Good morning Friars, 

I’m Ryann Dawson from the Class of 2026. Welcome to Mass. Today is the feast day of Saint John Chrysostom. I know that many of us are probably trying to rack our brains, trying to find out if we’ve heard this name before. This isn’t a man we’ve likely had on any of our quizlets, nor slides on Schoology.  But, he has a really fascinating story!  He was brought to Constantinople to become the bishop due to him being one of the greatest orators of his day. He was a strong and motivational speaker, but more importantly, he preached profound messages that condemned his peers, AND encouraged the rich and powerful to listen to the original teaching of Jesus, and give their wealth to the poor.

This was no easy task and those around him despised him for it. John Chyrsotom was probably the first person to ever be “canceled” when those in power (who were his peers, mind you) had him exiled.

I retell Saint John’s Chrysotom’s story today because of the way it connects to the first reading. In this reading Paul says, “If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!”

We have to remember that St. Paul was beaten, whipped, and stoned yet still continued to share the Gospel because God obligated him to. When we think of important people, especially in the church, we often think that their motivation to do these “great works of God was personal pleasure and can imagine that it came easy to them.”

Saint Paul, the same Paul who wrote countless letters, gave numerous speeches, has been declared a saint, a man who Christians all over the world model their lives after. That very Paul describes sharing the gospel as an obligation, as a duty, not something that brought him pleasure or came natural to him.

 

The same way Saint John Chrysostom’s duty was to expose the wrong around him, and the same way it was Saint Paul’s duty and obligation to share the gospel, we all have obligations engraved inside of our hearts by God. And even though our circumstances may not always be ideal, we all have a duty and responsibility to bear witness to those things. Whether that be in our homes, during family gatherings or in our classrooms and our school community.

As a personal example, in eighth grade my class read a book called Rules about a young child with autism. As somebody with a person with special needs in my immediate family, it was extremely difficult to hear the generalizations and harsh comments made by teachers and classmates about people with disabilities. I knew they weren’t trying to be malicious, but due to their lack of knowledge many of their comments came across as, well, mean. I ended up speaking up in class and sharing my experience, which to be frank felt absolutely terrifying. My comments were met with a variety of feedback. Most of which were positive, but some of them…not so much.

However, to this day, I don’t regret speaking up. Mainly,  because of one classmate talking to me afterwards, expressing the same thoughts I did and sharing their same experience as someone with autism. Sometimes the reward for doing the right thing is in quiet whispers and not huge fanfares. My message was still well received overall and I was able to see a major change in my classroom. Now I know I didn’t change the world, but if we all commit to making small corrections, we make big changes in our homes, schools, and even the world. 

I understand that committing to using your voice can be scary. If you know me personally this will definitely come as a surprise… but speaking up, even for good causes…well, it terrifies me. By relying on God, however, I’m able to share messages that are important to me with my peers, friends, and community. The only way I’m able to do it through what Philippians 4:7 best describes as the peace of God that transcends all understanding. I find in those moments of fear, I feel God closest to me as the little voice in my ear saying, keep going.

I’m not afraid to stand here and tell you all that I’ve failed at this as well. My mind constantly replays all the times I heard God tell me to do or don’t do something; and I did things my own way.  This doesn’t make me a bad person; it just makes me a real one. So don’t beat yourself up over mistakes, because mistakes are inevitable. Instead, let us focus our energy on how we can help others the next time. 

As we continue this school year, let’s remember to put St John Chrysostom and St. Paul's message into action at Fenwick. It's essential to us to have the courage to stand up for those in the world being mistreated. Even if that means speaking uncomfortable truths to our own friends. 

The obligations God puts in our hearts show up in a variety of different ways. One of which is simply helping others out. For example, When you see someone crying in the bathroom, or looking down , don't be afraid to start a conversation and check in on them - especially if you don’t know them. You never know when God is using you to make a lasting impact on someone’s life. Some of my worst days have been made better by smiles from a stranger. 

So, when you walk in the bathroom and see someone with puffy eyes, especially around finals, make sure to ask them what’s wrong. Language and science finals are really rough, we know this. Not trying to scare anybody up there in the balcony but buckle up and trust me when I say it’s in your best interest to invest in Quizlet plus. You would’ve thought I saw a ghost and not the preterite tense when I walked out my Spanish final last year. But the moment I went to the cafeteria after, someone I didn’t really know offered me some of their Dunkin. This may sound “big-backed” of me, but I felt so much better after a chocolate frosted donut. Spreading the greatest form of love, which is God, to others can be as simple as a bite to eat. 

As students, teachers, and faculty members of a Dominican school, let us ask God for the courage and wisdom to be people who stand up for what is right.

And on the flip side of that, may we have the humility to accept the correction of others. Let’s all make a conscious effort to make Fenwick a safe loving environment. It’s not just doing the right thing, it's doing the only thing that’s right.