Thou O Hades hast been vexed by encountering him below.

It is vexed; for it is even done away with. It is vexed; for it is made a mockery. It is vexed; for it is destroyed. It is vexed; for it is annihilated. It is vexed; for it is now made captive. It took a body and lo, it discovered God. It took earth and behold, it encountered heaven. It took what it saw and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades where is thy victory? Christ is risen and thou art annihilated. Christ is risen and the evil ones are cast down. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life is liberated. Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead. For Christ, having risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those that have fallen asleep. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Now that we've heard Chrysostom's Paschal homily, I'll offer some observations about it, But first, I'd like Orthodox Christians to cast their minds back to Pascha's past. Take yourself back to holy Saturday midnight service. You're tired. It's been a long week. You've been trying to attend as many services as you can. And you've come to the resurrection service. You probably had trouble parking. It's crowded. You wait to buy your candle. You go in and you find a spot in a crowded pew. Maybe you had to squeeze in. And the service commences. It's long. You're getting weary. As it nears the end, it's probably about 2:00 AM. And you may cast a passing glance around you and notice, with the smirk, that the pews that were packed just a few hours ago are now empty. But you stayed. Finally the service ends. And the priest comes out from the altar one last time, to read the sermon of St. John Chrysostom.

On hearing this reading, an internal alarm is sound. It hits the ear as scandalous; insulting even, to those gathered. The congregation hearing this sermon have been through the Paschal journey. Endured 40 days of lent. Fasted. Tried to attend as many services as possible. Deprived themselves. Struggled to arrive at this moment - this finale.

Chrysostom knows all this. He knows that many are weary with effort and in his sermon, he gives us what feels like a pat on the back and tells us that the Lord accepts our efforts. "He accepteth works and he greeteth the endeavor. The deed he honoreth and the intention he commendeth. And as you glow from that small recognition, he goes on to tell us that whether we made a great effort in fasting or a small one, or none at all, we are welcome at the Lord's table. "Let us ALL enter into the joy of our Lord."

And then he speaks of reward. What is our reward for all this effort? It's a seat at the Lord's table. It is an opportunity to be in a place where he rules and to witness that rule. And we are seated all together; no distinction made between the hardworking and the lazy.

Think about it. If you're human, this should rattle you. It should feel somehow unjust. And we are interested in justice. We are interested in what we get for our efforts. The mind races. I made all this effort. I put in the work. I fasted. I went to church. I did my cross. I prayed. I held my tongue more than I normally do. And I get to the end of this, and this is what I hear? That the guy who just ran a 26 mile marathon and the guy who just ran around the block, get the same reward? And more than that, the efforts we made had nothing to do with why we were invited to the feast. And Chrysostom tells you: Yes, exactly. It makes me laugh.

Chrysostom isn't pulling this out of thin air. This is the biblical teaching. This is what Paul preached in the New Testament. This is the teaching expressed in Genesis and in the books of the prophets in the Old Testament - that all are under his dominion. So it's scandalous to human ears; to ears that are accustomed to earning things and being pat on the back for being good and following the rules. The biblical teaching is against our self-righteousness and Chrysostom, with his knowledge of the Bible and his brilliant way of expressing himself, crafts this teaching so poetically. He reminds us that: No. You are no better than the person next to you in church. Or even the one who left an hour ago to start cooking his Easter feast. No better and no worse.

Everyone is invited to the table. Remember: it's the Lord's victory. Not yours. It is the Lord's table. Not yours. This is a very difficult teaching for us. We don't like it because we want to be justified. We do things for what we get. But that is not the biblical teaching. The instruction is that you cannot manipulate the biblical God. He doesn't need your sacrifices. As Paul writes in his letters to the Ephesians, the Colossians and the Romans - God shows no partiality. The master of the feast has decided to invite whom he wills. And it's his decision that counts.

This brings me to another teaching that is difficult for us. And that is: the feast is not about YOU. It's about the Lord's victory and the Lord's table - to which you are invited. YOU are a slave in his household and for a slave in the household to be invited to sit at the master's table, that's a big deal and something to be grateful for. That's why we call it the "eucharist," euharistia, thanksgiving. And on this day, you are invited to have a seat at the table and enjoy the feast. But don't forget that it is the Lord that sits at the head of the table. The table is HIS and he dictates the terms.

Chrysostom's sermon strikes us. Smacks us on the head after an arduous Lenten journey, telling us - you're no better than the next guy. And this is what the biblical teaching does. It blasts our assumptions.

Does this all mean that we should not fast? No. Fasting can be useful. But it's too easy to draw a conclusion from our fasting, the way most of us understand it - giving something up and then congratulating ourselves. What a good boy or good girl, I am. The book of Matthew, which Chrysostom knew well and wrote a homily on, so cunningly knows how human beings are. Knows that we like to show off to our neighbors to make sure that everyone knows we're fasting, because what we really want is the approval of our community. In Matthew, we are taught to pray in secret; to fast in secret, so that no one will know, but God alone. It asks the question: Are you interested in obeying God's instruction as a slave in his household? Or are you interested in the approval of your friends and neighbors? Powerful question, isn't it?

One way to understand fasting that we don't hear much, is as a reminder, that it is the Lord that provides for us and that he can give food and he can take it away. So we can use the practice of fasting to remind us of his authority over us. To remind us of our position as slaves in his household. We can use the time that we would ordinarily spend cooking complex meals or shopping, to hear the biblical story and to take in its lessons. Lent is an opportunity to simplify the food we eat, so that time is spent in both hearing scripture and doing what it commands.

So let us think on these things. Take the hard lesson from Chrysostom's homily and be quietly grateful for seat at the Lord's table.

Until next time, this is VEXED.