Encomium to the Twelve Apostles (St. Neophytos the Recluse)

Catechesis 17

To the Holy and Most-Glorious Apostles and About Their Holy and Divinely-Inspired Teaching and About the Non-Incidental Hearing of These Salvific Teachings

By St. Neophytos the Recluse

Brethren and fathers, behold the most burdened branches of the holy and immortal and the beginning of their life vine, which is Christ Himself. "I am," He says, "the vine, you are the branches." Behold (who, according to the words of the Lord, can become and be) the friends of God the Word and our Savior. "You are my friends," He says, "if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, for the servant does not know what his Master does. But I have called you friends, for what I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Behold (who, according to the words of the Lord, can become and be) the Apostles and preachers of the truth. "I am", He says, "the (absolute) truth" and as "I have been sent" by the Father "to preach absolution (forgiveness) to those who are captives (of sin) and (to grant) enlightenment (the light) to those who are blind (from the darkness of their passions and infirmities), in the same way I send you for the purpose of healing 'every disease and every infirmity', and (all) those things which you heard (privately) in the special places of prayer by me, "proclaim from the housetops (so that all may hear and learn them)."

Behold (who, according to the words of the Lord, can become and be) the fishers of men." "Follow me," He says, "and I will make you fishers of men (that is, able to fish with the nets of the gospel word people and attract them to the Kingdom of God)."

Behold (who, according to the words of the Lord, can become and be) the saviors of the world and strangers (to the materialistic and sinful way of life) of (this) world. "They are not," He says, "of this world, even as I am not of this world," and "keep them, Father, (that they may remain united to one another) in my name."

Behold (who, according to the words of the Lord, can become and be) the most docile (very much obedient) sheep that bear the seal of the most holy shepherd (that is, of Christ). "Behold," he says, "I (Christ) send you forth as (tame) sheep in the midst of (bloodthirsty) wolves."

And to leave behind most of these commendations (praises), which bear witness of God, behold, to us today they have returned, our brothers in Christ and our Savior - after you have returned, says (Christ, after His Resurrection, to the Myrrhbearers), say "to my brethren" (that is, to the Apostles)- the harbors of salvation, the towers of grace, the rational heavens, the clouds of sweetening that bring rain, the evangelists of peace, the racers of horses of (Divine) grace, the pillars of the Church, the heralds of the (Holy) Trinity - and why should I say and enumerate much? - the musical instruments, lyres of the Spirit and the trumpets of salvation and (the) keys-holders of the Kingdom (of God), "teaching and admonishing" us in unison, each one of them, that we abstain from all evil, as we hold before us (as a shield) every virtue.

While before they unanimously preached the salvific mystery of the incarnation (of Christ) according to the economy and the uncreated and similar in nature (mystery) of the (Holy) Trinity, now they harmoniously teach us all the things "related to salvation". Therefore I too have judged it just (proper) not to say today anything of myself to your love, but (something) of those things which they divinely teach, (namely) to introduce into (your) midst (to bring before you) as a reminder first a few of the many exhortations (advise) of the divine James the Brother of God.

“What is the benefit, my brothers,” he says, “if a man says (claims) he has faith, but has no (virtuous) works? Can (his) faith (without works) save him? But someone will say: you have (theoretical) faith and I have (virtuous) works (but without even having faith). Prove me your faith by your works and I will prove my faith to you by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. (But) even the demons believe (in the existence of God) and shudder (before His justice and power). Do you want to know, foolish (senseless) man, that (theoretical) faith without (virtuous) works is dead (and cannot save you)? Learn (therefore) that Abraham our forefather was justified (became righteous) by (his) (virtuous) works, after he brought (raised) on the altar Isaac his son. Do you see that faith was made perfect by works?"

"You see then that a man is justified (made righteous) by (virtuous) works, and not by (theoretical) faith alone?"

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober," says the divine Peter, "and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I (your Father) am holy.' And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

For this reason, "laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted (and learned from your experience) that the Lord is gracious."

"For he who has suffered in the flesh (being crucified with Christ) has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in debauchery.

"For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them them into Tartarus, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;" then be assured that, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, consider how humble you Christians ought to be in your holy interactions and pieties, expecting and hastening the presence (coming) of the day of the Lord?

"Little children," says John the Theologian, "it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His (Second) coming."

And for this reason Jude of James says: "The angels who did not keep their proper (high) domain, but left their own abode (in the heavens), He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body," teaches Paul, "that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin (so that it overcomes you and destroys you), but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead," having been raised from the dead by baptism, to walk in newness and holiness of life. And "as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for (your) holiness.

Know, my dear brothers, that a lyre with twelve strings, which plays by divine inspiration agrees as to how bad (a thing) sin is? Let us therefore, (my) brethren, take heed to ourselves, that we may be saved. Let us pay attention to the exhortations of the Holy Scriptures and to these here the saving teachings of the Apostles, and let us not give secondary importance to the words of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I have not told you today (things) from myself, but all that I have told you are holy and apostolic (words), so that your faith (in them) may be certain.

And now I commemorate the divine Peter, to seal (confirm) my words and to pray inspired by God for all of you, saying the following: "May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.