Abstract

Saint John Chrysostom is one of the most remarkable personalities of the forth century of Christianity, also known as “the golden century”. His missionary and writing activity left a peerless treasure to the Church. His theological compositions enriched the cultural heritage with an innovative and clear way of approaching the topic of Christian ministry. The following study will present the Saint’s vision on the mission of the Church and the profile of the “soul’s shepherd”, nobody else but the priest, as he describes it in his treaty “On Priesthood”. We will discuss this subject starting from the statements used by the Saint to justify his refusal of becoming a priest. Therefore, we will analyze the moral and missionary profile of the priest, the cultural and social circumstances in which he has to perform, and all the difficulties he must face. We will reach the conclusion that the mission of the priests during the first centuries is not any different from the one of today, so the teaching given by the Saint is eternally valid.