In laudem sancti Joannis theologi homilia 2

On Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist the Theologian. Again our John, O Ephesians—or rather, teacher of the whole world—has spread out his spiritual net and gathered us all from various places, not that we may honor him with garlands of roses, but that we may exalt him with good works and righteous deeds. Again he has drawn forth his spiritual springs, not to water idle thirsters, but to strengthen laboring peoples. Again the second after Peter has ascended to the sanctuary, not to heal one lame man and make him leap, but to strengthen us all in piety and prepare us to have our citizenship in the heavens. No longer does he recline on the Lord’s breast, but having laid each one of us down, receiving us all as equals in honor, he offers his own gain to God, and thus cries out, saying: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me.” What children? Those whom grace has caused to sprout and has shown to be heirs of the kingdom of the heavens.

As many as Artemis once led astray, the apostle gathers more. She, nurturing dogs and hunting, sowed error; John, managing the poor and assembling the people, sowed the knowledge of God. She darkened the air with processions of idols; John illuminated Asia with memorials of saints. Egypt recalls the wonders of Moses; Ephesus proclaims the benefactions of John. Moses scourged Egypt with ten plagues; John adorned Ephesus with the divinely inspired Gospel—or rather, he showed mercy to all. Moses divided the sea with a staff; John overthrew Artemis with the cross. When the sea was divided, Pharaoh and his chariots were drowned; when Artemis fell, her priest and her abominations were shattered. David recounts and says, "The sea saw and fled"; today the Church cries out in the same manner and says, "Artemis saw and fell." She saw the theologian and divine herald, she saw the God-bearer, and the sinful, the dishonored one, fell to the ground.

He saw the one whom Jesus loved, and he could not remain. What is it with you, Artemis, that you have fallen? I saw the son of thunder, and my temple of mediation was shattered; I saw the divine friend, and I was dissolved; I saw the one who reclined upon the divine breast, and I was cast down upon my idolatrous breast. Elijah is marvelous, beloved, because he overthrew Baal; John is more marvelous, because he banished Artemis. Elijah slew four hundred and fifty; John, having brought back to life the priest who was killed by the column, raised him up in Christ. O the wonder! A stone column killed the priest who was like stone, whom John raised up through grace. For they, taking up his body, they say, carrying it, brought it, placing it at the door of John; and the one whom he did not wish to see alive, this one, when dead, he sought, asking for life and faith. Thus once also the utterly wicked Jews did: while Christ was alive they denied him, and when he was dead they confessed him as Son of God; they denied him before the blind man, saying, We are disciples of Moses; we do not know where this one is from. The blind man regained his sight, and the senseless people were darkened. They confessed him as Son of God at the cross, when he bowed his head and gave up the spirit, and they pierced his famous side with a spear, and a mass of blood and water came out; and the children of the Jews cried out with a loud voice, and said,

Truly this one was the Son of God. John, the living one, the herald of divine knowledge, the one who received the grace of the Holy Spirit, the orator of the Church, the luminary of piety, the eye of Asia, overthrew the demon Artemis and proclaimed the Word of God loudly throughout the whole world: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Let us ask the fisherman of fish and the writer of the holy Gospels: who taught him this? What father advised him to utter this? Into what book did he peer and find and proclaim it? But no one taught him, nor did he peer into a book and find and proclaim it; rather, he reclined upon the Lordly breast of the Savior, and with his mind illumined into the depth of wisdom and knowledge, he cried out, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What more than what is written can I say? You have heard that In the beginning he was, that is, in the Father and with the Father, and he was God from God and Father, ineffably and impassibly begotten before the ages. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.