Shortly before reaching Comana, the Apostles Peter and John appeared to him once again. They told him: “We come on behalf of the Lord; we announce to you that in a few days you will be with us. Eudoxia will be consumed by worms and will die helplessly.” (George the Patriarch, ibid., Chapter 69)
Arriving in Comana, he remained there until his death, continuing his missionary work. He received visits from clergy and laity from the surrounding areas and from Antioch. He sent approximately 240 epistles and wrote significant works, including: “No one can harm you unless you harm yourself first” (P.G. 52: 469–480) and “For those who were scandalized in difficult times” (P.G. 52: 479–528).
Near Comana, the Holy Martyr Basiliscus had been buried. One night, he appeared to John and said: “Take courage, brother John; tomorrow we will be together.” John prepared for his death; he put on new shoes, wore his archbishop’s vestments, and uttered the phrase he always repeated: “Glory to God for everything that has happened.” (George the Patriarch, ibid., Chapter 67) Then he gave up his spirit.
He used to say: “It is a great thing, when you suffer and discipline your soul not to sin. This is equivalent to martyrdom.” (Homily on Psalm 138, P.G. 55: 368)
Accordingly, when you suffer and glorify God, then you are a great martyr. The martyrs of Christ were pierced in their bodies and suffered pain. But there is also the piercing of the soul, the spiritual pain (Luke 2:35). John’s soul was continuously pierced. Was he, or was he not, a great martyr?
The Translation of His Relics
Constantinople, 438 AD. The Patriarch of Constantinople was Proclus, and the Emperor was Theodosius the Younger. The Patriarch, with the consent of Theodosius, decided to transfer the relics of John to Constantinople.
The imperial messengers arrived at Comana at the tomb; they found John’s relic incorrupt. They prepared to take it, but the relic would not detach itself from the tomb. They waited for permission from the Palace.
The Emperor wrote a special epistle to (the deceased) John, expressing repentance and asking for forgiveness. The messengers returned to Comana and placed the letter on the saint’s chest. Fragrance and light emanated from the relic.
The faithful from the region of Comana rushed to venerate it for the last time. A man who had been bitten by a snake and left paralyzed touched a small piece of cloth from the saint’s coffin and was healed. The faithful swarmed around the coffin, taking pieces of the saint’s garments as blessings. Men, women, and children surrounded the coffin, saying to the emperor’s messengers: “We will not let you take the saint, whom God has sent to us as our Savior and ?ealer.” They made great efforts to resist.
It seems that the emperor had been informed that the saint had strongly moved the people of Comana and that they would resist the transfer of the relics; therefore, he issued an order that no one should dare obstruct the translation. Thus, the relic was transported to Constantinople. (George the Patriarch, ibid., Chapter 73). Here lies the grandeur—the miracle.
Although thirty years had passed since John’s death, he remained alive in the hearts of the faithful. Thousands of believers, in small boats and ships of that time, entered the sea and sailed as far as possible from the harbor to greet his relics. “The sea was covered with countless lit-up boats and small vessels, full of people; from the mouth of the Euxine Sea to the Propontis, no sea could be seen; one would think the sea had turned into dry land.” (Theodore; Ecclesiastical History; Nikephoros Kallistos, Ecclesiastical History 14.26)
Saint John Chrysostom Forgives Eudoxia
The relic was placed in the church of Saint Irene. “Take your throne,” cried the people, placing the relic on the throne. “Peace to all; and forgiveness to Eudoxia,” the dead man replied. From that moment, Eudoxia’s tomb stopped shaking. In other words, the tomb had reportedly been shaking continuously for thirty years since the day of her death.
While the relics of Saint John Chrysostom were in the church, they brought a paralyzed man, supported by his hands and feet; his fingers were deformed, and his feet were weak, resembling reeds. He cried to the saint: “Look at my suffering; ask God to heal me,” and touched the coffin. John immediately healed him. (George the Patriarch, ibid., Chapter 73)
Next article in this series: Three Characteristics of His Pastoral Ministry
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