On Monday of the Second Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Exodus (14:10-31) entitled "The crossing of the Red Sea". Our treasure, which follows, is from a the Catecheses by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop.
Saint John Chrysostom was an important, fourth century, Early Church Father who served as Archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, and for his denunciation of abuse of authority of both ecclesiastical and political leaders. He was among the most prolific authors in the early Christian church. The word 'Chrysostom' means 'golden-mounted'. This name was given to him after he died because all his sermons were eloquent and lovely to hear.
Saint John Chrysostom's catecheses, particularly his "Instructions to the Catechumens," provide insights into early Christian instruction and morality, focusing on baptism and the Christian life.
These instructions, given around 390 AD in Antioch, were delivered to candidates preparing for baptism, serving as a form of "mystagogy" or instruction in the Christian faith. The catecheses cover a range of topics, including:
Preparation for Baptism: Chrysostom emphasizes the need for a clean heart and a detachment from worldly concerns before receiving the sacrament.
The Meaning of Baptism: He explains baptism as a cleansing and rebirth, a symbolic death and resurrection with Christ.
The Importance of the Eucharist: Chrysostom highlights the Eucharist as a source of unity and a means of participating in Christ's sacrifice.
Christian Morality: He stresses the importance of avoiding oaths, practicing self-control, and living a life of virtue.
The Role of the Church: Chrysostom emphasizes the Church as the body of Christ, where the faithful are called to live in unity and serve one another.
These catecheses are valuable for understanding the early Church's approach to catechesis and Christian living. They demonstrate Chrysostom's pastoral concern for the spiritual growth of the faithful and his commitment to a life of holiness.
The second book of the Pentateuch is called Exodus, from the Greek word for "departure," because its central event was understood by the Septuagint's translators to be the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Its Hebrew title, Shemoth ("Names"), is from the book's opening phrase, "These are the names…." Continuing the history of Israel from the point where the Book of Genesis leaves off, Exodus recounts the Egyptian oppression of Jacob's ever-increasing descendants and their miraculous deliverance by God through Moses, who led them across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai where they entered a covenant with the Lord. Covenantal laws and detailed prescriptions for the tabernacle (a portable sanctuary foreshadowing the Jerusalem Temple) and its service are followed by a dramatic episode of rebellion, repentance, and divine mercy. After the broken covenant is renewed, the tabernacle is constructed, and the cloud signifying God's glorious presence descends to cover it.
These events made Israel a nation and confirmed their unique relationship with God. The "law" (Hebrew torah) given by God through Moses to the Israelites at Mount Sinai constitutes the moral, civil, and ritual legislation by which they were to become a holy people. Many elements of it were fundamental to the teaching of Jesus as well as to New Testament and Christian moral teaching.
