TODAY’S SYNAXARION: On June 30th Our Holy Orthodox Christian Church commemorates, honors and celebrates the feast day of the Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles. Even though each of the Twelve Great Apostles has his own particular feast day during the year, the Church has set aside this day as a general feast of all the holy Apostles together, and St. Paul with them. The following are the names and the separate feast days of the Holy Twelve:
Saint Peter: June 29 and January 6
Saint Andrew: November 30
Saint James the Son of Zebedee: April 30
Saint John the Theologian: September 26 and May 8
Saint Philip: November 14
Saint Bartholomew: June 11 and August 25
Saint Thomas: October 6
Saint Matthew the Evangelist: November 16
Saint James the Son of Alphaeus: October 9
Saint Thaddaeus or Jude the Brother of St. James: June 19
Saint Simon the Zealot: May 10
Saint Matthias: August 9
Saint Paul: June 29
Let us also recall how each of these Holy Apostles ended his earthly life:
Saint Peter was crucified upside down.
Saint Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross.
Saint James the Son of Zebedee was beheaded.
Saint John the Theologian reposed in a miraculous manner.
Saint Philip was crucified.
Saint Bartholomew was crucified, flayed and beheaded.
Saint Thomas was pierced with five spears.
Saint Matthew the Evangelist was burned alive.
Saint James the son of Alphaeus was crucified.
Saint Thaddaeus or June the Brother of St. James was crucified.
Saint Simon the Zealot was crucified.
Saint Matthias was stoned and then beheaded after death.
Saint Paul was beheaded.
[Source: St. Nicholai Velimorovic, The Prologue of Ohrid-Volume One.]
An Apostle is one who is sent out by our Lord Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel that He is the Messiah, that He is Risen, and that we are being saved as a result.
The word apostle comes from the Greek apostello, literally, “to send forth,” “to dispatch,” has etymologically a very general sense. Apostolos (Apostle) means one who is sent forth, dispatched–in other words, who is entrusted with a mission. Originally a military term referring to a sortie out against the enemy, apostle has in the Christian context come to refer to a missionary spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is at once evident that in a Christian sense, everyone who had received a mission from God, or Christ, to man could be called “Apostle”. In fact, however, those disciples are often designated by the expressions of mathetai (the students since Christ is the Teacher) or (the disciples).
In the Epistle to the Hebrews Chapter 3:1, the name is applied even to Jesus Christ, in the original meaning of a delegate sent from God to preach revealed truth to mankind.
The word apostle has also in the New Testament a larger meaning, and denotes some inferior disciples who, under the direction of the Apostles, preached the Gospel, or contributed to is diffusion; thus Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), probably Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:7), Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25), two unknown Christians who were delegated for the collection in Corinth (2 Cor. 7:23).
The Gospels point out how, from the beginning of His Ministry (Diakonia), Jesus called to Him some Jews, and by a very diligent instruction and formation made them His Disciples. After some time, in the Galilean ministry, He selected Twelve whom, as St. Mark (3:14) and St. Luke (6:13) say, “He also named Apostles.” The origin of the Apostolate lies therefore in a special vocation, a formal appointment of the Lord to a determined office, with connected authority and duties. The appointment of the Twelve Apostles is given by the three Synoptic Gospels (St. Mark 3:13-19; St. Matthew 10:1-4; St. Luke 6:12-16) nearly in the same words, so that the three narratives are literally dependent.
Two of the Synoptic Gospels add to their account of the appointment of the Twelve brief statements on their office: St. Mark 3:14-15–“He appointed twelve to be with Him and to send them to herald, and to have power to heal the illnesses and to cast out demons”, St. Matthew 10:1–“He gave them power over unclean spirits so as to expel them, and to heal every disease and every illness.” St. Luke where he relates the appointment of the Twelve, adds nothing on their office. Afterwards (St. Mark 6:7-13; St. Matthew 10:5-15; St. Luke 9:1-5) Jesus sends the Twelve to preach the Kingdom and by gives them very definite instructions. From all this it results that the holy Apostles are to be with Jesus and to aid Him by proclaiming the Kingdom and by healing.
The nature of the apostolic mission is made still clearer by the saying of Christ after His Resurrection. “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles written by the Apostles exhibit them in the constant exercise of this office. Everywhere the Apostle governs the disciples, preaches the doctrine of Jesus as an authentic witness, and administers the sacred rites. In order to fill such an office, it seems necessary to have been instructed by Jesus, to have seen the Risen Lord. And these are, clearly the conditions required by the Apostles in the candidate for the place of Judas Iscariot. “Of the men, therefore, who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John unto the day he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of His Resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
The authority of the holy Apostles proceeds from the office imposed upon them by Our Lord and is based on the very explicit sayings of Christ Himself. He will be with them all days to the end of ages (St. Matt. 28:20), give a sanction to their preaching (St. Mark 16:16), send them the “promise of the Father,” “virtue from above” (St. Luke 24:49). The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of the New Testament show us the exercise of this authority. The Apostle makes laws (Acts 15:29; 1 Cor. 7:12 sq.), claims for his teaching that it should be received as the word of God (1 Thess. 2:13), punishes (Acts 5:1-11, 1 Cor. 5:1-5), administers the sacred rites (Acts 6:1 sq.; 16:33; 20:11), provides successors (2 Tim 1:6; Acts 14:22).
Since the authority with which the Lord endowed the Apostles was given them for the entire Church, it is natural that this authority should endure after their death, in other words, pass to successor established by the Apostle. In the oldest Christian documents concerning the primitive Churches we find ministers established, some of them, at least, by the usual rite of the imposition of hands. They bear various names: priests (presbyteroi: Acts 11:30, 14:22; Titus, 1:5); bishops (episcopoi: Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus, 1:7); proistamenoi: 1 Thes. 5:12; Rom. 12; etc.); heads (hegoumenoi: Hebrews, 13:7, 17, 24; etc.), and some others.
The memorable words of Hebrews, 13:7: “Remember your presidents who preached to you the word of God,” have always echoed in the Christian heart. The primitive Churches had a profound veneration for their deceased Apostles (Clement of Rome, Ep. Ad Corinth, v); its first expression was doubtless the devotional reading of the Apostolic writings, the following of their orders and counsels, and the imitation of their virtues. It may, however, be reasonably supposed that some devotion began at the tombs of the Apostles as early as the time of their death or martyrdom, the ancient documents are silent on this matter. Though the anniversaries of some martyrs were celebrated even in the second century, as for instance the anniversary of the martyrdom of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (d. 154-156 A.D.). It’s only from the 4th century that we meet with the feast of the Apostles.
HYMNS OF THE TWELVE
Apolytikion (Dismissal ) Hymn. Tone 3
O holy Apostles of Christ Pray to our merciful God, That He may grant us remission of our sins.
Kontakion Hymn. Tone 2
Today Christ the Rock gladly glorifies the rock of faith, The chosen disciple, together with Paul and the entire company of the Twelve. As we celebrate their memory, we glorify Him Who has glorified them!
~Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, South Bend, Indiana, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Metropolis of Chicago, http://saintandrewsb.squarespace.com/blog/2014/6/30/the-synaxis-of-the-holy-glorious-and-all-praised-twelve-apos.html.
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