Homily 19 on First Corinthians
Chrysostom reflects on marriage, continence, fidelity, and Christian freedom while explaining St Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7.
~24 min 5 reading sections
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Collection
Marriage, Family & the Christian Home
Marriage, children, household life, and Christian formation
About this collection
St John Chrysostom treats marriage and family life as part of the Christian calling to holiness. His preaching moves easily from Scripture to the ordinary life of the home: the relationship of husband and wife, the raising of children, prayer, chastity, household order, and the use of wealth.
These homilies show that Christian formation begins not only in church but also in daily life together. Chrysostom calls husbands and wives to mutual faithfulness and self-sacrifice, urges parents to place virtue above status or success, and challenges customs that turn marriage into an occasion for luxury or excess.
The Christian home, in his teaching, is meant to become a place where faith is practiced, taught, and handed on.
Texts in this collection
Homily 20 on Ephesians
A sustained treatment of Christian marriage in which Chrysostom calls husbands and wives to sacrificial love, concord, prayer, and a shared life ordered toward Christ.
~38 min 9 reading sections
Homily 21 on Ephesians
Turning from marriage to children, Chrysostom urges parents to make faith, virtue, and Scripture more important in a child’s formation than wealth or worldly success.
~17 min 4 reading sections
Homily 12 on Colossians
Chrysostom addresses children, chastity, marriage, and wedding customs, contrasting Christian celebration with drunkenness, spectacle, luxury, and practices he believed weakened the holiness of marriage.
~28 min 7 reading sections