Quotes by John Chrysostom

About John Chrysostom:

John Chrysostom is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. The epithet ??????????? (Chrysostomos, anglicized as Chrysostom) means "golden-mouthed" in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I know my own soul, how feeble and puny it is: I know the magnitude of this ministry, and the great difficulty of the work; for more stormy billows vex the soul of the priest than the gales which disturb the sea.

John Chrysostom

A comprehended god is no god.

John Chrysostom

The highest point of philosophy is to be both wise and simple; this is the angelic life.

John Chrysostom

Slander is worse than cannibalism.

John Chrysostom

Riches are not forbidden, but the pride of them is.

John Chrysostom

Nothing is more fallacious than wealth. It is a hostile comrade, a domestic enemy.

John Chrysostom

No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong.

John Chrysostom

Hell is paved with priests' skulls.

John Chrysostom

Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts.

John Chrysostom

If then we have angels, let us be sober, as though we were in the presence of tutors; for there is a demon present also.

John Chrysostom

Since it is likely that, being men, they would sin every day, St. Paul consoles his hearers by saying ‘renew yourselves’ from day to day. This is what we do with houses: we keep constantly repairing them as they wear old. You should do the same t...

John Chrysostom

Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward & learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.

John Chrysostom

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a [person].

John Chrysostom

A friend is more to be longed for than the light; I speak of a genuine one. And wonder not: for it were better for us that the sun should be extinguished, than that we should be deprived of friends; better to live in darkness, than to be without frie...

John Chrysostom

[On what young husbands should say to their wives:] I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assure...

John Chrysostom

We follow the ways of wolves, the habits of tigers: or, rather we are worse than they. To them nature has assigned that they should be thus fed, while God has honoured us with rational speech and a sense of equity. And yet we are become worse than th...

John Chrysostom

I do not know whether anyone has ever succeeded in not enjoying praise. And, if he enjoys it, he naturally wants to receive it. And if he wants to receive it, he cannot help but being distraught at losing it. Those who are in love with applause have ...

John Chrysostom

The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire; it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases,...

John Chrysostom

Men have the power of thinking that they may avoid sin.

John Chrysostom

When one is required to preside over the Church, and be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also.

John Chrysostom

Author Bio

  • NameJohn Chrysostom
  • Descriptionimportant Early Church Father
  • AliasesSaint John Chrysostom
  • Born349
  • DiedSeptember 15, 407
  • CountryByzantine Empire
  • ProfessionTheologian; Priest; Writer