Praise to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

In the homily of St. Hesychius of Jerusalem “Praise to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul”, the main part is devoted to the glorification of the Apostle Paul and is a commentary on Acts 9: 4-5. A short introduction is dedicated to the Apostle Peter. *The title of the work in Greek is ᾿Εγκώμιον εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους Πέτρον κα Παῦλον. *The title of the essay in Latin is Laudatio ss. Petri et Pauli. About the life of St. Little is known about Hesychia. He was born and raised in the holy city of Jerusalem. It is possible that he still found St. alive. Cyril of Jerusalem, however, his activity partly flowed into the bishopric of John ΙΙ of Jerusalem. St. Hesychius studied in Constantinople, where, according to some news, his teacher in theology was St. Gregory the Theologian. If this is so, then his teaching falls on the years 379–381. After returning to Palestine, St. Hesychius settled in one of the monasteries near Jerusalem. There he gained fame as a teacher of prayer and a scholar of the Holy Scriptures. Perhaps his ascetic creations, in particular his famous “Word of Temperance,” date back to this period. Around 412 St. Hesychius was ordained a presbyter and at one time served as assistant to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. According to some news, the saint died around 434, according to others - around 451. The memory of St. Hesychius, presbyter of Jerusalem, is celebrated on March 5/18. St. Hesychius is famous as an ascetic writer and exegete. According to the Menology of Emperor Basil the Bulgarian Slayer (996), he compiled an interpretation of all Scripture. Commentaries on the books of Leviticus and Job (in Armenian translation), as well as notes on the Psalter, have reached us. In his interpretations, the saint uses mainly allegorical and typological methods. Unfortunately, Saint Hesychius is much less known as a preacher. Meanwhile, his 20 sermons are a real treasury of patristic thought. Among them are words for Easter, Candlemas and Lazarus Saturday, words about fasting in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and saints (Archdeacon Stephen, Martyr Longinus, St. Anthony) and others. In his sermons, Rev. Hesychius uses the same typological and allegorical method as in his exegetical works. He is a master of Asian eloquence, designed for magnificent epithets, vivid parallelisms, and extended comparisons. The reader himself can appreciate the power and depth of his eloquence from this sermon in honor of Sts., translated into Russian for the first time. apostles Peter and Paul. A rose is beautiful, fragrant in spring, but when it is intertwined with the fragrance of a lily, it becomes even more fragrant. After all, the myrrh mixes with the world and the pleasure from the fragrance becomes double. Peter is beautiful in himself and super-brilliant in comparison with the brilliant as the leader of the 1 apostolic face, as the eye of teaching, as the memory of zeal and the face of faith, as the trumpet of the sacrament, as a tongue and one who has taught many languages, as an impeccable shepherd, as a never-slumbering helmsman, as an infallible charioteer, as a seller of medicines 2 preparing the eternal eye salve 3 of repentance. But if Paul joins, then a double wall is formed, which is impossible to take, a two-mouthed spring that easily waters the entire universe, a bay with two entrances, by crossing which every ship is saved. The turtledove speaks after the swallow, the dove exclaims after the cicada, the flute and pipe sing a sweet and sacred tune. “The young man is with the holy man, and their way is right” (Prov. 20:11), as the Wise One preached in Proverbs. The lamb and the wolf graze together (Isa. 11:6), and the Shepherd is glorified, and the miracles of the Most Glorious Worker are crowned. A bull and a lion graze in the same pasture (Isa. 11:6), and he who strengthens the bull and bridles the lion reaps praise. Didn’t Paul, the former Saul, become a lion, who, killing, scattered the flock (Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:1-2), struck down the shepherds (Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31), shook Jerusalem from within and terrified the cities, disturbed the squares and fields, made them uninhabited, “dragging men and women into prison” (Acts 8:3), and did not stop throwing them into bonds, when, however, he was defeated by the patience of the husbands, and turned out to be very weak because of the courage of the women? He ran in vain, for he did not see the way; he struck in vain, for he had prepared his fingers, but turned out to be unworthy to find the enemy. Christ, as the Wise and Good, having appeared, uses meekness and, leaving the above, descends to the below. He did not kindle a fire, nor stir up a storm, nor shake the foundations of the mountains (1 Kings 19:11–12), nor draw an angelic two-sided sword (Gen. 3:24), but he cried out in a meek and loving voice: “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me?” ( Acts 9:4 ) “What wealth have I taken from you? What glory did he reveal? What championship was he deprived of? Have I closed the entrance to heaven for you? Is it because of Me that you are clothed with fig leaves? Was I the cause of your return to the earth? Was it because of Me that you fell away from your leadership, damaged your lot, and diminished your image?” “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? You had the law, but I, as the Good One, added grace. You served the letter, but I showed the Spirit. The shadows carried sorrow, and when I came, I showed the truth. You stumbled over the images, but I brought one medicine for many, without money - for those who love money. Having explained the Sabbath to you, I glorified it, I stopped the plague of circumcision, I freed the altar from groaning and showed, instead of groaning sacrifices, the ever-joyful and groanless one.” “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? Be ashamed of the tabernacle of Abraham (Genesis 18:1) and remember the altar of Isaac (Genesis 22) and remember the struggle of Jacob (Genesis 32:24-30)! Why did you forget Joseph's dreams? (Gen. 37:6–10) How were you not ashamed of the rod of Moses (Ex. 14:16), the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13), and the courage of Elisha? After all, these are My prototypes, their prophecies refer to Me!” “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? I showed Jeremiah the almond rod (Jer. 1:11–12). I painted a golden lampstand for Zechariah! (Zech. 4:2) I showed Daniel the unbreakable stone (Dan. 2:34). I expanded the whale's belly for Jonah! (John 2:1). Ezekiel the Great saw me as a charioteer of the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:26–27). I am Isaiah’s sheep of much mourning” (Isaiah 53:7). “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? Pay attention to whom you are straining your bow against. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where are you sending your arrows? “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” (John 14:10). Who are you throwing stones against? I “measured the waters with my hand, and the heavens with my palm, and the whole earth with my hand” (Isaiah 40:12). Against whom are you arming your tongue? I make clear the language of the deaf, I created the hard of hearing and the deaf, I fashioned the sighted and the blind. Look, who are you calling a liar? I multiplied the visions (Hosea 12:11) and by the hands of the prophets showed the likenesses.” “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? After all, David praises Me, but You reproach me. He praises Me, but You blaspheme. He plays the psalter, you kick. He pulls the strings, you prepare the weapon.” “Savle, Savle, why are you persecuting Me? Why do you fight against My followers, defend the law and fight against Me, run away for My sake and punish my disciples? You avenge My glory, but you do not know where to start the battle, where to meet the enemy.” This is what Christ says to Saul. He answers and says: “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5). Paul's zeal was good because, when called, he immediately obeyed. He received the word and immediately felt the dignity of the Speaker and said: “Who are you, Lord? For I am filled with radiance, captured by the light¸ and become a prisoner of the ray” (Acts 9:3). “Who are you, Lord? I desire to see Your beauty, I hasten to fly up to the clouds, I strive to find out where this “mark of glory” comes from, Who is the “Mark of the Hypostasis,” Who is “He who bears all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3).” “Who are you, Lord? I heard Your voice and was filled with the law, I no longer have any love for the law, I no longer want an ark made of gold and wood (Exodus 25:10-11), I desire the holy royal manger (Luke 2:7), completely gifted with gold.” May the children of all heretics be ashamed and may the lips of heretics be stopped. Here Paul, who is called, does not care about many things, but only believes and worships, and does not fight, sings songs - and reproach is removed. “Who are you, Lord?” he asks. He would not have called on the Lord if he had not felt God Calling him. He confessed the Creator God, Whom he knew, and proclaimed the Impassive Creator, Whom he confessed, and revered Him as Imperishable. And He revered Him as Immortal, Whose Cross He knew and His tomb knew. He was not unaware of the blows, the blow of a spear in the ribs, or the blows of a whip. What does Christ say to him? “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute” (Acts 9:5). He perceives the short answer of persuasion: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute. I am Jesus, who before and now, before all and after all, in the beginning and in the end, the Son of David - but Himself before David, from Abraham the Creator (Matthew 1:1), from Adam - but He Himself fashioned Adam, from Isaac - but He Himself crowned the altar of Isaac, from Jacob - but He Himself was seen on the ladder, Surrounded by a host of Angels" (Gen. 28:12–13). “I am Jesus, whom you persecute, but persecution will not achieve. Where or how will you catch the “shine of glory”? What kind of network can accommodate the “Inscription of the Hypostasis”? Who will be able to embrace with his hand “He who bears all things by the word of His power”?” “I am Jesus, whom you persecute. I support you as the groom of my Bride. Why are you persecuting Me, for Whom you yourself will soon be persecuted? But you hurt your feet in vain, you sweat in vain, you work in vain, for He who is persecuted by you remains in the “bosom of the Father” (John 1:17). “I am Jesus, whom you persecute, not knowing that you are fighting with your life. Why are you fighting with the Wise One, shooting at the Benefactor, as if you had no other, beating the Provider, thanks to Whom the earth brings you a meal of fruits without delay? You dishonor the Savior, but if He squeezes His hand, who will free you from your sins? Who will release you from the bonds? Who will you find the promissory note from? And this is how this Paul, formerly a persecutor, now became an evangelist, the former pirate became a helmsman, the former wolf became now a shepherd, the former lead became now gold, the former blasphemer became a blessing and blessed by all, this is the chief among teachers, chosen among God-bearers, most prominent among the prophets, wisest among the apostles, invincible among athletes, most glorious among preachers truth, the strongest among the warriors for piety. Who was “beaten with rods” three times (2 Cor. 11:25), and prayed on the fourth? Who “five times forty minus one” received blows from the Jews (2 Cor. 11:24). and how is he venerated? Who, having “dwelled in the depths day and night,” instead of the nuptial ablution, “often travels,” endures shipwrecks, but is abundant in all advantages? Who “in dangers from robbers, in dangers from relatives, in dangers on rivers, in dangers in deserts, in dangers from pagans, in dangers among false brothers” (2 Cor. 11:26) has not squandered the wealth of patience? Who bears the care of all the churches and the experience of burdens and does not shorten his labors, and is not burdened to carry his load on his shoulders, and does not throw it off his back? Who so abhors sin, yet has acquired such mercy for sinners? No one else. And he (Paul) always prays that we may be worthy of eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Literally "coryphaeus" (κορυφεύς). Literally "pharmacist" or medicine seller (φαρμακοπώλης). Κολλούριον. Wed. appeal to the Angel of the Laodicean Church in the Apocalypse: “And with eye salve (κολλουρίῳ) anoint your eyes, that you may see” (Rev. 3:18). You might be interested in: