E04391: A now lost Greek homily ascribed to John Chrysostom refers to the feast of the apostles *Peter (S00036), *James (the son of Zebedee, S00108), and *John (S00042), most probably delivered on their feast in late December. It is quoted by Eustratius of Constantinople, in his tract On the State of the Souls after Death, written at Constantinople, in 582/602.

Eustratius of Constantinople, On the State of the Souls after Death (CPG 7522), 1572-1580

Quoting John Chrysostom, On Peter, James, and John (dubious) (CPG 4495 [20])

Διδάσκει δὲ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς φωστὴρ τοιαῦτα ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐπιγεγραμμένῳ «Εἰς τὴν μνήμην τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων Πέτρου καὶ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάννου»—οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Ἀποστολικὴ πέτρα σήμερον ἡμᾶς ἐσαγήνευσεν—· Τοιούτοις κατορθώμασιν οἱ μακάριοι κοσμηθέντες εἰς τὴν οὐράνιον λῆξιν μετέστησαν, συγχορευταὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐσόμενοι. Τούτους καὶ ἡμεῖς πάσῃ δυνάμει τιμῶμεν, ὡς ἀθλητὰς στεφανίτας, ὡς πολεμάρχας τῆς ἀληθείας, ὡς κυβερνήτας τοῦ ναυαγίου τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκσώζοντας, ὡς κοινοὺς τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν ἰατρούς, ὡς εὐεργέτας τῆς οἰκουμένης, ὡς φέροντας ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

‘The same luminary [Chrysostom] instructs us about the same matters in his sermon On the memory of the apostles Peter, James, and John — the starting phrase of which is “An apostolic rock has caught us today in its nets”. [The quotation seems to be derived from the middle or end of the homily] “The blessed men were honoured with such achievements and moved towards their heavenly end, in order to join the choruses of the angels. It is them that we honour with all our strength today, as victorious champions, leaders of the fight for truth, helmsmen saving us from the wreck of sin, common physicians of our race, and benefactors of the world, bearing the wounds of Christ on their bodies."’

Text: van Deun 2006. Translation: E. Rizos.