Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Dear All, Each year since leaving Protestant Pastoral Seminary/training to become orthodox (1995) I have tried to read the six short books of St John Chrysostom in his dialogue with St Basil “On the Priesthood.” Here below are a collection of excellent quotes from that work which have educated me somewhat over the years. The headings are mine followed by the relevant quotes and reference to the exact page of the Eerdmans series Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series (available online easily through search engines).

Kissing the hand of a priest/Bishop.

“I laughed for joy, and seizing his right hand, I forced a kiss on him, and praised God that my plans had ended so successfully, as I had always prayed that it might.” St John Chrysostom (whilst still a monk/layman) to St Basil after his ordination. “On the Priesthood. ” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 35.

Correcting faults of others by force and falling away from the Faith?

“For Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 41.

“But in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 41.

“If a human being wanders away from the right faith, great exertion, perserverance and patience are required; for he cannot be dragged back by force, nor constrained by fear, but must be led back by persuasion to the truth from which he originally swerved.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 41.

Christian Priesthood.

“For the priestly office is indeed discharged on earth, but it ranks amongst the heavenly ordinances; and very naturally so, for neither man, nor angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the Paraclete Himself instituted this vocation, and persuaded men while still abiding in the flesh to represent the ministry of angels.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 46.

Priesthood and Holy Communion.

“For when thou seest the Lord sacrificed and laid upon the altar and the priest standing and praying over the victim and all the worshippers empurpled with the presciuous blood, canst thou think that thou art still amongst men, and standing upon the earth? Art thou not, on the contrary, straightaway translated to Heaven,” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 46.

“He who sitteth on high with the Father is at that hour held in the hands of all, and gives Himself to those who are willing to embrace Him. And this all do through the eyes of faith.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. pp.46-7.

“Now then pass from this scene to the rites which are celebrated in the present day; they are not only marvellous to behold, but transcendent in terror. There stands the priest, not bringing down fire from Heaven, but the Holy Spirit: and he makes prolonged supplication, not that some flame sent down from on high may consume the offerings, but that grace descending on the sacrifice may thereby enlighten the souls of all, and render them more refulgent than silver purified by fire. Who can despise this most awful mystery, unless he is stark mad and senseless?” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 47.

“For if any one will consider how great a thing it is for one, being a man, and compassed with flesh and blood, to be enabled to draw nigh to that blessed and pure nature, he will then clearly see what great honor the grace of the Spirit has vouchsafed to priests; since by their agency these rites are celebrated, and others nowise inferior to these both in respect of our dignity and our salvation.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 47

“They who rule on earth have indeed authority to bind, but only the body: whereas this binding lays hold of the soul and penetrates the heavens; and what priests do here below God ratifies above, and the Master confirms the sentence of his servants. For indeed what is it but all manner of heavenly authority which He has given them when He says, “Whose sins ye remit they are remitted, and whose sins ye retain they are retained?” What authority could be greater than this? “The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son?” But I see it all put into the hands of these men by the Son.””On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 47

“For transparent madness it is to despise so great a dignity, without which it is not possible to obtain either our own salvation, or the good things which have been promised to us. For if no one can enter into the kingdom of Heaven except he be regenerate through water and the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink His blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the priest, how will any one, without these, be able to escape the fire of hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious?” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 47

“The Jewish priests had authority to release the body from leprosy, or, rather, not to release it but only to examine those who were already released, and you know how much the office of priest was contended for at that time. But our priests have received authority to deal, not with bodily leprosy, but spiritual uncleanness-not to pronounce it removed after examination, but actually and absolutely to take it away. Wherefore they who despise these priests would be far more accursed than Dathan and his company, and deserve more severe punishment.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 47-8.

“The divine law indeed has excluded women from the ministry, but they endeavor to thrust themselves into it; and since they can effect nothing of themselves, they do all through the agency of others; and they have become invested with so much power that they can appoint or eject priests at their will:” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 49.

“And whenever he invokes the Holy Spirit, and offers the most dread sacrifice, and constantly handles the common Lord of all, tell me what rank shall we give him? What great purity and what real piety must we demand of him? For consider what manner of hands they ought to be which minister in these things, and of what kind his tongue which utters such words, and ought not the soul which receives so great a spirit to be purer and holier than anything in the world? At such a time angels stand by the Priest; and the whole sanctuary, and the space round about the altar, is filled with the powers of heaven, in honor of Him who lieth thereon. For this, indeed, is capable of being proved from the very rites which are being then celebrated. I myself, moreover, have heard some one once relate, that a certain aged, venerable man, accustomed to see revelations, used to tell him, that he being thought worthy of a vision of this kind, at such a time, saw, on a sudden, so far as was possible for him, a multitude of angels, clothed in shining robes, and encircling the altar, and bending down, as one might see soldiers in the presence of their King, and for my part I believe it.” “On the Priesthood.” St John Chrysostom, N&PNF, First Series, Volume IX. p. 76

Peace and grace.

an Orthodox friend