Why did the Church Fathers find it important to talk about praise?

Praise occupies a special place in the sermons and writings of many Church Fathers, whether they be pastors or abbots, or even hermits. They desire that all of humanity become a choir of believers, training for heavenly life. Some of the more important factors that impelled them to discuss praise were the following:

• a. The Fathers felt that their primary mission is to preach the heavenly life, following the example of the Lord Christ’s primary mission to transform earth into heaven and humans into angels. So, inner praise is the primary work of the Church collectively, and individually in the life of every believer as a member of the Church.

• b. Theaters in many lands were accustomed to performing obscene songs. Sadly, some Christians were accustomed to leave church gatherings and go to these theaters which were crowded with both pagans and Christians, especially those who were wealthy or who held important positions. Church leaders could not remain silent in the face of this situation, so they contrasted these songs that result in corruption to praises that result in partaking in Christ’s righteousness, emphasizing that there is no agreement between the two.

For example, in his description of the monastic life, St. John Chrysostom gave this description:

572 St. Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms 10.2 (FOTC 46:152–153).

“They rose before sunrise, and began the day by singing a hymn of praise and common prayer under the leadership of the abbot … Four hours in each day were devoted to prayer and singing.”⁵⁷³

He also wrote, “Are you a handicraftsman? As you sit at work, sing psalms. Do you not wish to sing with your mouth? Do this in your heart; a psalm is a great companion. In this case you shall undergo nothing serious, but shall be able to sit in your workshop as in a monastery.”⁵⁷⁴

“His feet were in the stocks, and his hands in the chain; and the prison shook at midnight while they were singing hymns. See you, how His power was perfected in weakness? If Paul had been at large, and had shaken that building, the thing would not have been so wonderful. ‘For this reason,’ He said, ‘remain bound; and the walls shall be shaken on every side, and the prisoners shall be loosed; in order that My power may appear the greater, when through you, confined and in fetters, all that are in bonds shall be loosed.’”⁵⁷⁵

• c. Many think that happiness is to be found in partaking in entertainment, or enjoying pleasant sights, or being immersed in worldly revelries, or listening to songs that stir the emotions and incite dancing with abandon. St. John Chrysostom believes — as do many Church Fathers, such as St. Jacob of Sarug — that the human being is a musical being, and that music plays a vital role in our lives, from birth to the last breath we take, regardless of age, position, or education. Here, St. John Chrysostom outlines the role of the spirit of discernment in the life of a true believer: to discern that which is from the Spirit of God, and that which is of the devil. A soul’s attraction to a certain type of music may identify her nature: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest” (1 John 3:10).

St. John Chrysostom says, “[The Psalmist] shows that praising in itself is good and the psalm responsible for many good things: it separates his mind from the earth and gives his soul wings, rendering them light and airborne. Hence Paul also says, ‘Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord’ (Eph. 5:19) … it is not sufficient simply to sing for the song to be pleasing to God; rather, there is need also of the singer’s life and prayer and strict observance.”⁵⁷⁶

• d. St. John Chrysostom sees praise as the greatest weapon available to a believer in his struggle against Satan, the enemy of goodness. The one who truly praises is the one who arms himself with praise in all circumstances, so that he is granted victories

573 Prolegomena 4 on St. John Chrysostom, (NPNF I/9:9).

574 St. John Chrysostom, Instructions to Catechumens 2.4 (NPNF I/9:168) amended.

575 St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Statues 1.16 (NPNF I/9:337).

576 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Psalms, Volume 2 , trans., Robert Charles Hill (Holy Cross Orthodox

Press, 1998) Homily on Psalm 147: p. 350.

without end. Praise in the spirit of heavenly joy and thanksgiving supports the believer to enjoy Christ’s righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

• e. St. John Chrysostom advises parents saying, “Teach him [your son] to sing those psalms which are so full of the love of wisdom; as at once concerning chastity, or rather, before all, of not companying with the wicked … When he has been instructed out of the Psalms, he will then know hymns also, as a divine thing. For the Powers above chant hymns.”⁵⁷⁷

• f. The Fathers consider the inner life of thanksgiving to be a person’s acceptable sacrifice of praise before the Lord. St. John Chrysostom believes that a fine example of praise is a poor person who gives thanks to God for granting good things to other people so they can share them with the poor: “And this again is made a praise unto them that they gave thanks even for that which is bestowed upon others. ‘For,’ says he, ‘they do honor, not to their own concerns only, but also to those of others, and this although they are in the extremest poverty; which is an evidence of their great virtue. For nothing is so full of envy as the whole race of such as are in poverty. But they are pure from this passion; being so far from feeling pained because of the things ye impart to others.”⁵⁷⁸ He also says, “Let us too therefore continually give thanks, for our own blessings, and for those of others alike … For this is the thing both to free us from earth, and to remove us into heaven, and to make us angels instead of men. Because they [angels] too form a choir, and give thanks to God for His good things bestowed on us, saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and goodwill towards men’ (Luke 2:14).”⁵⁷⁹

• g. St. Cyril the Great tells us that we ought to take the disciples as an example for our own praise: “The disciples praise Christ the Saviour of all, calling Him King and Lord, and the peace of heaven and earth: and let us also praise Him, taking, so to speak, the Psalmist’s harp, and saying; ‘O Lord, how great are your works, O Lord: in wisdom You have made them’ (Ps. 104:24).”⁵⁸⁰