St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch in 347. He trained as an orator but wanted to be a hermit. His health did not permit him to live the austere life of a hermit so he returned to Antioch and was ordained and became a great preacher. He was called "golden mouth" or "Chrysostomos". He was made Archbishop of Constantinople and set about to reform the church there. He made enemies who tried to exile him, but he died on the journey. His dying words were, "Glory to God for all things."
Today's Gospel is very appropriate as we see the flood waters in Texas washing away houses as indeed the hurricane surge did in Haiti and Cuba. Jesus tells us that a good tree bears good fruit. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good...but then Jesus says, "I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation."
Let us learn to listen and to do whatever the Lord asks of us. Let us also pray for all those who have lost material homes in this hurricane.
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