Do not adorn the church but ignore your afflicted brother

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to reflect on a passage from the book of the prophet Jerimiah (7: 1-20) entitled “A prophecy about the empty trust that is placed in the temple”. Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily on Matthew 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.

St. John took a literal interpretation of Scripture and much of his work focused on practical aspects of Christianity, particularly what is now called social justice. He advocated for the poor, and challenged abuses of authority. St. John Chrysostom's homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, widely regarded as an eloquent speaker, are a wonder to behold. These spiritually enlightening texts have aided Christians for over a thousand years, and remain instructive and fruitful even today!

The Book of Jeremiah combines history, biography, and prophecy. It portrays a nation in crisis and introduces the reader to an extraordinary person whom the Lord called to prophesy under the trying circumstances of the final days of the kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah was born, perhaps about 650 B.C., of a priestly family from the village of Anathoth, two and a half miles northeast of Jerusalem. He was called to his task in the thirteenth year of King Josiah. Josiah’s reform, begun with enthusiasm and hope, ended with his death on the battlefield of Megiddo (609 B.C.) as he attempted to stop the northward march of the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco, who was going to provide assistance to the Assyrians who were in retreat before the Babylonians. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, fell in 612 B.C., preparing the way for the new colossus, Babylon, which was soon to put an end to the independence of Judah.