"There it is that Paul, there it is that Peter, will rise, and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air."

     St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 32.  Greek from In divi Pauli epistolam ad Romanos homiliae XXXIII, ed. F. Field (Oxford:  J. H. Parker; London:  F. and J. Rivington, 1849), 490.

"This is why I love Rome, although if I would, there are many other things for which I might praise her her greatness, her antiquity, her beauty, her population, her empire, her wealth, or her victories. But all these I pass by, and I call Rome blessed for this cause, that Paul in his lifetime loved her children so well, was so kindly toward them, taught openly there, and at length laid down his life among them. They have there his holy body, and this alone maketh that city illustrious more than doth aught else. And just as a great and strong body hath two bright eyes, so are the bodies of these two Holy Apostles in the city of Rome. Not brighter is the sky when the sun doth make it all light with his beams, than is the city of Rome darting forth these twin rays of light to the uttermost bounds of the earth. There it is that Paul, there it is that Peter, will rise [(Ἐκεῖθεν ἁρπαγήσεται Παῦλος, ἐκεῖθεν Πέτρος)], and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Think, and thrill at the thought, of what Rome will see then, when she beholdeth Paul and Peter rising suddenly out of that coffin, to be caught up to meet the Lord."

     Trans. at Divinum Officium.  Matins, Saturday in the Octave of  the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Roman breviary (1910).

"I love Rome even for this, although indeed one has other grounds for praising it, both for its greatness, and its antiquity, and its beauty, and its populousness, and for its power, and its wealth, and for its successes in war. But I let all this pass, and esteem it blessed on this account, that both in his lifetime he wrote to them, and loved them so, and talked with them whiles he was with us, and brought his life to a close there. Wherefore the city is more notable upon this ground, than upon all others together. And as a body great and strong, it hath as two glistening eyes the bodies of these Saints. Not so bright is the heaven, when the sun sends forth his rays, as is the city of Rome, sending out these two lights into all parts of the world. From thence will Paul be caught up, from thence Peter [(Ἐκεῖθεν ἁρπαγήσεται Παῦλος, ἐκεῖθεν Πέτρος)]. Just bethink you, and shudder at the thought of what a sight Rome will see, when Paul ariseth suddenly from that deposit, together with Peter, and is lifted up to meet the Lord."

     Trans. J. B. Morris, LFC 7 (1841) =NPNF 11 (1889).