Welcome back for the first FULL WEEK of Lent Madness 2019. If you're just joining in the fun, we're glad you're here! There's plenty of madness to go and we're delighted to have people jump aboard the purple Lenten train at any point in the season.
Over the weekend, in the only Saturday battle of the season, Ignatius of Loyola strode past Tikhon of Zadonsk 65% to 35% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where he'll face the winner of Dominic vs. Marina the Monk.
Today we make our first foray into the Miscellaneous quadrant of the bracket as John Chrysostom faces Margaret of Cortona. Perhaps we should have had a play-in round to decide, once and for all, whether the correct pronunciation of "Chrysostom" should have the accent on the first or second syllable. But however you pronounce it, this should prove an intriguing battle to kick off your Monday.
And don't forget, later today, in order to make your Monday complete, Tim and Scott will be releasing another epic episode of everyone's favorite penitential viewing experience: Monday Madness. Stay tuned! (or just binge-watch old episodes).
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom was born to a wealthy family around 345 ce in Antioch, Syria. His father, a commander of imperial troops in Syria, died at an early age. John felt a call to monastic life early but stayed with his mother, acting as a caregiver. When the time came for his education, John was sent to study with the great pagan orator Libanius. John excelled in his education. (Later, at the time of his death, when asked who should succeed him in the leadership of his school, Libanius is reported to have said, “John, had not the Christians stolen him.”) John would ultimately use his intellect to become one of the great doctors of the church.
Around 373, John became a hermit and took to an ascetic life, continually standing, scarcely eating, and reading the Bible constantly. Like so many at this time, his asceticism would later impact his health. John was made a deacon in 381 and a priest in 386. From 386-398, John would earn his surname Chrysostom (literally, the “golden-mouthed”) through powerful sermons and oratory. In fact, his Easter sermon is still read from pulpits around the world today. Against his wishes John was made bishop of Constantinople in 397.
His focus on reform and care for those who were poor and vulnerable won him a good deal of respect and admiration. But Chrysostom was often blunt and tactless and did not shy away from criticizing people with incredible power. His disputes, first with Theophilus, the bishop of Alexandria, then with Empress Eudoxia, led to the Synod of the Oak, in which he was deposed. One year later, despite support from Pope Innocent I and much of the Western Church, Chrysostom was convicted of unlawfully resuming his episcopal duties and was exiled.
By this time, Chrysostom was in poor health from his years of asceticism. He was nonetheless forced to march to Pontus in extreme heat. He died in September of 407 from the toll the journey took on his body.
Collect for John Chrysostom
O God, who gave your servant John Chrysostom grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: mercifully grant to all who proclaim your word such excellence in preaching, that all your people may be made partakers of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Margaret of Cortona
Margaret of Cortona grew up in Laviano, Italy, where her family farmed the land. Margaret was a beautiful girl and an only child. Her mother died when Margaret was only seven years old. Her father remarried, and Margaret had a treacherous relationship with her stepmother.
When she was seventeen, Margaret met Gugliemo di Pecora, lord of Valiano. She became the nobleman’s servant. Gugliemo recognized Margaret’s beauty and began to offer her gifts and attention. Margaret became Gugliemo’s mistress and had a son.
When they had been lovers for about ten years, Gugliemo went on a journey. When he didn’t return, Margaret became worried. Then Gugliemo’s dog came home alone, went directly to Margaret’s room, and began whining. Margaret followed the dog into the woods until the hound began whimpering over a pile of sticks. Margaret immediately set about moving brush and found the body of her lover in a hole below.
In her shock and distress, Margaret left the home of her murdered lover and took her son to her father’s house. They were turned away, and so Margaret knocked on the doors of the monastery of Cortona. The monks welcomed the mother and son—and her son later became a friar there.
Margaret practiced extreme acts of penance. She clothed herself in rags and slept on hard ground. She cut and bruised her face in order to mar her beauty. When she visited her hometown, she hired a woman to lead her around like a beast on a rope, yelling, “Look at Margaret, the sinner!”
Margaret joined the Order of Saint Francis and chose to live in poverty, often begging for bread to eat. She became a nurse and began a hospital for those who were sick, poor, and homeless. And she was willing to stand up to authority figures, even chastising a bishop for his violence and plundering.
Throughout the rest of her life, Margaret was drawn to God, not through severe acts of self-punishment but through the mystical reality of God’s love for her. She became known as the second Magdalene because of her tears and Christ’s love for her.
Collect for Margaret of Cortona
O God, as your servant Margaret of Cortona found a home where her repentance led to a life of prayer, service, and leadership, Grant that we may always seek to dwell where estrangement yields to reconciliation, through Jesus Christ, who is himself the goal of all our seeking and the answer to our desires, unto whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
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219 comments on “John Chrysostom vs. Margaret of Cortona”
Oh dear, self harm is not at all attractive. I voted for John, in part because of his care for the poor and his blunt challenge to those in authority, whilst acknowledging the repugnance of some of his views. But mostly because a friend called Jon studied John for his PhD. If there had been an option to vote for the dog, i would have done so. 🙂
I voted for Margaret - hers is a life transformed by the redemptive power of grace. And....of course, the dog!!
Here's to that gal from the Bronx, St. Margaret of Crotona!
Ever since the bracket was announced I've been waiting for the chance to vote againt John Golden Mouth Hateful Heart. His dislike of women was enough to earn him my non-support It is a real struggle for me to use his prayer. Add in his anti-semitism and how can he conceivably be a saint. Emulate him — thank you, no.
Margaret stood up to a bishop! And she listened to the "words" of a dog. Go Woman!! Right ON!
Go, Donna! Nice to hear from you.
Hi, Davis.
Some day I'm going to have to learn to speak my mind.
John was a misogynist-said women had no souls. Margaret, even with her problems, for me.
Oh dear, they're both so off-putting.
I vote for the dog!
Neither of us wanted to vote for either one, so we flipped a coin and Margaret won. We wish we could have voted for the dog. If the dog had been running, it would have been hands down!
Not an easy choice. As the dog was not a candidate, “A Prayer of St. Chrysostom” won my reluctant vote.
Bad, bad, bad --what a way to treat God's creation. At least Margaret let a dog talk to her, and honored her physical gifts for a while before beating up on herself. As the lesser of two evils, Margaret.
John Chrysostom, for his sermons that continue to declare the Gospel long after his death.
Concerning the self-punishment vs. asceticism--at least Margaret had what seemed like a complete turnaround from her earlier acts of self-deprecation and seemed to be basking in the love of God for a good part of her life. She also stood up to the powers in her time from a very lowly station. I suspect John gave out a lot of golden tongue-lashings while Margaret did the real work on the front lines.
Just because I can pronounce her name, Margaret gets my vote
As an imperfect woman, a forgiven sinner, a called and ordained clergywoman, a hospital chaplain, a servant of God with little to do for Him in retirement, a patient in great pain, I can identify with and love St. Margaret. I vote for her.
So wanted Margaret
Margaret had me at "dog"
I take great delight in preaching Chrysostom's Paschal homily at the Great Vigil of Easter. However, I voted for Margaret because, as many others have noted, Chrsysostom's anti-semitism.
I was not too inspired to applaud either of these saint's stories. However, I appreciate that Margaret was later taken with God's love for her. She got my vote.
I agree with everyone else who would vote for the dog and had a hard time with both today's candidates.
The self-punishment and extreme monastic asceticism Margaret felt she had to exercise was actually quite self-serving instead of honor to Christ as she thought it was, plus especially as she had been very beautiful in her earlier life, it was also absolutely sickening. And hiring someone to lead her around like a dog?? I too wished she had lived in a time where she could obtain help.
Having to choose one of today's saints though, I did like the very changed Margaret later on who eventually became a nurse and started a hospital to help those in need, as well as the homeless and downtrodden. I also loved the way she stood up to authority figures- especially the bishop who may have had a very holy, dignified and well respected public persona on the outside but whose darker side of violence and plundering spoke volumes about his true relationship with God, and about how much of a pseudo Clergyman he truly was.
I quite like Margaret's gritty life story, eventually leading to the transforming realization of the mystical reality of God's love for her. I understand her pain and gratitude. Margaret is my given name as well. Thanks for her story.
I chose Margaret! I thought she had a life that was very deversified and she was able to keep her faith and project it for good in her later years!
In Perth WA a Sister Chrysostom drowned at Trigg Beach back in 1947 along with the man who tried to rescue her. As it turned out, he was a Freemason. His funeral was the first (supposedly) in WA where Catholic priests and nuns attended a Freemason’s funeral. There is now a street in North Beach named Chrysostom Street in the nun’s honour
I forgot to vote all of last week. I would have voted for Margaret