That St. Maximus delivered outstanding panegyric orations concerning the princes of the apostles, Peter and Paul, is established both from the manuscript codices and from the editions. The first testimony was handed down by Gennadius, saying that the holy bishop of Turin wrote treatises in praise of the apostles, by which general commendation he embraced all the homilies and sermons that he himself delivered for the celebrating of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Two Vatican codices, 1273 (page 54 on the reverse), 1277 (page 54 on the reverse), and three Cassinese ones, 102 (page 153 on the reverse), 109 (page 88 on the reverse), 505 (page 171), bearing the name of holy Maximus, have made mention of this homily.
Into the number of these we bring the most ancient Ambrosian codex, much commended by Mabillon and Muratori, and the Sangallensis coeval with it, then the Augiensis XV, the Ratisbon codex of St. Emmeram (page 34), the Veronensis 431, two Belgian codices, the Martinensis and the Camberonensis, the Vallicellianus number 9; and finally 99 of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, which inscribes the same 'On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.' We do not deny that there were certain copyists who attributed this homily to St. Leo the Great, as occurs to us in the Vatican codex 1269 (page 52), the codex 9 A of the Basilica of St. Peter (page 400 on the reverse), and in codex II, formerly of the library of Holy Cross of the Minorites (page 226), now Laurentian;
but all suspicion has been removed by the Ballerini, since they did not receive it among the sermons of Leo. And although the following homilies are found inserted in the ancient collections of St. Leo, this one indeed was always adjudged to St. Maximus, which for its greater proof had to be noted. To the codices favoring Maximus the editors correspond: Gymnicus (page 205), whose title is 'On the Feast of the most blessed apostles Peter and Paul,' Galesinius (page 150), Combefis (volume VI, page 204), Cumdius (volume IV, page 444), Raynaudus (page 228), Margarinus in the Bibliotheca Maxima (volume VI, page 34), who have adopted the same inscription of Gymnicus.
We pass over enumerating the authors who used the words of St. Maximus to prove the primacy of Peter in the Church, and the full power of judging conferred upon him by Christ in the keys; since these things are so well known that they cannot be made better known. Honoring the most glorious princes of the Christian faith with annual solemnities, most beloved brethren, we venerate with due religion our very Lord and God, who is the Author of this faith. For the apostles in the Latin tongue are called 'the sent'; those, then, who honor the sent, it is manifest, honor him who sent them; since the dignity that is offered to the ministers is without doubt shown to him whose ministers they are; as the Saviour himself says to his disciples:
'He who hears you hears me, and he who receives you receives me' (Luke 10; Matt. 10). Truly blessed are the merits of the apostles, in whom Christ declares that he himself is both received and heard. Blessed likewise are those also whose devotion, offered to the apostles, returns back to Christ. Holding fast, therefore, brethren, to the faith of so great a promise, concerning the sufferings of our fathers undertaken for the confession of Christ, let us exult with faithful joys; for whoever rejoices at the death of the martyrs does not doubt that the martyrs reign with Christ after death.
But let us honour with the most pious zeal the most reverend fathers of all the Churches, I mean Peter and Paul, for whom, by the surpassing grace of Christ, there was wrought today a birthday out of death, to whom the end of life gave the beginning of true living; for whom, as the apostle Paul says (Phil. 1), 'to live was Christ, and to die was gain.' Christ was indeed their life, for whom there was no life without Christ. Christ was their life, because all that they lived profited the Churches of Christ. And to die was gain for them, who by such a death purchased for themselves eternal life. To die was gain for them, whose corruption was succeeded by incorruption, and whose losses in the present age were followed by perpetual gains.
But now, dearest brethren, I think it necessary that we should speak of their own particular and special virtues, so far as the dryness of our tongue and the slenderness of our talent allow, or rather so far as the merciful God shall grant. This, then, is that Peter who, by confessing that Christ the Lord is the Son of the living God, established for us the strongest and most invincible foundations of believing. For when the Lord asked who men said that he was, he answered: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt. 16); that is: Thou, Lord, wast made Christ from the flesh of the Virgin, thou who art the eternal Son of the living God; thou, Lord, wast born a man from men, thou who by unthinkable majesty art God with God.
Thou art the Christ, who, coming to the passion for our redemption, yet remainest impassible with the Father. Who, then, could ever have raised the gaze of human perception so far into this secret of the incomprehensible Godhead, unless the truth of this saving faith had shone forth from the mouth of Peter? Who could equal the glory of his merits, however great his eloquence, from whom the adorable faith of the divinity both began for us and reached its fullness? What is more glorious than so great a man, who by speaking uttered the faith of the unsearchable mystery, by living taught it, and by suffering confirmed it? But that the Saviour might show how great was the greatness of this confession, he also said:
'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven; and to thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 16:17, 19). Who, then, could have perceived that he who was born through the flesh, and in the flesh, is the Son of the almighty Father, unless the Father himself had graciously revealed this to us through Peter from heaven? This confession granted to him that he should receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven before he entered the gates of heaven. But let no earthly thought disturb any of you, brethren, concerning the keys of the kingdom entrusted to Peter, as though they were like our keys. For the key of heaven is the tongue of Peter; because, by weighing the merits of each one, the apostle either shuts or opens the kingdom of heaven for each.
This key, therefore, is not one fitted by the hand of a mortal craftsman, but is a power of judging given by Christ. For he said to them: 'Whose sins you shall remit, they are remitted; and whose you shall retain, they are retained' (John 20). This is that Peter whom the seas, subdued beneath his feet, proved to be most confident that he belonged to Christ; for as one faithful he asked, and as one beloved he obtained, that new steps should be given him upon the waves by his Lord; who seemed to tremble for this reason alone, that human frailty might learn how great is the distance between the Lord and the servant, while flesh weighed down by sins sinks, and knows not the unstained tread of desire.
Likewise this too, lest, while Peter walked upon the waters with fearless foot until he had reached Christ, he should perhaps be made equal to the virtues of his own Lord. But why do we say that he trembled so greatly, when his very fear profits the more towards faith? For as Peter believed that he could be upheld from the waves by his Lord's command, so no less, while he was sinking, he believed that he would be saved by the very power of his Lord. Truly the faith of blessed Peter is marvellous even while he trembles, for not even the terror of imminent peril could shake it; for while sinking he cried, 'Lord, save me,' he distrusted himself, he did not doubt the Lord. Let no one, therefore, reckon this fear of the most glorious Peter as a fault:
for this fear, although it disturbed his first faith, yet adorned in him the confidence of a restored belief. This is that Peter to whom Christ the Lord willingly granted the fellowship of his own name. For as the apostle Paul taught (1 Cor. 10), 'the rock was Christ'; so through Christ Peter was made a rock, the Lord saying to him: 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church' (Matt. 16). For as in the desert water flowed from the rock for the Lord's thirsting people (Exod. 17), so for the whole world, wearied by the dryness of unbelief, from the mouth of Peter there sprang up the fountain of a saving confession. This is that Peter to whom Christ, about to ascend to the Father, commended his little sheep and lambs to be fed (John 21);
so that those whom the One had redeemed by the compassion of his mercy, the other might preserve by the power of his faith. And rightly indeed did the Son of God, the judge of hidden things, entrust his sheep to be fed and guarded to him whom he knew to lack neither zeal nor faith in nourishing the Lord's flock. This is that Peter who, when he was being led to the cross as a disciple of the Crucified, asking to be crucified with his body turned about, did not fear the passion, but declined equality with the Lord's cross, that he might show to all that even amid torments he had kept the virtue of admirable humility and the discipline of the new mystery. How free from care, dearest brethren, did Peter go to the cross, who, having driven away the fear of death, sought a manner of dying even in so bitter a passion!
What also shall I relate of the most glorious Paul, in whom the Lord chose faith in his name, even while he was persecuting that very faith? For while, as a most fierce persecutor, he was laying waste the Christian Church, Christ found within his still-hostile breast a heart that was to be his friend; and while Paul was seizing Christians for temporal punishments, he himself, seized for everlasting grace, was suddenly made at once from a wolf into a guardian, from a robber into a keeper, from an enemy into a defender; thus it appeared both that Paul was pursuing the Lord's people by the purpose of an evil mind, and that Christ was not hidden as to whom he should choose in Paul. This is that Paul who, called by the voice of Christ from heaven, though the eyes of Jewish unbelief in him were blinded, did not lose but changed the sharpness of sight;
he lost his eyes, and received them again: so that at one and the same time the vengeance of blindness should proceed against the persecutor, and the grace of the calling God should enlighten the elect one. For the Lord said to him from heaven: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9). That is: Why dost thou persecute me, Saul? What iniquity of mine has stirred up thy hatred against me? Is it because I have enlightened the blind, because I have healed the sick, because I have driven out demons, because I have fed hungry crowds with five loaves? Or because I raised the dead from their tombs? Or is it rather because I promised the heavenly kingdom to my faithful ones? But if thou doubtest that I can bestow what I promise, look, if only thou canst, from whence and as what I call thee.
But why dost thou persecute me, Saul? Or what wilt thou gain by persecuting me? Will thy persecution have any effect against him who reigns in heaven? Canst thou in any way harm me, whom thou canst not even behold? For I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest, who have exchanged earth for heaven, the cross for a kingdom, death for perpetuity. Of all these things thy sight, both now taken from thee and after a little while restored, will persuade thee that thou oughtest not to hesitate. But most blessed Paul, though checked by sudden blindness, yet, having understood the majesty of him who spoke from heaven, straightway became faithful, both ceased from persecution and acquired new eyes for beholding Christ.
This is that Paul who, as a reward for his virtues, was caught up beyond human merits to the third heaven, and knew the heavenly secrets (2 Cor. 12); that, being destined to be the teacher of the Churches, he might learn among the angels what he was to preach among men. Or who could henceforth fail to believe him with full assurance, who speaks concerning the divine mysteries not only what he has heard, but bears witness to what he has seen? By how great a grace of our God, brethren, was this brought about, that he who was called to the apostolate from the heavens should have his apostolate consecrated in heaven! And after all this, this is that Paul who submitted most humbly, for the honour of Christ, that neck which he had proudly raised against the name of Christ, to be struck by the sword of the faithless;
nor did it grieve him to die for him whom he had often proved to live and to reign after death. And so it came to pass that Rome received the most glorious Paul, who in diverse nations had fought many battles by contending in much conflict for the faith of Christ, as a conqueror of the world for a triumph. These, then, are the most blessed Peter and Paul, who, preaching with one spirit the mystery of the heavenly kingdom, consecrated their doctrine with pious blood and a most valiant death in the passion of a single day; who, being made as it were the princes of all the Churches, by heavenly dispensation seeking Rome, laid up their most sacred bodies in the citadel of that city which had obtained the sovereignty of the whole world;