Today in the calendar of both the Novus Ordo and the Usus Antiquior it is the feast of St. John Chrysostom (+407).
Benedict XVI wrote a splendid little Apostolic Letter about St. John Chrysostom for 1600th anniversary of the death of the great Doctor of the Church. I wrote about it here.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the saint, so venerated in the East, as in the West.
This is from Homilies on the Statues 1,7:
Paul is not ashamed, and does not blush, after the many and great signs which he had displayed even by a simple word; yet, in writing to Timothy, to bid him take refuge in the healing virtue of wine drinking. Not that to drink wine is shameful. God forbid! For such precepts belong to heretics; […] For [Paul] does not simply say, “use a little wine;” but having said before, “drink no longer water,” he then brings forward his counsel as to the drinking of wine. And this expression “no longer” was a manifest proof, that till then he had drunk water, and on that account was become infirm.
But since our discourse has now turned to the subject of blasphemy, I desire to ask one favor of you all, in return for this my address, and speaking with you; which is, that you will correct on my behalf the blasphemers of this city [i.e., blaspheming against God by saying that wine is evil.]. And should you hear any one in the public thoroughfare, or in the midst of the forum, blaspheming God; go up to him and
rebuke him; and should it be necessary to inflict blows, spare not to do so. Smite him on the face; strike his mouth; sanctify your hand with the blow, and if any should accuse you, and drag you to the place of justice, follow them thither; and when the judge on the bench calls you to account, say boldly that the man blasphemed the King of angels! For if it be necessary to punish those who blaspheme an earthly king, much more so those who insult God. […]
rebuke him; and should it be necessary to inflict blows, spare not to do so. Smite him on the face; strike his mouth; sanctify your hand with the blow, and if any should accuse you, and drag you to the place of justice, follow them thither; and when the judge on the bench calls you to account, say boldly that the man blasphemed the King of angels! For if it be necessary to punish those who blaspheme an earthly king, much more so those who insult God. […]So, there it is.
St. John has taught us today that, should anyone say we shouldn’t drink wine or that it is bad for us or wrong or evil, strike him on the mouth!
Let us know how it goes.
Happy feast of St. John Chrysostom!
May I suggest nice bottle of wine with supper tonight?
Meanwhile, ancient synodality.
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Well, even St. John Chrysostom wouldn’t be right if he said (which I doubt he expressly did – he’s including a new paragraph with “since our discourse has turned to blasphemies”, here) that forbidding wine was blasphemous. He calls it heretical; and there may be a sense in which one can say “heresies, and even usual mortal sins, are really blasphemies in a hidden ulterior manner”. But that is in a hidden and ulterior manner.
We have grown used to use “blasphemy” to the act of deliberately and intentionally insulting God, and we have been right in this, for that is really some specific thing. And it is this, apparently, what St. John Chrystostom thinks ought to be answered with blows. Though St. Nicholas punched a heretic, too; but on a more important manner than the licitness of wine. – As for the latter, drinking a cup in their face seems, to me, to be just as effective.
Anyway, what I was actually going to say:
>>in the calendar of both the Novus Ordo and the Usus Antiquior
If I’m not very much mistaken, only the latter (or is that US use?). The Novus Ordo has him on 13 September, and St. Angela today.