About the supreme apostles Peter and Paul, and their most glorious martyrdom

1. Heaven and earth compete with each other in a real celebration (dedicated) to the memory of the apostles. On the one hand, the heavenly powers with respectful voices glorify the teaching restored by the apostolic labors, since through the apostles the mystery of the economy became known to them, as Paul exclaims: “so that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in heaven” (Eph. 3:10). On the other hand, people on earth are striving to offer worthy praise in honor of the supreme ones, through whose labors their salvation was achieved. What is higher than Peter? What is equal to Paul? They surpassed every creature in heaven and earth in both word and deed. Clothed with a mortal body, they turned out to be higher than the angels. What shall we say in praise of these earthly and heavenly mentors? I cannot find words for praise worthy of those that constitute the praise of our family, who have traveled all over the earth and the sea, destroyed the very roots of sin and planted the seeds of piety in the hearts of unfaithful people. Peter - the leader of the apostles; Paul is a teacher of the universe and a partner in the heavenly powers. Peter is the bridle of the blinded Jews; Paul is a teacher of the Gentiles. And notice the wisdom of the Lord that surpasses all. He chose Peter from among the fishermen, Paul from among the tent makers. And this was done for good: through this the glory of the Jews rose. And this is what the Lord instructed this fisherman: “go to the sea, throw a hook, and take the first fish that comes across, and when you open its mouth, you will find a statir **" (Matthew 17:27). The sea here in the words of the Savior means the inconstancy of the lawless Jews, uda is a skillful word of teaching, and by fish it means the law; opening his mouth means to interpret it, and to find a statir in it - means to spiritually condemn him. To Paul, as a tentmaker, the Lord entrusted the pagans, so that he would clothe them, deprived of the cover of law and grace, in clothing stained with water and the blood of the Lord: “Go,” the Lord himself says to him, “I will send you far to the pagans” (Acts 22:21). Oh, blessed two, who truly captured the souls of the whole world! Peter is the beginning of the right faith, the great priest of the Church, the mentor of Christians, the treasure of the highest powers, the apostle, endowed with honor from Christ himself. Paul is the great preacher of truth, the praise of the universe, the heavenly man and the earthly angel, the glory of the Church, the eagle soaring to heaven, the lyre of the Spirit, the swallow and the grasshopper, the organ of the Lord, the tireless worker of Christ. Paul and Peter are the harnessed oxen of the Church, who cultivated a beautiful field in the universe, who raised the cross instead of a yoke, the Savior instead of a driver, the covenants of the scriptures instead of the thongs of the yoke, the grace of the Holy Spirit instead of a goad. Paul and Peter are church luminaries, daily enlightening the Church, treasuries of the Spirit, enlighteners of the universe, vessels of grace, interpreters of the Holy Trinity, expounders of the divine word. Peter is my spiritual love, Paul is the chosen vessel, my rod. Peter is the church of God, Paul is the mouth of Christ, the lyre of the Spirit, a man three cubits tall, reaching to the third heaven, body bound to a place and the whole world bound to the Lord, filling all countries from Jerusalem and its environs to Illyricum with the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19); a fleeting messenger, an eagle that soared to heaven, a vessel of divine grace, sent by the Lord himself to carry His name throughout the universe, penetrating to the third heaven and entering paradise, reaching the indescribable throne of Christ and hearing the ineffable “words which it is impossible for man to utter” (2 Cor. 12:4). What can we say about Peter? The sweet spectacle of the Church, the lamp of the universe, the pure dove, the leader of the apostles, the fiery apostle, burning in spirit, angel and man, the mediator of grace, the immovable rock of faith, the venerable wisdom of the Church, who with his purity from the Lord himself earned the title of blessed and son of the dove, who received the keys of the kingdom of heaven from Christ himself. The faces of angels are in many ways surpassed by you. What exactly? The Lord Himself praises you: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). You are more powerful than kings, more majestic than the rich, stronger than warriors, wiser than sages and philosophers, more eloquent than orators; The words have been fully justified for you: “We have nothing, but we possess everything” (2 Cor. 6:10). You are the patience of martyrs, the confession of patriarchs, the abstinence of ascetics, the crowning of virgins, the pacification of marriages, the rein of the rapacious rich, the admonition of the incontinent, the support of kings, the protection of Christians, the rebuff of barbarians. You tame heretics, mortify the unreasonable passions of the body; you have cast down legions of demons, destroyed the altars of the pagans, and inherited the promises of heaven and earth. You were given the very keys of the kingdom of heaven, and on earth you received the power to bind and solve sins. Oh, the miracle of the simple! O wisdom of the ignorant! With his shadow, Peter healed the paralytic and loosed the bonds of death. Paul's clothes healed illnesses and cast out demons. How strong are you in the power of the right Spirit now, when you stand next to the Mother of our Lord! Oh, Paul - the desired swallow of the Church! Oh, Peter - the nightingale, constantly delighting the whole universe! The pillars of the Church, the great lamps of the universe, not inferior to each other in virtue and superior to all creation in the aggregate! Rejoice, Peter, rock of faith! Rejoice, Paul - praise to the Church! Rejoice, Peter, the foundation of the right faith! Rejoice, Paul - care for the Church! Rejoice, Peter - decoration of the universe! Rejoice, Paul - the door of heaven! Rejoice, Peter - leader to the kingdom of heaven! Rejoice, Paul - a quiet refuge for the overwhelmed! Rejoice, Peter, honored with many praises from the Lord! Rejoice, Paul, gifted with abundant grace! Rejoice, Peter, burning and flaming with the Holy Spirit! Rejoice, Paul, zealous ascetic of the gospel preaching! You enlightened the entire sunflower with your preaching and suffered countless sufferings for the Church. You were imprisoned in prisons, suffered insults from barbarians and reproaches from Jews, and were despised by kings. Unable to breathe freely, you did not seek rest from the labors of preaching; Because of the weight of your bonds, unable to move a member of your body, you resolved the entire universe, bound by sin, with your writings. You put the hordes of demons to flight and filled the entire universe with the grace of the Holy Spirit. You have dispelled the darkness of error, cast down the insolence of demons, turned every false ministry into dust, plucked the tares from the wheat, and with your daily instructions made the church field pure. 2. How can we thank you, who have worked so hard for us? I remember you, Peter, and I am amazed. I shed tears in amazement at the contemplation of your exploits, Paul. What to say, how to depict your suffering - I can’t find the words. How many dungeons have you consecrated! How many bonds have been enlightened! How many guards have followed your teachings! How many chains have you broken! How many temptations have you endured! How many places have you consecrated with your feet! How many insults they suffered! How they carried Christ within themselves! How they delighted the Church with their preaching! Your lips are blessed; your members are stained with the blood shed for the Church. You have consistently imitated Christ in everything. “Their sound goes through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Ps. 18:5). Christ unshakably preserves His Church, which you have disdained from Him. There was nothing like this either before you or after you. Who dares to proclaim anything apart from your tradition and to acquire for himself the teaching dignity and dignity apart from you? You have made all the teachers wise, you have inspired all the theologians, you have enlightened all the unenlightened. Your patience has overcome even the inertia of our hearts; it was so great that you yourself wanted to be excommunicated in order to win (to Christ) the whole world. So, what will we reward you for all the benefits that we received from you? Today is the memory of your exploits, today is the celebration of your martyrdom of Christ, today we all solemnly honor your relics. Rejoice, Peter, who ate the wood of the cross and was crucified upside down, in the crucifixion itself as if ascending from earth to heaven! Blessed are the nails that pierced those holy members that are desired by me above heavenly glory! With boldness, the good and faithful servant gave his soul into the hands of the Lord, who served the Lord and the Church unaddressed by Him with all zeal and constancy, a fiery spirit, an apostle faithful to the Lord of all. The blessed Paul, who cannot be praised according to his true worth, was beheaded by the sword. What sword tore apart this larynx, the organ of the Lord, an object of wonder for those under heaven and horror for those under the earth? What place received your blood, drops of which, like milk, watered the clothes of your executioner and even sweetened his barbaric soul more than honey, converting him and his comrades to faith. May that sword be for me instead of a crown! The apostle worked for the Lord for thirty-five years with all zeal and, having completed his course in piety, rested at the age of sixty-eight. We, sinners, address your own appeals to you. You instruct us: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil.4:4); “Pray continually for us” (1 Thess. 5:17): fulfill these promises of yours! Isn’t it you yourself who cry out, blessed Peter: “I will strive, so that even after my departure you always bring this to mind” (2 Peter 1:15)? So, the blessed apostle of Christ Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee, where our Lord Jesus Christ performed very many miracles, from where and Philip was born, and blessed Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia, but they both died in the great city - ancient Rome, in the month of June on the twenty-ninth day, having been killed under the most cruel of kings - Nero and having gone to their Teacher and Lord of all after many exploits. So, we must, beloved, pray with all zeal to the King of all, Christ our God, that He, out of His love for mankind, will grant us to faithfully observe the traditions and instructions of the most glorious apostles, so that we may receive mercy before His throne. Through Him and with Him, glory to God and the Father with the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, unto ages of ages. Amen. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and classified in the Minya edition as Spuria.