Celebrate the Feast of St. John Chrysostom with a Verbum Special Offer!

This guest post is by Robert Klesko, Catholic Educational Resources Product Manager at Verbum.

“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue” (Is. 50:4)

St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople from 398-404 AD, was given the title Χρυσόστομος or “golden-mouthed,” in recognition of his gift of preaching. It is said of the relics of St. John Chrysostom that all but his tongue have shown the corruption of the grave. We continue to have much reverence and respect for this holy saint, and Verbum gives us the opportunity to experience his eloquent preaching through his writings in the Fathers of the Church series from Catholic University of America Press.

In honor of St. John Chrysostom’s feast day, Verbum is offering the Fathers of the Church: Greek Fathers of the Nicene Era for $100 off with coupon code CHRYSOSTOM9. This series will give Verbum users access to 9 volumes of St. John
Chrysostom’s works, as well works of Greek fathers, St. Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzus, Cyril of Alexandria, and many more. Among the writings from John Chrysostom, you will find his Commentary on St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, one of the earliest commentaries on John’s Gospel. There are many pearls of wisdom which one can pause and reflect on, but considering the state of the world at present, I found one passage to be particularly encouraging:

For this house is a spiritual surgery, that whatever wounds we may have received without, here we may heal, not that we may gather fresh ones to take with us hence. Yet if we do not give heed to the Spirit speaking to us, we shall not only fail to clear ourselves of our former hurts, but shall get others in addition.

The image of the Church as a “spiritual surgery,” binding up and healing the wounds of her members, is an image to take to heart in the midst of the brokenness of the present world. John’s emphasis on the need of synergy, or cooperation, with the grace of the Holy Spirit for true healing is an important reminder and call to active participation in the life of the Church. This participation not only heals our own brokenness, but also gives us the grace to deflect additional injury to our interior life. St. John Chrysostom’s words are an important reminder and a deep theological reflection on the healing witness of the Church and the comfort which only comes from active engagement with the Holy Spirit.

This is just one excerpt from St. John Chrysotom in Fathers of the Church: Greek Fathers of the Nicene Era , and  you can receive $100 off your purchase with coupon code CHRYSOSTOM9! This would make a great addition to any Verbum library! The ancient wisdom of the Church has and always will be exalted, take this opportunity to carry forward the wisdom of the past into our present world.