John Chrysostom quote

[Alvin Kimel]

[I posted this several hours ago, but it has not appeared, so I'm trying again. My apologies if this ends up double-posted.]

I found the following quotation ascribed to St. John Chrysostom. Do you recognize it? Do you know where it can be found?

“Jesus, for the burning love He bore us, wished to unite Himself so closely to us that we should become one and the same with Him, for such is the dream of true lovers.”

TIA.

Fr Alvin Kimel

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear in the Lord, Fr Alvin,

You wrote:


I found the following quotation ascribed to St. John Chrysostom. Do you recognize it? Do you know where it can be found?

“Jesus, for the burning love He bore us, wished to unite Himself so closely to us that we should become one and the same with Him, for such is the dream of true lovers.”

To my great surprise, I actually do not know the text from which this passage is drawn. I am surprised simply because it is so popular a text attributed to St John, and one which I have employed many times; yet for all these, I have never done so in such a setting as I felt required me to go beyond the received quotation and look up the reference!

If I do recall correctly, the passage comes in the context of one of St John's discussions of the Holy Eucharist: Christ's wish 'to unite Himself so closely to us that we should become one and the same with Him' is a phrase offered in the context of the mystery of the Eucharist, when Christ and man are joined together in the most intimate of personal unions: the sharing of flesh and blood.

I shall make an attempt to find the actual reference a bit later (after Pascha), when I have my books around me.

INXC, Matthew

[Alvin Kimel]

At least it sounds like I can go ahead, then, and use the quotation and attribute it to St. John.

Do let us know if you find the reference. I tried a couple of places. It also sounds eucharistic to me, so I looked in the homilies of St. John where he talks about the Eucharist; but I haven't found it yet.

A blessed Easter to all.

Christ is risen!