I Rejoice Exceedingly in All My Tribulations
From a homily on the second letter to the Corinthians by St. John Chystostom, bishop (A.D. 344-407)
Archbishop of Constantinople, and Doctor of the Church
I Rejoice Exceedingly in All My Tribulations
Narrated by Frank Dugan, Huntington Beach, California
Again Paul turns to speak of love, softening the harshness of his rebuke. For after convicting and reproaching them for not loving him as he had loved them, breaking away from his love and attaching themselves to troublemakers, he again takes the edge off the reproach by saying: Open your hearts to us, that is, love us. He asks for a favor which will be no burden to them but will be more profitable to the giver than to the receiver. And he did not use the word “love” but said, more appealingly: open your hearts to us.
Who, he said, has cast us out of your minds, thrust us from your hearts? How is it that you feel constraint with us? For, since he has said earlier: You are restricted in your own affection, he now declares himself more openly and says: Open your hearts to us, thus once more drawing them toward him. For nothing so much wins love as the knowledge that one’s lover desires most of all to be himself loved.
For I said before, he tells them, that you are in our hearts to die together or live together. This is love at its height , that even though in disfavor, he wishes both to die and to live with them. For you are in our hearts, not just somehow or other, but in the way I have said. It is possible to love and yet to draw back when danger threatens; but my love is not like that.
I am filled with consolation. What consolation? That which comes from you because you, being changed for the better, have consoled me by what you have done. It is natural for a lover both to complain that he is not loved in return and to fear that he may cause distress by complaining too much. Therefore, he says: I am filled with consolation, I rejoice exceedingly.
It is as if he said, I was much grieved on your account, but you have made it up for me in full measure and given me comfort; for you have not only removed the cause for any grief but filled my with a richer joy.
Then he shows the greatness of that joy by saying not only I rejoice exceedingly but also the words which follow: in all my tribulations. So great, he says, was the delight that you gave me that it was not even dimmed by so much tribulation, but overcame by its strength and keenness all those sorrows which had invaded my heart, and took away from me all awareness of them.
Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings
About Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 344-407)
Antioch was a capital city subject to the Roman emperor Theodosius I in 344, the year John Chrysostom was born. He was the only son of the chief commander of the Roman Imperial Army based in Syria. His mother was a Christian. Widowed at the age of 20 and left financially secure, she never remarried but made the spiritual instruction of her children her highest priority.
Eloquence was the highest art form of the time and so John studied under the most famous orators of the age. He also trained under the masters of science and literature. His advanced studies included philosophy and religion. His genius became apparent as he pleaded legal cases before the bar and at the age of twenty, John was already famous.
Then, his interests turned away from the world of wealth and opportunity that was already his, and he began a serious study of Sacred Scripture.
Rejecting worldly ideas, John spent his time in prayer and silence while adopting austere penitential practices. He became aware that prayer was the great channel of heavenly graces and decided to dedicate himself entirely to God. He struggled to subdue every form of human weakness and personal vanity. To distance himself from earthly attachments, he slept on a hard floor and chose to wear a coarse gray coat.
He was called into church service by Saint Meletus, Bishop of Antioch. For three years he studied under his direction and engaged in many religious discussions with his good friend Saint Basil.
At 30, John went to live in the mountains near Antioch with a community of monks. They devoted all morning to prayer, pious reading, and meditating on Sacred Scripture. Their food was bread with a little salt; some added oil, and for those who were weak, a few herbs. No one ate before sunset. After the meal, conversation was allowed but only on spiritual topics. They always closed their night-prayers with a meditation on the last judgment to remain vigilant.
John lived this life for five years. He then spent another two years living as a hermit dwelling in a cave. When dampness brought on ill health, he was forced to return to Antioch. He was later ordained a priest and became the voice of the residing bishop in 386 at the age of 42. His preaching changed the whole face of the city. Later, he was named Bishop of Constantinople.
Saint John Chrysostom was a master orator. After his death in the fifth century, he was surnamed “Chrysostom” or “Golden Mouth”, as a tribute to his profound homilies. His exhortations were delivered with power and riveting eloquence. His crystal clear insights to the truth combined with his compelling logic and oratory skills left little room for opposition to his views. Today he is still considered one of the great spiritual orators of all time.
His sermons call the listener to a life of virtue, and he does it in a way that draws spontaneous assent. A pastor of a deep humility and true love for the Church, the subtle boldness of his exhortations continue to inspire and motivate those who discover them.