ON A PEDESTAL

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. John Chrysostom is, “On a Pedestal.”

It struck me last night that I see two kinds of saints: those whom I put on a pedestal and those who can walk with us on our level.

I don’t know if that is true - but that is what hit me last night as I prepared this homily thinking about the saint for today: St. John Chrysostom. Tomorrow or next week I might revise my thoughts about two ways of looking at saints.
I put this out there - for your consideration: how do you see the Saints you know about? Do you see some of them up on a pedestal - way up there - and some of them sitting and walking and talking with you?

I put those saints I can’t identify with on a pedestal.

SOME EXAMPLES

I'd put St. John Neumann and Blessed Seelos on street level.

I keep St. Alphonsus - who is up there on a pedestal above - here at St. Mary’s -  still on his pedestal. He was a strong character - and I picture him as tough to live with. I’ve read 5 biographies of him. I found him someone who was amazing - driven - a hard worker - someone who didn’t want to waste a minute of time - someone who could be very challenging.

Neumann and Seelos - both Redemptorists - were both hard workers - but different from Alphonsus. Seelos is sitting on a bench here in our Marian Garden - waiting for people to talk to him. Neumann, the quieter of the two, is on a pedestal in the courtyard at our St. John Neumann Church. I don’t want to take him off his pedestal, especially because he was only 5 foot tall. I wouldn’t mind living and working with both of them - on the same level.

St. Teresa of Avila - I picture her more down to earth. So I might take her down from her pedestal - up here on our high altar at St. Mary’s. If I had to "restatuize" her to bring her down to our level, I don’t know yet how I would imagine that.

St. John Chrysostom: he’s on a pedestal - a high pedestal -- one of the 8 Fathers of the Early Church. He was a great preacher. Some of his sermons went for 2 hours - and they still clapped. He challenged those in power in both church and state - as well as clergy. He wasn’t scared of anyone. As a result he had enemies and was exiled twice.

TODAY’S FIRST READING - 1 TIMOTHY 3: 1-13

St. John Chrysostom wasn’t married - but he fits the description of how St. Paul pictures bishops should be - as described in today’s first reading.

Today’s first reading also gives a description of how a deacon should be. We have examples in the literature on how John Chrysostom was as a deacon: preaching, feeding the poor, helping the stuck, writing. That was at Antioch. When John Chrysostom was bishop in Constantinople, he removed two deacons from the clergy - one because he murdered someone -  the other because of adultery. Interesting….

Today’s first reading also talks about how women should act and be. Paul says they “should be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in everything.” If you read about St. John Chrysostom you’ll read that he challenged some women - especially those of the court - on how they dressed and showed up for parties. When a silver statue of the Empress - Eudoxia - was put on a pedestal outside of the main church in Constantinople - everyone was praising it. Not John Chrysostom. When the Empress cheated a widow out of a vineyard, he spoke up and publicly criticized her. They were no longer cordial  to each other after that - and she wanted him out.

John Chrysostom tried to live simply, under budget, and get others - especially the clergy to live their calling. He made enemies - especially in the uppity up circles.

I can’t see myself doing any of that. So I’m a wimp - preferring the spoonful of honey gets more flies than a barrelful of vinegar approach to life. It also keeps one safe. John Chrysostom was more courageous than cautious, so that’s another reason why I put him up on a pedestal. Obviously, my approach - covering my hide -  is a self-centered approach to being a priest.

CONCLUSION

Who are your favorite saints?

Do you lump them all together?

What do you think of my division: those on the pedestal and those on street level?

This is just my opinion.

In the meanwhile,  I like the Blessed Seelos on a bench bronze statue in our Marian Garden. I like the bronze statue of St. John Neumann - in our church on Bestgate. Yet, if I had my choice I’d sculpt him walking - with a pack. There is a neat statue of him in our church in the Bronx, sitting with kids. I’d go with the walking theme because he was a great walker and died at the age of 49 on the streets of Philadelphia walking back home from the Post Office.

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Images on this blog: Top - St. John Chrysostom in Glory. Middle: St. Alphonsus statue in St. Mary's Church High Altar. Seelos Bench in the Marian Garden her at St. Mary's Annapolis.  Bronze statue of John Neumann at St. John Neumann Church Annapolis. St. Mary's High Altar at St. Mary's.