Saint John Chyrsostom Exhorts Us to Pay Attention to the Sermon

Saint John Chrysostom, tempera on wood, Monastery of Vatopedi, 14th Century

Few people, sitting down with friends to watch a major sports event, would remind each other to pay attention. When we are being entertained, it isn’t hard to pay attention. But how many of us can muster the same attentiveness during the sermon in church?

In this episode, Fr. David Smith shares the first homily of Saint John Chrysostom on the Gospel of John. This homily doesn’t spend as much time on the Gospel itself as you might expect. In fact, the preacher begins by telling his listeners to pay attention! Listen in – it sounds like people in Saint John’s day weren’t so different from our own generation.

Apostle Paul revealing the meaning of his epistles to Saint John Chrysostom, contemporary icon, Monastery of Vatopedi

This program is produced by OCN partnership

The Orthodox Christian Network produces a wide variety of multimedia resources for Orthodox Christians and seekers in three languages: English, Greek, and Spanish. It is an agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States. Founded nearly 20 years ago as a radio ministry, it continues to produce “Come Receive the Light,” a weekly radio show, and has expanded into a variety of online offerings: a weekly video newscast, a variety of podcasts, three Internet radio stations, a website and a very popular social media presence, especially on Facebook. OCN strives to work in collaboration with all Orthodox organizations and churches to communicate the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ and to strengthen the Orthodox Church in the digital age.