The Words of the Fathers No. I (XIX) / 2025
[Homily by John Chrysostom] on Psalm XXXVI, 1: ‘Do not envy those who act deceitfully’
The Saint Ioan Gură de Aur This homily is a homiletic exposition of Psalm 36:1, in which the author, drawing on biblical examples from Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, Elisha, Lazarus and Herod, argues that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, whilst the suffering of the righteous is rewarded with eternal bliss. The listener is urged not to envy the prosperity of sinners, but to follow the path of virtue with a view to the Kingdom of Heaven.