January: Day 27: Translation of the Relics of our Holy Father John Chrysostom

January: Day 27:
Translation of the Relics of our Holy Father John Chrysostom
 
(On Slander)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The great Ecumenical Teacher and Saint, a profound interpreter of the Holy Scriptures, the organizer of the rites of ecclesiastical worship, nicknamed Chrysostom for his eloquence, the day of the transfer of whose holy relics is now celebrated, John, was born in Antioch in 367 to wealthy parents. Having received an excellent education, he neglected earthly honors and dedicated himself to the service of the Church. In the rank of Presbyter of the Church of Antioch and then Archbishop of Constantinople, he sternly denounced the vices of contemporary society. Leading a life of extreme abstinence and sacrificing everything for the poor, he tried to arouse compassion for them in others; with this goal in mind, he often compared in his preaching extravagance that knew no measure with appalling poverty, and thereby armed against himself the rich nobles and especially the Empress Eudoxia, the wife of the Emperor Arcadius. Slandered by the envious and haters for insulting the royal majesty, he was sent into exile in 404, first to the Cucusus (in Armenia), and then two years later even further to Abkhazia. Before reaching the place of exile, the Saint died in the city of Comana on September 14, 407, with the words: "Glory to God for all things." His disciple and successor, Archbishop Proclus of Constantinople, convinced Emperor Theodosius the Younger to transfer the holy relics of Chrysostom from Comana to Constantinople. The emperor, weeping over the relics of the Saint, asked forgiveness for his mother Eudoxia.

II. Saint John Chrysostom fell a victim to vile slander. This prompts us to speak now about this vice, which unfortunately is very widespread among Christians. Having its root in the ancient enemy of the human race - the spirit of malice, the father of lies and all deceit - feeding on the juices of the most vicious human passions, guided by enmity, envy, hatred, slander does not disdain any means for the destruction of its victim and is not ashamed by the dignity of the persons at whom it directs its poisonous sting. "They have sharpened," says the Psalmist about slanderers, "their tongue like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips" (Psalm 3:3).

a) In a Christian society, where the guiding principle in mutual relations between its members is provided by broad-embracing love, slander, created by malice, enmity and hatred towards one's neighbor, cannot find a home. However, brethren, is this what we actually see? Alas! To speak and write lies to slander or insult one's neighbor, to unfairly attribute to him any shortcomings, vices and even crimes, to exaggerate his weaknesses, to misinterpret his good deeds - in a word, slander in its various degrees and forms is far from being a rare exception in our society. Let us say more: it has become the plague of our time!

Like a thief, she slips into the close circle of domestic life, infiltrates the relationships of relatives and friends, penetrates the social environment. Appearing in one place, she flies with lightning speed to another, a third, etc., leaving traces of her poisonous sting everywhere.

b) And to what means does slander not resort to achieve its criminal designs? In what varied and, apparently, bright clothes does it not clothe its terrible and disgusting appearance? Here, under the specious cover of concern and zeal for the public good, for civil freedom, it discredits the just orders of public authorities, calling them arbitrariness, violence, restriction of freedom of conscience. In another place, having clothed itself in the cloak of zeal and devotion of a subordinate to his superior, it spews its poison on a useful and honest worker, for some reason not beloved by the slanderer. In other cases, under the guise of love and friendship, it invades family and private life, trying with false slander to upset "true" love and "true" friendship. But is it possible to list all the images in which the father of lies dresses his servants, “who wants to fulfill his lusts?”

c) Our Lord Jesus Christ, pointing to the evil heart as the source of slander, compares it with the most serious crimes, such as murder, theft, and with such vicious manifestations of human passions as fornication, adultery. "From the heart," He says, "come evil thoughts: murder, fornication, adultery, theft, slander, blasphemy" (Matt. 15:11) Truly, is a slanderer - this blasphemer and false witness - better than a murderer? The latter encroaches on the physical life of a person, and the former tries to destroy his spiritual, moral life in the opinion of society. A thief steals your material property, but is not our slanderer more dangerous than him, stealing our most precious treasure, our good name? An adulterer deprives and desecrates the honor of those who have fallen to his vicious passion, but what else does a blasphemer and a liar do when he spews the poison of his slander on his neighbor?

d) Slander, vile by nature, is merciless in its actions. History presents us, although rarely, with examples of compassion and even generosity among the most hardened villains and murderers. Respectable gray hair, high position, holy rank, motherly love, a defenseless maiden, sometimes evoked a feeling of compassion in the hearts of villains and inclined them to mercy, even protection and assistance. Slander is merciless; it did not spare even the Son of God!

e) But why, brethren, does such a harmful vice, which is in direct contradiction with Christian teaching, find shelter in our society and here take on the dimensions of a destructive epidemic?

Isn't society itself to blame for this?

Does it not present in its life conditions that favor the development of this destructive ulcer? Just as physical ulcers find a place for themselves in organisms where the soil is prepared for them, and spread through careless communication between the healthy and the sick, so in the spiritual world evil can take root and spread only where a weakening of concepts and instability of religious principles are observed, where the mixing of tares with wheat is possible.

Let us consider, brethren, whether we are fulfilling the Savior's commandment of love for our neighbor sacredly! Is he as near and dear to us as a brother in Christ? Do we, according to the apostle's commandment, honor one another more? Do we protect the good name of our brothers? Unfortunately, we often forget the holy commandments of our divine religion about mutual relations with one another. Gossip about our neighbors is perhaps the most important and entertaining subject of our conversations. Carefully looking for a speck in our brother's eye has become one of our favorite activities. "What's new?" - this is the first question we ask when meeting others, and a story about our neighbor's faults almost always serves as the first answer to it. Judging a brother has become such a common need of our time that, just as bread without salt is tasteless for us, so conversations unseasoned with gossip lose their appeal for many.

Is this not, brethren, a suitable soil for the spread of slander?

f) Slander would never have been successful in society if some people, through their frivolity and inclination to idle talk, had not, without noticing it, become its submissive and blind instruments. Idle talk and the inclination to condemn one's neighbor are often in themselves a source of slander. An amusing and witty mockery, a vague and ambiguous hint, a half-clear assumption, expressed by one out of a love of idle talk, take on more definite forms in the mouth of another idle talker, acquire new layers in the mouth of a third, and, traveling further and further, finally reach the appearance of a monster, which its original creator himself would certainly have been afraid of and would not have recognized as his brainchild. Woven from such thin, often completely invisible networks, consisting of rumors and hearsay, no one knows who and when put them into action, such slander nevertheless, as if with iron fetters, envelops its victim, and how much effort, labor and time is needed for him to free himself from these networks and for the truth of an innocent person to shine throughout the world!

Slander is vile and pernicious! But, brethren, it is necessary for us to deeply imprint in our hearts the commandment of our Divine Teacher: "Judge not, that you not be judged." It is necessary for us to be more careful and circumspect in our dealings with words, and not to pass lightly on all those conversations that reach our ears. Let us not be "children in understanding" (1 Cor. 14:20), and let us not believe every spirit. Let us not be an echo of other people's speeches and opinions!

III. We turn to you with a word of consolation, innocently slandered brother!

Your situation is grave. Your peace and tranquility of mind are disturbed. But take heart! Do not lose heart! It is the duty of every Christian to bear with courage every unjust reproach. Double, triple your useful activity. The consciousness of your own truth will give you strength and fortitude. In the midst of society itself there will be people who know you well; they will give you a helping hand, will show sincere sympathy and respect, and will restore your honor and good name in the eyes of truly kind and well-meaning people. Try to expose slander yourself by lawful means, but avoid slander. Know that to be slandered is better, a thousand times better, than to be a slanderer. In difficult moments, remember more often the Divine Sufferer. You are sinful, you are not blameless; slander could have touched you as a result of some careless act or word on your part. But look at Him Who “has done no iniquity, nor was deceit found in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9), Who is self-existent and eternal goodness, Who is infinite truth: look at the Son of God and try, as far as is possible for a weak man, to imitate Him. Malice and slander chained Him to the cross, but even on the cross Divine Love did not utter words of anger against His enemies, but lifted up a prayer for them to the Heavenly Father: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Amen.  

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.