On Good Friday our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (9:11-28) entitled "Jesus Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is 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.
Sardis was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia (in modern-day Turkey), which continued as an important trade, administrative, and cultural center for over 2000 years. Saint Melito of Sardis was a late second-century bishop of Sardis near Smyrna in western Anatolia, and who held a foremost place among the early Christian bishops in Asia due to his personal influence and literary works, most of which have been lost. His rediscovered theological treaties on Easter, "The Lord's Passion ", verifies his reputation as a notable early Christian spokesperson.
Saint John Chrysostom's "Catecheses" were a series of talks and teachings aimed at preparing individuals, known as catechumens, for baptism. His catechesis emphasized the importance of aligning one's life with one's faith, stressing that knowledge of the truth should be reflected in a person's actions and choices. He believed that the value of a human being lies in both the exact knowledge of true doctrine and in the rectitude of their life.
As early as the second century, this treatise, which is of great rhetorical power and force in its admonition to faithful pilgrimage under Christ's leadership, bore the title "To the Hebrews." It was assumed to be directed to Jewish Christians. Usually, Hebrews was attached in Greek manuscripts to the collection of letters by Paul. Although no author is mentioned (for there is no address), a reference to Timothy suggested connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants. Yet the exact audience, the author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed.
