In duodecim apostolos

On the Holy Twelve Apostles. Rightly and today, at the visitation of the Holy Spirit, this net of fishermen has been filled, as the rational fish of us leap into it of their own accord. For the Word of the Logos, having made the unlettered wise and having sharpened the slow-tongued with fiery tongues, transformed their craft into something more divine, saying, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." He said, "Come after me," and everything was immediately changed for the better. Twelve chosen athletes there were, and of these not one remained uncrowned. For the single grace came together and ran with them all, and made each one's victory more proven. Only the wretched Judas cut himself loose from such an anchor, pointing out the sheep to the wolves with a kiss, and selling the Lord for thirty pieces of silver—whose blood purchased the world. But O the blessed and glorious pair of you, apostles! For you have become all things to all people by grace, having skillfully captured the flocks of men not with a reed but with the word. For you are the immovable pillars of orthodoxy, the rock of the Church, the scepter of the kingdom, and especially the sleepless guardians of this flock, the unpaid physicians of ailing humanity, and the compassionate guarantors of our repentance before God. For, being like living anvils, in being struck you forged those who strike you toward knowledge. Peter from here teaches Rome. Paul from there evangelizes the world. Andrew corrects the wise of Greece; Simon teaches the barbarians about God.

Thomas whitens the Ethiopians through baptism; Judea honors James’s seat; Alexandria by the Nile greets Mark’s throne; Luke and Matthew write the Gospels; John, still theologizing, even after his end as if living, heals Ephesus; Bartholomew teaches the Lycaonians to be temperate; Philip, working wonders, saves Hierapolis. All of them, everywhere, never cease benefiting everyone; they have left immortal dust in tombs, now healers, soon to be judges presiding over the world. A lame man, approaching this one, departed with sound feet; a paralytic, meeting that one, was ordered to carry a bed; another called the dead, and they immediately obeyed him; another’s mere shadow drove away diseases; at another’s invocation the demons shuddered, and their handkerchiefs dripped healing. For they were disciples of him whose stolen hem of the hemorrhaging woman dried up the red sea of blood by its touch. But I return in my discourse to the leaders of the apostles, and I recall that prophetic voice: Behold, what is good or pleasant, if not for brothers to dwell together? Let Peter, then, lead the discourse, since he was also hired first into the Lord’s vineyard, Peter the firstborn sheep of the good shepherd’s flock, Peter who ascended from a lake to heaven, who left the sailors and was deemed worthy to converse with angels, who abandoned the ship and took over the Church for steering; who was called the key-bearer of the heavens and received authority to bind and loose on earth.

Swift to his calling, unwavering in faith, and ardent in all things as the Teacher’s advocate, you are the one who declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”; who resolved to die with the Master and entered the court of Caiaphas together with the bound Redeemer; who, though denying, is pardonable, and, though repenting, is admirable. For he is worthy not so much of blame for the denial as of blessing for the repentance. Even in his error he is beneficial to us, because he quickly drowned the fault with tears, and though shaken for a moment, he was found to be a foundation of the faithful for eternity. For if you consider, beloved, the time of that timely timidity, you would not find Peter very liable to blame. For when the sun fled, the sky was hidden, the earth was shaken, rocks were shattered, unable to bear the outrage against the Creator—then Peter faltered, then the foremost denied; and the irrational messenger of the day immediately found the proof of the foretold denial: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” But having denied first, he ran first to the tomb, first saw the risen Giver of Life to the dead, having learned from Mary what the angel sitting on the stone did not dare to tell him.

But after him comes Paul, the all-wise orator of the world, the lamb from the wolf, the cluster of grapes from the thorns, the wheat from the tares, the friend from the enemy, the Hebrew remaining a Hebrew among them, among them Saul breathing threat and murder, but among us Paul, the called apostle of Jesus Christ, the theologian from the blasphemer, the evangelist from the persecutor, the helmsman from the pirate, the soldier from the traitor; he who with Peter obtained Rome for burial, and with him does not overlook this Shechem; he who is like Benjamin, brother of Joseph, and like Thecla, father and teacher of children; he who was blind before Damascus, and the eye of the proclamation in every city; he who was called from heaven and snatched up to heaven; he who beheld paradise before his departure from here, and received the crown of victory while still struggling, and again, as he says, owed. For what does he say? The one whom the Lord will give me on that day. Paul, the first from the last, the perfect man from the miscarried, both sweet when persecuting and sweet when persecuted; the Roman, and the Pharisee, and everything to everyone through faith. For Christ, who said to Peter, "You must suffer," also said concerning Paul all that he had to suffer for his name, so that the one being crucified and the other having his head cut off, having proclaimed one faith and completed one course, they might be true witnesses of the resurrection of the one who suffered, was buried, and rose, as he saw, and who reached the bosom of the Father, whom he never left. To them the Master himself speaks prophetically.

Surround this new Zion, and encompass it; that is, guard it, wall it, fortify it with prayers, so that, when I am seasonably angered and shake the whole world, seeing your unending tomb and the marks you willingly bear for me, I may overcome my wrath with compassion and anticipate your intercession on this account. For when I see priesthood and royalty weeping, I am immediately bent to pity as one sympathetic, and I recall that voice of mine: I will defend this city for the sake of my servant David and my holy Aaron, who, like you, being of one mind in faith, and having concealed their dignities with voluntary humility, and having shown the humility of the soul through their attire, brought to me many myriads of disciples, bearing me and asking from me atonement for the world. For I said, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find. To him is the glory and the power, now and always, unto the ages of ages. Amen.