John Chrysostom, In Praise of Saint John the Theologian Homily 1

In laudem sancti Joannis theologi (homilia 1) [Sp.]

An Encomium on Saint John the Theologian.

61.719 The most holy John the Theologian and friend of Christ has called us together, beloved, not because he has made fragrant rosebuds rise for us, but because he has made the virtues of spiritual fathers blossom for us. Their fragrance is the pious confession, and the salvation of our souls. What rose, tell me, is so adorned with its petals, as the most holy John has been glorified with the God-befitting crown of the saints? For the rose gleams with a golden fragrance from within; but the most holy John, the fragrant life of our all-wise shepherd and teacher, shines forth mightily from the very height of the throne. O John, who are remembered annually by sojourners, but who live daily with the Ephesians; O John, like a high magistrate you shine forth upon this holy mountain, not bestowing money on your citizens, but granting healing to those who ask you; O John, you shattered the serpent-gladiator Artemis with the trophy of the cross, and the monogamous bride of Christ, the Church, you powerfully raised up by the power of the cross.

O John, you left your father Zebedee on the boat, and you loved your Master, the Nazarene, upon his breast. Like two mountains, you beheld the two breasts, between which you sweetly rested, and you spoke of God who is known between two living creatures: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And behold for me the paradox of the apostle. He who was not buried in the earth pours forth from the earth, and that which pours forth is a healing manna, and that which is emptied is not exhausted by time. So what is the cause, what is the power, one could not find to say; for the gifts of our Savior Christ are unchangeable, and the workings of the saints are inexhaustible. O John, the weapon of the pious, the truly pious confession, and for them an escape from all things, is the flight to God.

For what a harbor is to the storm-tossed, that God is to the weary. Today the most holy John shines forth to us the beauty of his own virtue; for he himself has also been read to us, shining forth his own piety as if from a royal image of the ancient book. John, the good beginning of faith, the flourishing root, the inexhaustible spring, 61.720 he who in all nations is not a law for that time only, but for ever the one entrusted with the solemn profession of piety; the first-fruit of the faith, who spread the traces of piety to all, who taught us to emulate the most beautiful gifts of love. For we see the chamber of virginity, and we shall embrace the spring of healings. But let us also unfold the discourse concerning the light. Light is the Father, light is the Son, light is the Holy Spirit. Light is the Father, because he is true God; light is the Son, because he shone forth from the Father; light is the Holy Spirit, because he proceeds from the Father. and for this reason is true God. The apostle will testify to me, saying that God is light. And, John came, to bear witness concerning the light; and, The true light was that which enlightens every man coming into the world, that is, coming into the truth. And the Son, I am the true light; and, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. That the Son is light and the sun of righteousness, the prophet also cries out: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem. For your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

In laudem sancti Joannis theologi (homilia 1) [Sp.]

̓Εγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἰωάννην τὸν θεολόγον.

61.719 Συνεκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὁ ἁγιώτατος Ἰωάννης ὁ θεολόγος

καὶ φίλος Χριστοῦ, οὐχ ὅτι ἡδυπνόων ῥόδων κάλυκας ἡμῖν ἀνατείλας, ἀλλὰ πνευματικῶν πατέρων τὰς ἀρετὰς ἡμῖν ἐξανθήσας. Τούτων ἡ εὐωδία ἡ εὐσεβής ἐστιν ὁμολογία, καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν σωτηρία. Ποῖον, εἰπέ μοι, ῥόδον οὕτω τοῖς φύλλοις κεκόσμηται, ὡς ὁ ἁγιώτατος Ἰωάννης τῷ θεοπρεπεῖ τῶν ἁγίων στεφάνῳ δεδόξασται; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ῥόδον τὴν χρυσαυγοῦσαν εὐωδίαν ἔσωθεν ἀποστίλβει· ὁ δὲ ἁγιώτατος Ἰωάννης, τὴν ἀρωματίζουσαν πολιτείαν τοῦ πανσόφου ποιμένος ἡμῶν καὶ διδασκάλου, ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ θρόνου κορυφῆς κατὰ κράτος ἐκλάμπει. Ὦ Ἰωάννη, δι' ἐνιαυτοῦ μὲν τοῖς παρεπιδημοῦσι μνημονευόμενε, καθ' ἡμέραν δὲ τοῖς Ἐφεσίοις συμπολιτευόμενε· ὦ Ἰωάννη, ὡς πρύτανις ὑψηλὸς ἐπὶ τόδε τὸ ἱερὸν ὄρος προλάμπεις, οὐ χρήματα τοῖς πολίταις σου δωρούμενος, ἀλλ' ἴαμα τοῖς αἰτοῦσί σε χαριζόμενος· ὦ Ἰωάννη, τὴν μονομάχον δράκαιναν Ἄρτεμιν τῷ τροπαίῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ κατήραξας, καὶ τὴν μονόγαμον νύμφην Χριστοῦ, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σταυροῦ κραταιῶς ἀνώρθωσας.

Ὦ Ἰωάννη, τὸν πατέρα σου Ζεβεδαῖον ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον κατέλιπες, καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην σου Ναζωραῖον ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος ἠγάπησας. Ὡς δύο ὄρη, τοὺς δύο μαστοὺς ἐθεώρεις, ὧν ἀνὰ μέσον ἡδέως ἀναπαυσάμενος, τὸν ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζώων γινωσκόμενον ἐθεολόγησας· Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Καί μοι τὸ παράδοξον τοῦ ἀποστόλου θεώρησον. Γῆν βρύει ὁ μὴ ταφεὶς εἰς γῆν, καὶ τὸ βρύον μάννα ἐστὶν ἰαματικὸν, καὶ τὸ κενούμενον οὐκ ἐκκενοῦται τῷ χρόνῳ. Ἄρα τίς ἡ αἰτία, τίς ἡ ἐνέργεια, οὐκ ἄν τις εὕροι εἰπεῖν· ἀμετάβλητα γὰρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ τὰ χαρίσματα, καὶ ἀνέκλειπτα τῶν ἁγίων τὰ ἐνεργήματα. Ὦ Ἰωάννη, τὸ ὅπλον τῶν εὐσεβῶν, ἡ ὄντως εὐσεβὴς ὁμολογία, καὶ πάντων αὐτοῖς ἀποφυγὴ, ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν καταφυγή.

Ὃ γάρ ἐστι λιμὴν τοῖς χειμαζομένοις, τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς καταπονουμένοις. Σήμερον ἡμῖν ὁ ἁγιώτατος Ἰωάννης, τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς τὸ κάλλος ἐκλάμπει· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑπανέγνωσται, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ βασιλικῆς εἰκόνος τῆς βίβλου τῆς ἀρχαίας ἐκλάμπων τὴν οἰκείαν εὐσέβειαν. Ἰωάννης, ἡ καλὴ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχὴ, ἡ εὐθαλὴς ῥίζα, ἡ ἀνέκλειπτος πηγὴ, ὁ ἐν 61.720 πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν οὐ κατ' ἐκεῖνο μόνον καιροῦ νόμος, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀεὶ ὁ πιστευθεὶς τὸ σεμνὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπάγγελμα· τὸ πρῶτον τῆς πίστεως ἀκροθίνιον, ὁ πᾶσι τῆς εὐσεβείας τὰ ἴχνη ἁπλώσας, ὁ ζηλοῦν ἡμᾶς τὰ κάλλιστα τῆς ἀγάπης χαρίσματα παιδεύσας. Βλέπομεν γὰρ τὸν θάλαμον τῆς παρθενίας, καὶ περιπτυσόμεθα τὴν πηγὴν τῶν ἰαμάτων. Ἀναπτύξωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸν περὶ τοῦ φωτὸς λόγον. Φῶς ὁ Πατὴρ, φῶς ὁ Υἱὸς, φῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Φῶς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐπειδὴ Θεὸς ἀληθινός· φῶς ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξέλαμψε· φῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Θεὸς ἀληθινός. Ὁ ἀπόστολος μαρτυρήσει μοι λέγων, ὅτι Θεὸς φῶς ἐστι. Καὶ, Ἦλθεν Ἰωάννης, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός· καὶ, Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, τουτέστιν, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν· καὶ, Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί. Ὅτι δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς φῶς ἐστι καὶ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ὁ προφήτης βοᾷ· Φωτίζου, φωτίζου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἥκει γάρ σοι τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκε.