JUNE 30

Day 30: Memorial of the Twelve Apostles.

We read in the Gospel of Matthew how our Lord Jesus Christ chose the twelve, whom he called Apostles, and these are their names: “The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him” (Matthew 10:2-4).

The first is Peter, the head of the Apostles preached the Good News in Judea, then in Antioch where he established his Chair for a seven years period, and then he moved his cathedral to Rome, where he was killed crucified upside down.

The second is John, carried out the Gospel to Asia Minor, where he stayed in Ephesus for a long period. He was exiled from there by king Domitanos in the year 95, to Rome where he was thrown in a boiling oil container, but God saved him, then he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote his marvelous Apocalypse book, then he went back to Ephesus in the year 97, where he wrote his Gospel before he died in the Lord in the year 100 AD.

The third is Andrew, Peter’s brother, and he preached in Greece and the Mediterranean cities, he also went to Bogaz of the Dardanalles, and to the Tatar land where he ended up a martyr crucified in the year 62 in Tarakia.

The fourth is Jacob the brother of John, who evangelized in Palestine and Syria, then went to Spain, then back to Jerusalem, where king Agrippa got him arrested and killed in the year 42 (Cf. Acts 12).

The fifth Philip, preached the Gospel in Firigia in Asia Minor, and received the crown of martyrdom in Heliopolis, hanged on a cross, and hit by arrows in the year 54.

The sixth is Thomas, and he preached in Persia, Maday, and India, and ended up a martyr in Clamina in the year 75.

The seventh is Bartholomew, also called Nathanael, and he preached also in Persia and India, and was martyred crucified in the year 71.

The eight is Matthew the evangelist, who addressed his Gospel to the Christianized Jews. He spread out the Gospel in Eritrea, where he was martyred circa the year 90.

The ninth is James, son of Alphaeus and bishop of Jerusalem; he was stoned and beaten to death by the Scribes and the Pharisees in the year 63.

The tenth is Simon the Cananean, who preached in Egypt, Africa, and the British Islands. He received the crown of martyrdom on the cross. Some other sources say that he preached in Mesopotamia and ended up martyred in Persia in the year 64.

The eleventh is Judas, the brother of Jacob son of Alphaeus, who is also known as Thaddeus (Tadi) or Labi, he preached the Gospel in Edessa and Mesopotamia. Was killed in Perisa, hit by arrows around the year 70.

The twelfth is Matthias, who was chosen by the Apostles after the Lord’s ascension, to replace Judas the Iscariot. Matthias preached in Judea, then went to Palmyra, and Mesopotamia, and was martyred stoned in Persia in the year 60.

These are the twelve Apostles who went all over the world preaching Jesus Christ, and whose voices were heard throughout the planet. They established the Church in their sweats and bloods. Describing them, Saint Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians: “For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world's rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment” (1 Cor 4:9-13).

Each of these Apostles is individually celebrated in a special memorial around the liturgical year. However, out Mother, the Eastern Church, continues to celebrate a memorial day for all of them in this day, encouraging us to honor them and imitate their virtues, and seek their intercessions. May their prayers be with us. Amen.