1

Life and Bones of the

twelve apostles

A Gift T

. ++Dr Luis Carlos

Ospina Romero
2020
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Printed by UZETHI, first edition 2020, World-wide rights reserved.

© Luis Carlos Ospina Romero

Cover Design Architect Sibil Cairel Carla Ospina Castillo

Sibila_image@hotmail.com, Aachen, Germany.

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Introduction
To taste the true history about 12 apostles
you must know Roman Empire Map, its
Provinces and cities and Jerusalem and its
Twelve Doors, where Jesus realized many
miracles.

ETERNAL FATHER, I OFFER YOU

THE BODY, THE SOUL, THE BONES,
THE PAINS AND THE BLOOD
SPILLED BY YOUR APOSTLES FOR
THE HEALING OF THE SICK OF
CORONAVIRUSES OF THIS
HOSPITAL, AND OF MY NATION,
AND OF THE WORLD
 4

Jerusalem +33
5
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ETERNAL FATHER, I OFFER YOU

THE BODY, THE SOUL, THE BONES,
THE PAINS AND THE BLOOD
SPILLED BY YOUR APOSTLES FOR
THE HEALING OF THE SICK OF
CORONAVIRUSES OF THIS
HOSPITAL, AND OF MY NATION,
AND OF THE WORLD.
 7

Donations PayPal. putifar438@gmail.com,

We need your donations to our children, help us.
 8

Places of Jerusalem see above the city

1. Golgotha Possible place of the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27: 33-37)

33
Matthew 27:33-37. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means —the
34
place of the skull—). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but
35
after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up
36
his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him
37
there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE
KING OF JEWS.

2. The sepulcher in the garden A possible place of the sepulcher in which the body of
Jesus was placed (John 19: 38-42).

John 19:38-42. The Burial of Jesus, 38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the
body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared
the Jewish leaders. With Pilate—s permission, he came and took the body
away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus
at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five
pounds.40 Taking Jesus— body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips
of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where
Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no
one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since
the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The resurrected Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden outside His tomb
(John 20: 1-17)

John 20:1-17, The Empty Tomb, 20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still
dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed
from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the
one Jesus loved, and said, —They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don—t
know where they have put him!—3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the
tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb
first.5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go
in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He
saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around
Jesus— head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally
the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and
believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the
dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

3. Tower Castle Antonia It is possible that Jesus was accused, condemned, ridiculed
and scourged in this place (John 18: 28-19: 16)
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John 18:28-19:16.Jesus before Pilates, 28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from
Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to
avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to
be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, —What
charges are you bringing against this man?—30 —If he were not a criminal,— they
replied, —we would not have handed him over to you.—31 Pilate said, —Take him
yourselves and judge him by your own law.——But we have no right to execute
anyone,— they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the
kind of death he was going to die.33 Pilate then went back inside the
34 —
palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, —Are you the king of the Jews?— Is that
your own idea, — Jesus asked, —or did others talk to you about me?—35 —Am I a
Jew? — Pilate replied. —Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me.
What is it you have done?—36 Jesus said, —my kingdom is not of this world. If it were,
my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my
kingdom is from another place.—37 —you are a king, then! — Said Pilate. Jesus
answered, —you say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the
world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.—38 —what is
truth? — retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and
said, —I find no basis for a charge against him.39 But it is your custom for me to
release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release —
the king of the Jews?—40 they shouted back, —No, not him! Give us Barabbas! —
Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

4. There Paul was arrested and related his conversion (Acts 21: 31-22: 21)

Acts 21:31-22:2, 31 as they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the
Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately called out his
soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the
commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the
commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd
who he was and what he had done. 34 Some shouted one thing and some another.
Since he couldn’t—t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that
Paul be taken to the fortress. 35 As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent
the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. 36 And the crowd followed
behind, shouting, —Kill him, and kill him! — Paul Speaks to the Crowd. 37 As Paul
was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, —May I have a word with
you? — —do you know Greek? — The commander asked, surprised. 38 —aren’t you
the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the
Assassins out into the desert? — 39 —No, — Paul replied, —I am a Jew and a citizen
of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people. —
40 The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to
be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their
own language, Aramaic. 22 —Brothers and esteemed fathers,— Paul said, —listen to
me as I offer my defense.— 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language,
the silence was even greater.

5. Pool of Bethesda Jesus healed there a paralytic on the Sabbath (John 5: 2-9).
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John 5:2-9, 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called
Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—
blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-
eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been
there a long time, he said to him, —Do you want to be healed?— 7 The sick man
answered him, —Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred
up, and while I am going another steps down before me.— 8 Jesus said to him, —Get
up, take up your bed, and walk.— 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up
his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

6. Temple Place where Gabriel promised Zechariah that Elizabeth would give birth to
a son (Luke 1: 5-25). The veil of the temple was split at the death of the Savior
1
(Matthew 27:51) .

Luke 1:5-25. The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged
to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of
Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord´s
commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was
not able to conceive, and they were both very old.8 once when Zechariah—s division
was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by
lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and
burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the
assembled worshipers were praying outside.11 then an angel of the Lord appeared to
him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he
was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: —Do not be
afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will
rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never
to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even
before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their
God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the
hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the
righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.—18 Zechariah asked the
angel, —How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in
years.—19 the angel said to him, —I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I
have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.20 and now you will be
silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my
words, which will come true at their appointed time.—21 Meanwhile, the people were
waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he
came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the

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Matthew 27:51-53, 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were
opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and
coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and
appeared to many.
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temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.23 when his
time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth
became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 —The Lord has done
this for me, — she said. —In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my
disgrace among the people.—

Matthew 27:51-53, 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom; and the earthquake, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out
of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

6. Portico of Solomon Jesus proclaimed there that He was the Son of God and the
2
Jews tried to stone him (John 10: 22-39) . Peter preached repentance after having
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healed a man who was lame from birth (Acts 3: 11-26) .

2
John 10:22-39. The Father and me are one,
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and
Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews
gathered around him and said to him, —how long will you keep us in suspense? If you
are the Christ, tell us plainly.—25 Jesus answered them, —I told you, and you do not
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believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do
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not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I
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know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish,
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and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
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greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father—s hand. I and
the Father are one.—31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus
answered them, —I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of
them are you going to stone me? — 33 The Jews answered him, —It is not for a good
work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a
man, make yourself God.— 34 Jesus answered them, —Is it not written in your Law, —
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I said, you are gods—? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and
36
Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated
and sent into the world, —You are blaspheming,— because I said, —I am the Son of
37 38
God—? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do
them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and
understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. — 39 Again they sought to
arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

3
Acts 3:11-26. Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came
running to them in the place called Solomon—s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he
said to them: —Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as
if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham,
Isaac and James, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed
him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let
him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be
released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We
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7. Beautiful Door Where Peter and John healed a man who was lame from birth (Acts
4
3: 1-10) .
5
8. Temple pinnacle Jesus was tempted there by Satan (Matthew 4: 5-7) .

9. Saint Mount. a. Tradition holds that it was there that Abraham built an altar for the
sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22: 9-14). b. Solomon built the temple (1 Kings 6: 1-10; 2
Chron. 3: 1). c. The Babylonians destroyed the temple approximately in the year 587
a.C. (2 Kings 25: 8-9). d. Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple about 515 BC. (Ezra 3: 8-10; 5:

are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and
know was made strong. It is Jesus— name and the faith that comes through him that
has completely healed him, as you can all see.17 —Now, fellow Israelites, I know that
you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had
foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then,
and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come
from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—
even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore
everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, —
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people;
you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be
completely cut off from their people.24 —indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the
prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the
prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, —
through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed. 26 When God raised up his
servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked
ways.—

Acts 3:1-10. Peter Heals a Lame Beggar, 3 One day Peter and John were going
up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was
lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful door, where he was
put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and
John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did
John. Then Peter said, —Look at us! — 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting
to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, —Silver or gold I do not have, but what I
do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. — 7 taking him by the
right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man—s feet and ankles became
strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the
temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him
walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit
begging at the temple gate called Beautiful door, and they were filled with wonder and
amazement at what had happened to him.

Matthew 4:5-7, 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple, the pinnacle 6 —If you are the Son of God,— he said, —
throw yourself down. For it is written: —He will command his angels concerning you, and
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.—
7 Jesus answered him, —It is also written: —Do not put the Lord your God to the test
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2; 6: 14-16). e. Herod extended the esplanade of the temple and began its
reconstruction in the year 17 a.C. Jesus was presented in the temple as a baby (Luke
2: 22-39). Jesus taught in the temple at the age of twelve, Luke 2: 41-50. The
Romans, under the command of Titus, destroyed the temple in the year 70 of our era.

10. Garden or Garden irrigated of Gethsemane Jesus suffered, was delivered and
6 7
arrested in this place (Matthew 26: 36-46 , Luke 22: 39-54 ).

6
Matthew 26:36-46. Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to
them, —Sit here while I go over there and pray. — 37 He took Peter and the two sons of
Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to
them, —my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep
watch with me.—39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and
prayed, —My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but
as you will.—40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. —Couldn’t
41
you men keep watch with me for one hour? — he asked Peter. —Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.—42 He
went away a second time and prayed, —My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be
taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.—43 When he came back, he again
found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away
once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.45 then he returned to the
disciples and said to them, —Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come,
46
and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes
my betrayer!—

7
Luke 22:39-54. The Garden of Gethsemane
39 And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the
disciples also followed Him. 40 When He arrived at the place, He said to them, —Pray
that you may not enter into temptation.—41 And He withdrew from them about a stone—
s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, —Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.— 43 Now an angel from
heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very
fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the
ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping
from sorrow, 46 and said to them, —Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you
may not enter into temptation.— Jesus Betrayed by Judas47 While He was still speaking,
behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them;
and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, —Judas, are you
betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? — 49 When those who were around Him saw what
was going to happen, they said, —Lord, shall we strike with the sword?— 50 And one of
them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.51 But Jesus answered
and said, —Stop! No more of this. — And He touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then
Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come
against Him, —Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a
53
robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on me; but this
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11. Mount of Olives where Jesus predicted there the destruction of Jerusalem and the
8
temple. He also spoke of the Second Coming (Matthew 24: 3-25: 46) . Jesus
9
ascended to heaven in this place (Acts 1: 9-12) .
10
12. Spring of Gihon Where Solomon was anointed king (1 Kings 1: 38-39 ). Hezekiah
11
had a tunnel excavated to lead the water from the spring to the city (2 Chron. 32:30 ).

13. Gate of the Waters In this place Ezra read and interpreted the Law of Moses to the
12
people (Neh 8: 1-8) .

hour and the power of darkness are yours.— Jesus— Arrest54 Having arrested Him, they
led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at
a distance.

Matthew 24:3-25:46 The Message, 3 later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his
disciples approached and asked him, —Tell us, when are these things going to happen?
What will be the sign of your coming that the time—s up? — 4-8 Jesus said, —Watch out
for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities,
claiming, —I am Christ, the Messiah. — They will deceive a lot of people. When reports
come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine
history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and
over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to
what is coming. 9-10 —they are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone
hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be
dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other—s throat, everyone hating each other……

Acts 1:9-12, 9 and when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 which also
said, you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go
into heaven. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.

1 Kings 1:38-39, 38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the
son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had
Solomon ride on King David—s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39 There Zadok
the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew
the trumpet, and all the people said, —Long live King Solomon!—

2 Chronicles 32:30, 30 It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the
waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And
Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.

Nehemiah 8:1–8, 8 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the
open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to
2
bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So
Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all
3
who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then
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14. Valley of Hinnom There was worshiped the false god Moloch, it was understood
the sacrifice of children (2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chron. 28: 3).

15. 15. House of Caiaphas Jesus was brought before Caiaphas (Matthew 26: 57-68).
Peter denied knowing Jesus (Matthew 26: 69-75)

16. 16. Upper Room A place where, according to tradition Jesus ate the Passover and
instituted the Lord—s Supper (Matthew 26: 20-30). There he washed the feet of the
Apostles (John 13: 4-17) and taught them (John 13: 18-17: 26).

17. 17. Herod—s palace Christ was brought before Herod in this place (Luke 23: 7-11).

1
he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from
morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand;
and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
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Saint Andrew, the first apostle convoked by Christ, son of a Hebrew named Jonah and
brother of the apostle Peter; was born in the Galilean town of Bethsaida. He not married, he
hears that the Precursor John preached repentance through the Jordan, abandoned
everything and went with him to become his disciple. When John the Baptist Precursor,
pointing to Jesus passing by, said to him, —Behold the Lamb of God— (John 1:36), St.
Andrew, along with another disciple of the Precursor, left the Baptist to follow Christ. He
sought out his brother Simon Peter and said, —we have found the Messiah—, and brought
him to Jesus. Later, when he was fishing with Peter along the coast of the Sea of Galilee,
Jesus called them, saying, —Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men—. Andrew
abandoned his nets and followed Christ Along with his brother Peter. Andrew is known to
be known as the First Called because he was the first follower and disciple of Jesus before
any of the apostles.
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Then, from the voluntary passion of the Lord and his resurrection, Andrew, with the
other apostles, received the Holy Spirit, who descended upon him in the form of a
tongue of fire, and when they emigrated to the countries, Andrew preached the Gospel
in Bithynia, Chalcedon, Byzantium, Thrace, Macedonia, throughout the Black Sea
region and the Danube River, as well as Thessaly, Helas, Achaia, Amis, Trapezo,
Heracles and Amastris. The apostle passed through all these lands and cities,
preaching Christ and his deeds and miracles, suffering many afflictions and pain; but,
strengthened by the omnipotent help of God, he joyfully endured all these tribulations
for Christ.

In Amiso, a city east of the Black Sea and about 76 miles from Sinope, the apostle
found many Jews immersed in spiritual ignorance and inhumanity. However, people
were happy. Thus, when Andrés arrived at Amiso, a Jew stayed in his house. Then the
saint predicted the conversion there of many people.

In the morning the apostle went to the Jewish synagogue, where he was asked directly
who he was, why he had come, and what he preached. Andrew, told them about the
messages brought from the Eternal Father preached by Jesus, and showed them that
Jesus was the Messiah God and man predicted by the prophets and pointed out that
He came to save mankind from sin, making friends again to God and the men.

Then the word of Christ was fulfilled, —I will make you fishers of men— (Matthew
4:19). The Jews listened attentively to the words, and the teaching of the apostle of
Christ instantly believed they repented, and were baptized, becoming servants of our
Lord. They brought to the apostle all the sick, whom Andrew healed of all the diseases
that afflicted them. Thus the holy apostle was not only a physician of bodies, but also
of souls, there he built a church and ordained one of them to the priesthood.

From Amiso he went to Trapezo, where he taught and baptized many converts, and
ordained priests, went to Laziki, converting Greeks and Jews to Christ. And he
returned to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, desiring to see his brother Peter,
and the apostle of Gentiles Paul.

He returned to Ephesus with St. John the Evangelist, the Theologian, who preached in
that city; but when he came to this place, he received a revelation from God to preach
in the Roman province of Bithynia. Immediately he went to the city of Nicaea, where he
taught many Greeks and Jews and performed miracles, these coming to convert to
Christ. There he also immediately healed many sick and with his iron staff, which wore
the emblem of the cross, expelled some of the wild beasts that overwhelmed the
people and killed other beasts of that class. On the other hand, it destroyed the
foundations of the pagan temples dedicated to the stone idols Aphrodite and Artemis.

Meanwhile the Greeks who had resisted the teachings of the apostle were possessed
by evil spirits, who entered into them and tormented them by their obstinacy and
unbelief; In their madness they bite their own bodies, but Andrew, as a disciple of
Christ, who came down from heaven to save sinners, took pity on them and drove out
the demons from them; They began to believe and were baptized.

The apostle spent two years in Nicaea, he ordered a priest. Then he moved to
Nicomedia, a populous city, where he baptized Greeks; before moving to Chalcedon,
near Proponto; To Escutari, near Byzantium; and finally to Neocastra, where he
 18

converted and baptized many. He also traveled to Pontoheráclea; And from there to
Amastrida, city of the province of Bitinia, and its surroundings. After ordaining priests
there, he traveled to Sinope, the city of Pontus, where his brother Peter was said to
have come to see him. To this day, the Christians of Sinope show two marble thrones
where, as they claim, - these apostles sat down. They also show an ancient Icon of the
holy apostle Andrew very miraculous.

But before Andrew was there, the apostle Matthias, one of the twelve, had already
gone to Sinope, who was chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot the traitor. As
soon as he began to preach in that city, he was imprisoned. When the apostle Andrew
arrived and heard that his fellow student was in prison, he prayed for his good, then
the shackles with which Matthias was bound were instantly released and the prison
gate opened, whence he was released. However, by that time Sinope was populated
by unbelieving ferocious people. When they saw that Andrew had violated the firmness
of his prison, they surrounded him; some wanted to burn the house where it stayed,
others planned how they would take it. Finally, they imprisoned his hands and feet and,
pushing him, led him down the road, beating him in the meantime. When they left the
city, they threw him into a place full of dung, hoping that he had died from abuse.

However, the apostle patiently endured all these abuses, emulating his teacher, Christ.
But the Lord did not allow his disciple to suffer in bad condition and suffering in this
way, so he appeared to him to heal and exhort him to have good spirits. Although
these barbarian people had broken the teeth with the apostle and cut off his fingers, he
completely recovered his health. After blessing him and asking him not to cease in his
efforts to teach and convert the wicked, the Savior ascended into heaven.

The next morning the apostle returned very early to Syncope; Full of health, without
any trace of wounds or blows in his body and with a face full of joy and joy. The locals
marveled greatly at the superhuman resistance and the great miracle Christ had
wrought; because they were convinced of the death of the apostle. But now, all saw
that their wounds disappeared during the night, reason why they repented and they
prostrated before Andrew, asking for pardon. Then he taught them the word of truth
and baptized them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, because
they accepted the Christian faith and believed in the savior and redeemer of his body
and soul. On that occasion, the holy apostle performed a wonderful miracle. A certain
woman, whose only son had been killed by an enemy, fell down before the apostle,
confessing his belief in Christ with all his heart and soul. Pityingly, the saint resurrected
his son from the dead, so that the newly converted could know the true God. Seeing
this, all the others also became to Christ.

It is he who practices rhetoric or the art of reasoning, and conviction, much practiced
by the Roman lawyers.

After ordaining priests, the divine apostle visited Amiso and Trapezo for the second
time, to baptize the few remaining people who had renounced their false stone gods.
From there he went to Samosata, and to Neocesarea, where many Greeks regarded
themselves as the wisest men on earth. Nevertheless, the wise preaching of the
apostle annulled the rhetorical reasoning of his weaver-writers of a spider web that
entangled people in their rhetorical traps, showing them their deceit; then they were
 19

convinced by both the words and the miracles of the saint and they all repented and
13
received the baptism, until the rhectors became and ordained priests.

He then went to Jerusalem to meet the other apostles and celebrate the Christian
Passover. There they called the first synod, which is mentioned in the book of the Acts
of the Apostles, as the divine evangelist Luke points out: —Then the apostles and
elders gathered to consider this matter (whether it was necessary to circumcise the
converts) — (Acts 15: 6).

After the feast of Easter, St. Andrew, accompanied by the apostles Matthias and
Thaddeus, departed for the city of Corasan, in the region adjoining Mesopotamia.
Andrew, however, stayed with them only for a few days, leaving them to preach in that
region; while he continued to the east of the Black Sea, to Alani and the Abbasgians.
In the cities of these places, he converted many to the Christian faith. Then he visited
the villages of Cigi, Bosporus and the Straits of Kafa; Where he stayed for a long time
preaching and teaching all, so that many began to believe in Christ and were baptized.

His next center of activity was the city of Constantinople (present-day Byzantium, or
modern Istanbul, capital of Turkey), there he performed many miracles, and instructed
many in the knowledge of the Christian God. In Byzantium they not only converted to
Christ but also built an imposing church in honor of the most holy Mother of God. The
14
apostle consecrated as a bishop to Estaquio, one of the seventy apostles, whom St.
Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans (see Romans 16: 9). Later it traveled to the
nearby Heráclea of Thrace that is located to the west of Byzantium, turning there many
towards the Christian faith and orders like bishop to Apeles.

Subsequently, with great suffering in spreading the gospel of Christ, Andrew traveled
by Pontus, on the shores of the Black Sea, and then by Sitia and Chersones. Thanks
15
to Divine Providence, he came to the Dnieper River in the land of Russia ; Stopping at
the bank of it, under the Kiev hills,) the present Ukraine) lay there to rest. When he
woke up in the morning, he said to his disciples, —believe me, in these hills the grace
of God will shine. There will be a great city here, and the Lord will build many churches

It is he who practices rhetoric or the art of reasoning, and conviction, much

practiced by the Roman lawyers.
14
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples (known in the Eastern
Christian traditions as the Seventy Apostles) were early emissaries
of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1–24

The fourth Ecumenical Council, celebrated in 451 at Chalcedon, introduced the

orthodox denomination (by right doctrine or right glorification), to designate those
who accept in full the Creed of Nicaea and Constantinople and the Dogmas of the
Ecumenical Councils, without modifications, additions or withdrawals. As we have
seen, there were seven great Ecumenical Councils in which all the Christian
churches - both Eastern and Western - participated, the last of which was in 787, in
Constantinople. Thus, the teachings of these Seven Ecumenical Councils, without
additions, removals or reforms were the doctrine of the churches, which are
therefore called - in abbreviated form - orthodox.
 20

and illuminate the entire Russian land with holy baptism.— Then he climbed to the top
of the hills, where, after blessing them, he planted a cross, prophesying that the
inhabitants of that place would receive the faith of the apostolic thirst he had
established in Byzantium.
16
After visiting the Russian cities that were to the north, where Novgórod the Great is
now, he traveled to Rome. He then moved to the Greek region of Epirus and to
Thrace, where he reaffirmed Christians in their faith and ordained bishops and guides
for them. Having passed through many countries, he reached the Peloponnese, and in
the Achaean city of Patras he stayed where a certain respectable man named Sosio.
He lifted him from his sickbed and then converted the entire city of Patras to Christ. On
that occasion, Maximilian, who was the wife of the proconsul Egeates, fell prey to a
painful affliction. In spite of visiting all the doctors, it was not improved at all with the
recipes of these and the only thing that obtained was to spend almost all its amount in
fees and medicines. Egeates, seeing the manifest worsening of his wife, fell into
despair, because not with his great wealth could buy her health. When Maximilia was
near death, he was so dejected that he began to think of suicide.

Seeing Egeates this miracle, he brought a large sum of money and placed it at the
saint—s feet. He knelt to beg her to accept the offer in gratitude for healing; but the
17
apostle, desiring only the repentance of the people of Achaia and Patras, rejected the
money and any other reward. He told Egeates, —Our Master has said, —you have
received grace and grace— (Matthew 10: 8), and then taught him many more things
before he left.

As he passed through the city, he found on his way a paralytic who had been deprived
of his members. His misfortune was really great, because nobody cared about him or
took pity on his condition. But the apostle was moved and placed his right hand on the
unfortunate; He arose and began to walk, because of this, the name of the saint
became known throughout the city. Many of the sick came to him and prostrated
themselves at his feet; and he healed them all. He was healed by the laying on of
hands; others suffered from leprosy or other horrible diseases, but he purified and
healed them.

On the other hand, all the converts baptized them in the sea, in the name of the Holy
Trinity. At that time, on the outskirts of the city there were lepers living in the sands;
when they learned of Saint Andrew, they began to believe and were healed of their

The Republic of Novgorod (in Russian, Новгород скаяреспублика;

Novgoródskaya respúblika) was an extensive medieval state that occupied
territories of present-day Russia, from the Baltic Sea to the Urals, between the 12th
and 15th centuries. Its capital was the eponymous city of Novgorod.
Acaya (Latin, Achaea) was a province of the Roman Empire whose extension extended
the Peloponnese peninsula and other zones of the southern Greece, limiting by the
north with the provinces of Epirus and Macedonia. The region was annexed to the
Roman Republic in 146 a. C. after a campaign in which the city of Corinto was
destroyed by the general Lucio Mumio. In the year 31 a. C. was separated of
Macedonia and, after the reforms of imperator Diocletian, happened to comprise of the
diocese of Macedonia.
 21

evil. One of them, named Job, was baptized, and followed the apostle everywhere,
proclaiming the power of the saint and the Christian faith, as if he were a herald.
Thanks to the teaching of Andrew and his many miracles, the inhabitants of Patras
came to know the true God. The saint rejoiced over this and became extremely happy
for the salvation of these souls and continued to glorify God, the giver of all good
things.

The Christians themselves demolished the temples of the idols and destroyed the
images that were in them. Some of them gathered a great treasure and placed it at the
feet of Andrew. The apostle of Christ rejected his offer, but acknowledged his attention
and good will. To those who gathered the flows, he ordered them to be distributed
among the poor and the beggars, but leaving a part for the construction of the church
where the Christians could enter to glorify God. In time, a magnificent church was built,
where everyone came to listen to the sweet teachings of the saint, when he spoke to
them about the meaning of the scriptures and the sacred prophecies, showing that
Christ was the only God, who came down from the heavens and Was incarnated
through the Blessed Mother of God and the ever Virgin Mary, for the salvation of
humanity.

Shortly after, the said proconsul Egeates traveled to Rome to inform Caesar on his
administration and to receive from him more instructions. In his absence, he left as his
regent his brother Estrátocles, who was a wise man and dedicated to mathematics. As
he lived in Athens, during his trip to Patra—s, one of his faithful servants, whom he
wanted as a brother to be sensitive and sincere, suffered a violent epileptic attack,
caused by the action of the demons. The very distressed Estrátocles began to cry,
because no doctor was able to help the unfortunate. When his sister-in-law Maximillia
learned this, he invited him to his house, where he said to him, —Brother-in-law, it is
impossible for your servant to be healed, not even with all the help of the doctors and
all the medicines of this world, but you are losing your money in vain. A doctor from
outside, named Andrew, who heals all diseases and does not charge anything,

I trust that he will immediately heal your servant from this grievous disease. I myself
was grievously ill, but they could not save even a myriad of sacrifices to the gods, nor
any physician or medicine; —the wise and learned Scythescles of Athens sent for the
saint, and when he had hardly entered the house, the demons miraculously departed,
and the servant regained his health. They were baptized by the apostle and joined him
forever, wishing to hear every word and teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Not long after, Egeates returned from Rome. Maximillia wanted to avoid any
relationship with her unbelieving husband, but it was impossible to keep her secret
forever. Some eunuchs and other people then said to him, —from the day of your
departure to Rome until now, she has not taken her food, and has followed a strict fast.
She blasphemes our deities, preferring to worship the Christ who the foreigner Andrew
announces the truth that his thought and his heart are fixed on that God and only on
Him. Egeates was puzzled and astonished to hear this; immediately the demons
seized him and began to act as if he had lost his reason, uttering insults and threats
against the Lord—s apostle. Then he ordered his guard to arrest the saint, while the
way in which he would kill him was devised.
 22

But at midnight, Estrátocles went to find Maximillia, and they hurried to the prison
where the saint was, under the watchful eye of the Egeates sentries. The saint made
them enter when he heard the soft touch of the door; Inside, the two fell down at their
feet, imploring the apostle to strengthen them and support them in the true faith of
Christ. Saint Andrew advised him extensively and then proceeded to ordain
Estrátocles as bishop of the Ancient Patras. After blessing and sending them in peace,
he closed the door of the cell by the power of his prayer, remaining as firm as if he
were locked.

Then he sat down, patiently waiting for the judgment of the evil Egeates. Meanwhile,
the proconsul was convinced that it was impossible to share the bedroom with
Maximillia, despite his pleas and threats; Therefore, Satan seized his heart and blinded
him with rage, and the apostle made him bind on a cross. This event is described by
the priests and deacons of the Achaean land as follows: All of us, priests and deacons
of the church of Achaia, are writing about the suffering of the holy apostle Andrew,
which we saw with our own eyes, all the churches of the four winds. Peace be with you
and with all who believe in God, perfect in the Trinity: the true God Father, the true Son
begotten, the true Holy Spirit who comes from the Father and rests in the Son. This
faith was learned from Saint Andrew, the apostle of Jesus Christ, whose suffering, of
which we were present witnesses, we are describing.

—When he came to the city of Patras, he attempted to compel the believers of Christ
to offer sacrifices to the idols. But Saint Andrew, appearing before him on the road,
said to him, — You, Men, it is expedient for you to acknowledge your Judge in the
heavens and, recognizing him, to worship him; and worshiping the true God, away
from the false deities. —Egeates replied: — Are you that Andrew who destroys the
temples of the gods and seduces people into that magical religion that only recently
appeared and which the emperors of Rome have ordered to extirpate? —

—In fact, the emperors of Rome do not recognize what the Son of God, who came
down to earth for the salvation of man, said to us: These idols are not only not gods,
but are Unclean demons, full of wickedness with the human race, who teach men to
hate God and keep him away from them so he will not listen to them. And when God
turns away from them in anger, the demons hold them back to make them their slaves
and deceive them, until their souls emerge naked from their body, possessed of
nothingness except their own sins. —

—When Jesus preached these fables and empty words, the Jews nailed him to the
Cross.— But Andrew replied, —Oh, if you could only understand the mystery of the
Cross, how the Creator of the human race , In his love for us, willingly endured
suffering on the cross; Because He already knew that He was going to suffer; He
prophesied his resurrection on the third day; At the mystical supper he announced that
he would be betrayed, speaking as much of the future as of the past; And it was of his
own free will to the place where it would be delivered at the hands of the Jews. —

It amazes me, exclaimed Egeates - that an intelligent person like you follow someone
who was crucified; the same is whether it was voluntary or involuntary. The apostle
answered: —Great is the mystery of the cross; and if you deigned to listen, I would tell
you. Egeates replied, —that is not a mystery, but only the execution of a malefactor. —
(But who does evil?) But Saint Andrew replied: —this mystery is the execution of the
 23

renewal of man, just dare to listen to me patiently —I will, — he answered. But if you
do not do what I command you, I will make you apply the same mystery of the cross.
—The apostle answered, — if I feared the crucifixion, I would never glorify the cross.
—Egeates said to him: —If in your insanity you praise the cross, in your audacity you
do not fear death.— The apostle replied: —I fear not death, not out of boldness, but
out of my faith: for the death of the saints is precious, and the death of the fishermen is
a baleful thing: I would have you hear what I have to say concerning the mystery of
The cross, so that, recognizing the truth, you believe, and by believing you can win
your soul.— But Egeates said to him, —You are looking for a lost soul, is my soul
really lost, so that you may order it to be found by faith, I do not know how?—

—Saint Andrew replied, — this is what you can learn from me: I will show you where
the soul of men is lost, so that you may recognize the salvation of it, which has been
done through the cross. The first man brought death to the world through the tree of
disobedience; and it was necessary for the human race that this death be abolished
through the tree of suffering.

And as the first man, who brought death to the world through the tree of disobedience,
was molded of pure and immaculate earth, then it was worthy that Christ, the perfect
man who at the same time is the Son of God who formed the first man , Was born of
the pure Virgin, so that she could restore the eternal life that all men lost; And as the
first man sinned, stretching out his hands to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
it was worthy for the salvation of man that the Son of God should also extend his
hands to the cross, because of the incontinence of the hands of the Men, and that for
the sweet fruit of the forbidden tree he would take the bitter gall. —

—Egeates replied, — Say these things to those who listen to you. But if you do not
obey me and if you refuse to offer sacrifices to the gods, I will order you to nail to the
cross you glorify, after having made you lash with a club. —Andrew answered him: — I
offer every day, the only true and omnipotent God not the smoke of incense, nor the
flesh of oxen, nor the blood of goats, but the Immaculate Lamb that was offered as a
sacrifice on the altar of the cross. All faithful believers communion with their most pure
Body and partake of their Blood, even if this lamb remains whole and alive, even when
it is truly sacrificed; All of them really eat their Flesh and drink their Blood, even though,
as I say, they always remain whole, immaculate and alive. —

Then Egeates said to him, —How can such a thing be?— Andrew replied, —If you
wish to learn, become a disciple so that you may know what you ask.— Egeates
replied, —I will take that teaching from you with torture.— The apostle replied: —I am
astonished that a man educated like you, speak unthinkingly, could you learn from me
the mysteries of God by torturing me?— You have heard of the mystery of the cross
and of the mystery of sacrifice. Believing that Christ, the Son of God who was crucified
by the Jews, is the true God, I will reveal to you how he lives after he has died and how
he remains whole in his kingdom after being offered as a sacrifice and eaten. —

—Then Egeates was angry and had the apostle thrown into jail, and when he was sent
to a dungeon, many people came from all parts in his defense and tried to kill Egeates
and free Andrew from his seclusion., And he said rebuking them: —Do not make the
peace of our Lord Jesus Christ in a devilish tumult; Because when our Lord Jesus
Christ was delivered to death, He showed great patience. He did not contradict, nor cry
 24

out, nor his voice heard in the streets. Then you must also remain silent and remain
calm. I forbid you to offer any opposition to my martyrdom, but prepare yourselves as
good athletes and warriors of Christ, to patiently endure all kinds of wounds and
tortures in your body. If you are going to have to fear torments, fear only those who are
eternal and know that the terrors and threats of men are only like smoke: they barely
appear they vanish. If you are going to have to fear the sufferings, fear only those who
begin but never end. Passive sufferings, when insignificant, are easily endured; And
when they are large, they end quickly, releasing the soul from the body. But terrible are
the eternal sufferings. Therefore, be ready to pass through eternal sufferings to eternal
joy, where you will rejoice and flourish and reign with Christ. —

The saint spent the whole night teaching the people. The next morning, Egeates
ordered Andrew to be brought to the tribunal where he was and said, —Have you
resolved to abandon this folly and stop announcing Christ so that you can share our
happiness in this life? Madness to be tortured and burned voluntarily. —But the saint
replied, —I would rather share your happiness if you believed in Christ and rejected
idols, for He has sent me to this earth, where I have gained for Him not a few
people.—

—Then Egeates said to him: — I will make you to sacrifice, that those who have been
deceived by you may abandon the vanity of your teaching and offer sacrifices that
please the gods; because there is no city in Achaia where they have not left the
temples of the gods. That is why it is necessary that the honor bestowed upon them be
restored to you so that the deities whom you have infuriated will be pacified and you
may remain with us in brotherly love. And if not, to dishonor them, then you will be
subjected to various tortures and you will be hung on a cross, just like the one you
glorify. —

Listen to this servant of the Lord, an apostle of Jesus Christ! —I have so far talked with
you humbly, wanting to teach you the holy faith, so that you, As an intelligent person,
you may recognize the truth and, rejecting the idols, worship the God who lives in the
heavens, but as you remain obstinate and imagine that I am afraid of your tortures,
submit me to the most terrible tortures you know; More pleasing to my King, the more
painful the tortures I will bear for Him.—

Then Egeates ordered the saint to be extended and then whipped. And after
alternating seven times those who beat him, three at a time, made him stand the saint
and took him before the judge. Then he said to him, —Listen to me, O Andrew, do not
pour your blood in vain, for if you do not obey me, I will make you crucify on a cross.—

To this the saint replied: —I am a slave to the cross of Christ and I wish to die on a
cross. You can escape the eternal torment if, after having tested my resistance, you
believed in Christ, because your condemnation hurts me more than my own My
sufferings will end in one day, or in two, but yours will not be finished even after a
thousand years, so do not increase your torments, nor ignite the eternal fire in you. —
Furious, Egeates then ordered to crucify the saint, with his hands and feet tied. He did
not want to make him nail so that he would not die soon; because he thought that by
hanging him tied up, he could be subjected to greater tortures.
 25

When the servants of the tyrant took him to the place of crucifixion, the people
crowded, shouting, —how has this righteous man and friend of God sinned? Why do
they want to crucify Him? But Andrew urged the crowd not to hinder their suffering; and
walked happily to his torment, without stopping for a moment his teaching. When he
arrived at the place of crucifixion, he saw at a certain distance the cross that had been
prepared for him, and cried aloud: —Rejoice, O cross, sanctified by the flesh of Christ
and adorned with its members like pearls! Crucified over you, you were abominable to
men, but now they love you and embrace you with longing: for the faithful know of the
joy that you hold and the reward that is offered for bearing you. With courage and joy I
go to you. Receive me, for I have always wanted and wished to embrace you, O
beautiful cross, which you received from the members of the Lord, the beautiful and
glorious adornment, long-desired and ardently dear beauty, which I sought without
Take me from among men and give me my Master, so that he who has redeemed me
through you may receive me. —

Saying this, he took off his garment and gave it to his torturers. They put him on the
cross and bound his feet and hands with ropes; so they crucified him with his head
down and suspended him. A crowd of about twenty thousand people gathered around
him, among whom was Starchus, the brother of Egeates, who exclaimed with the rest
of the people, saying, —This saint is unjustly suffering. — But Andrew strengthened
those who believed in Christ and exhorted them to endure the suffering of the passing,
teaching that no torment can be compared with the reward gained by it.

Then the people went to the house of Egeates, where he exclaimed: —This honorable
holy and wise teacher, kind, good and humble, should not suffer and should be
brought down from the cross, because, although it is already the second day. There,
continue to teach the truth. —

Then Egeates was afraid and immediately went with them where Andrew was to get
him off the cross. When he saw the saint, he said to him, —why do you come here,
Egeates? If you wish to believe in Christ, the portal of grace will be opened to you as I
promised you, but if you come just to get me off the cross, But I am suffering for you,
because the eternal perdition prepared for you is waiting for you. Take care while you
can, unless you want to start by quoting already you cannot do it like that.

When the servants went to untie him from the cross, they could not touch him; many
others tried to do it, one after another, but neither could, because their hands became
numb. Then the holy Andrew shouted loudly: —O Lord Jesus Christ, do not let me be
taken down from the cross on which I have been suspended in Your name, but if not,
receive me, O Master, whom I have loved, whom I have known, To Whom I wish to
see, for Whom I have become as I am: O Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit in peace,
for the time has come for me to go to You, and to look upon You, whom I have so
earnestly desired. , O good Teacher, and do not let me be taken down from the cross
before you receive my spirit. —

When he said all this, from the sky came a light like lightning that illuminated it before
the sight of all and shone around him, so that the eyes of the impure could not see it.
This celestial light shone around him for half an hour and when he disappeared the
holy apostle gave up his spirit and departed in the bright light to stand before the Lord.
 26

When Andrew had left, the Lord, Maximilian, a woman of noble birth and virtue and
holy life, with great honor, threw her body down, and after embalming him with
expensive ointments, she threw herself into the grave where she tried to bury herself.

Egeates became infuriated with the people, and began to plan how to inflict revenge
on them and punish those who had openly challenged him. As for Maximillia, he
wanted to denounce her to the emperor. But in that, a devil suddenly fell upon him and
began to torment him; Because of this, Egeates died in the middle of the city. Quoting
his brother Estrátocles he learned of this, he ordered that he be buried; But he touched
nothing of his property, saying, —O my Lord Jesus Christ, make me touch nothing of
the treasures of my brother, lest he defile me with his sin: for he loved the vain goods
to kill the apostle Of the Lord. — So he decided to distribute all the wealth of his
brother to the poor and destitute; And with the same money, had a diocesan house
built in the place where the relics of the saint rest. In time, he also rested as a good
shepherd of the right-handled flock. Maximilian also distributed her gold to the poor;
And in a separate place, he founded two monasteries, one for men and one for
women. After living a good and pleasing life to God, she also left for the mansions of
heaven.

—This happened on the last day of November, in the city of Patras, in Achaia, where
since then the people have benefited from many favors, thanks to the prayers of the
apostle. Not believing in our God and Savior, he who desires to save all men and bring
them to the knowledge of the truth, to whom be glory forever.

After many years, the relics of the apostle Andrew were transferred to Constantinople
by the martyr Artemius, by order of the holy emperor Constantine the Great, where
they were kept in a reliquary along with those of the holy evangelists Luke and
Timothy, disciple of the holy apostle Paul, in the most splendid church of the apostles,
inside the altar. Through the prayers of your apostle, O Christ the Christ, affirm your
faithful servants in orthodoxy and save us all. Amen.
 27

18
The Holy Apostle Bartholomew

Was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ, after receiving the Holy Spirit, who
descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, Saint Bartholomew, together
with the Apostle Philip, had to preach the Gospel in Syria and Asia Minor. They both
moved there, first preaching together and then separately, through various cities, then
coming together again, leading people to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In Asia Minor, the Apostle Philip separated from Saint Bartholomew for a time, where
he converted Christ to the fierce and savage inhabitants of Lydia and Misia. At that
time, Saint Bartholomew, who announced Christ in the neighboring cities, received a
mandate from the Lord to go to the aid of Saint Philip. Once assembled, St.
Bartholomew strove in his apostolic tasks with him in a single union of thought. Philip
was followed by his sister, the virgin Mariamna, and together they began to work for
the salvation of the human race. During their passage through the cities of Lydia and
Misia and in spreading the good news of the word of God, they had to endure many
tests, scourges and tribulations at the hands of the infidels; Were imprisoned and
stoned; But in spite of all these persecutions, by the grace of God, they continued alive
for the tasks that awaited them in the diffusion of the Christian faith.

In one of the villages of Lydia they met with St. John the Theologian, the beloved
disciple of Christ, and with him they traveled to the land of Phrygia. As they entered the
city of Hierapolis, they announced Christ. At that time, the city was full of idols that all
its inhabitants worshiped; and among these false deities there was an immense viper,
for which they had built a special temple. There they brought him food and offered him
Innumerable and varied sacrifices. These irrational ones likewise worshiped other
snakes and vipers. Saint Philip and his sister protected themselves with prayers
against the viper, and were aided by Saint Bartholomew and John the Theologian, who
was still with them at that time. All together they conquered the serpent by prayer, as if
it was a spear, and through the power of Christ they killed it. Subsequently, John the
Theologian departed from them, leaving Hieropolis to announce the word of God there,
while he went to other cities to spread the joyful sacred news. Philip, Bartholomew,
and Mariamna remained in Hierapolis, striving hard to eliminate the darkness of
idolatry, so that the light of the knowledge of truth might shine among the backsliders.
In this they labored day and night, teaching the word of God to the unbelievers,
whipping fools and leading the wanderers on the path of truth.

According to a tradition collected by Eusebius of Caesarea, Bartholomew went

to preach the gospel to India, where he left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew in Aramaic.
The Armenian tradition also attributes to him the preaching of Christianity in the
Caucasian country, next to San Judas Taddeo. Both are considered patron saints of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. His martyrdom and death are attributed to Astiages, king of
Armenia and brother of the king Polimio that Saint Bartholomew had converted to the
Christianity. As the priests of the pagan temples, who were running out of clientele,
protested to Astiages of the evangelizing work of Bartholomew, Astiages sent for him
and ordered him to worship his idols, just as he had done with his brother. In the face of
Bartholomew— refusal, the king ordered him to be martyred in his presence until he
renounced his god or died.
 28

In that city there was a man named Stachus, who had been blind for Forty years. The
Holy Apostles, through the power of prayer, gave light to their bodily eyes, and by
preaching Christ they also illuminated their spiritual blindness. After baptizing Estaquio,
the Saints stayed in his house. When the rumor that the blind Estaquio had recovered
the sight, a great multitude of people began to crow in the house. The Holy Apostles
taught all the arrivals the faith in Christ Jesus. Many of the sick were also taken away,
and the Holy Apostles healed everyone by prayer and cast out demons, so that a great
number of people came to believe in Christ and were baptized.

The wife of the governor of that city, a man named Nicanor, was bitten by a snake and
lay sick, about to die. Knowing that the Holy Apostles were staying at Estaquio—s
house and that they healed all sorts of evils with only one word, in the absence of her
husband she took her slaves with them. There he received a double cure: in the body,
of the bite of the serpent; And in the spirit, of the demonic deception; because when he
received the teachings of the Holy Apostles, he came to believe in Christ. When the
governor returned, his slaves informed him that his wife had been taught to believe in
Christ some strangers who lived in Estaquio—s house. With great fury, Nicanor
ordered the immediate arrest of the Holy Apostles and burning the house of Estaquio,
orders that were fulfilled.

Then a large number of people gathered, dragged the Holy Apostles Philip and
Bartholomew, and even the holy virgin Mariamna, mocking them, beating them, and
finally imprisoning them. Subsequently, the governor of the city took his place in the
court, to preside over the judgment to those who proclaimed Christ. All the priests of
the idols and the priests of the dead serpent came and exposed their grievances
against the Holy Apostles, saying, —O Lord, let the dishonor done to our gods come:
for since these strangers appeared in our city, Altars of our great gods remain
forgotten and people no longer remember offering them their accustomed sacrifices,
our renowned goddess, the serpent, has died, and the whole city is filled with iniquity.
Sorcerers

Then the governor of the city ordered Philip to be stripped of their garments, thinking
that within them were their magical charms; but when they took it away, they found
nothing. They did the same thing to Saint Bartholomew, but neither did they find
anything in his clothes, and when they approached Mariamna with the same intention,
that is to say, to take off his garment and to leave naked his virginal body, suddenly
she became a burning flame before the sight Of all, so that the wicked had to flee in
fear. The Holy Apostles were condemned by the governor to the crucifixion.

The first to suffer was San Felipe. They pierced holes between the bones of his ankle,
through which they made ropes, and crucified him on a cross with his head down,
before the portal of the temple of the serpent, and in the meanwhile cast stones at him.
Then they crucified the Holy Apostle Bartholomew on the wall of the temple. Suddenly,
a great earthquake shook the earth; it opened and swallowed up the governor, all the
priests, and a great many infidels. All those who remained alive, both believers and
pagans, trembled and, wailing, begged the Holy Apostles to pity them, begged the true
God not to let the earth swallow them as well. They hurriedly took the apostles out of
the cross. St. Bartholomew was not suspended high above the ground, so he could be
removed soon. But Philip was not able to remove it, because he was suspended
above, particularly because it was God—s will that his Apostle, after these sufferings
 29

and death on the cross, should pass from earth to heaven, where his steps had been
directed throughout his life.

Hanged in this way, Saint Philip prayed to God for his enemies, so that he could
forgive them of their sins and enlighten their minds so that he would learn the
knowledge of the truth. The Lord acceded to his request and immediately made the
earth throw alive the victims he had swallowed, with the exception of the governor and
the priests of the serpent. Then they all confessed and glorified aloud the power of
Christ, expressing their desire to be baptized. When they were preparing to remove
Saint Philip from the cross, they realized that he had already delivered his holy soul
into God—s hands, and then they lowered him dead.

His sister, Saint Mariamna, who had always witnessed the sufferings and death of her
brother Philip, embraced and kissed her body with love, when they lowered him from
the cross and was glad that he had been honored to suffer for Christ. St. Bartholomew
baptized those who came to believe in the Lord and ordained as bishop to Estaquio.
The newly converted Christians buried with great honor the body of the Holy Apostle
Philip. In the place where the blood of the Holy Apostle was shed, a vine grew in three
days, as a sign that St. Philip was enjoying eternal bliss with his Lord in his Kingdom
for the blood he had shed in the name of Christ.

After the burial of the Apostle Philip, St. Bartholomew and the blessed virgin Mariamna
remained for a few more days in Hierapolis, in order to affirm the newly founded church
in Christ—s faith, and then separated. Saint Mariamna went to Lycaonia, where after
triumphantly announcing the word of God, she quietly rested in the Lord
(commemorating her on February 7). While Saint Bartholomew went to the land of
India, where he spent much time working on the preaching of Jesus Christ, going
through towns and villages and healing the sick on his behalf. After enlightening many,
pagans and establishing churches, he translated into the local language the Gospel
according to St. Matthew, which he had brought with him, and showed them. He also
left them a Gospel written in the Hebrew language, which was brought to Alexandria a
century later by the Christian philosopher Panteno.

From India, St. Bartholomew went to Greater Armenia. When they arrived at this place,
the idols, or rather the demons who lived in them, were silent, lamenting with their last
words that Bartholomew was tormenting them and that soon he would expel them. In
fact, the unclean spirits were expelled not only from the idols, but also from the people,
with the only approach of the Apostle; for this reason many were converted to Christ.

Polimius, the king of that land, had a daughter who was possessed by the devil, who
exclaimed through her lips: —Bartholomew, will you also drive us out of this place? —
When the king heard this, he ordered Bartholomew to be sought immediately; and
when the Apostle of Christ stood by the possessed girl, the devil fled at once, the
daughter of the king being healed. The king, wishing to show his gratitude to the Holy
One, brought him camels loaded with gold, silver, pearls, and precious stones. The
Apostle, in his great humility, kept nothing of what he had received, but returned
everything to the king, saying, —I seek not these things, but rather the soul of men,
and if I get them and take them The mansions of heaven, I will be a great merchant
before the eyes of the Lord.— King Polimius, shocked by these words, began to
believe in Christ with all his family and received the baptism of the Holy Apostle,
 30

together with the queen and daughter that the Holy One had healed, as well as a great
number of nobles and That land; On that occasion also received Holy Baptism as
many as ten cities, following the example of their king.

However, when they saw this, the idolatrous priests raged against the Holy Apostle,
deeply lamenting the destruction of their gods, the fall of idolatry and the abandonment
of the temples, from which he had obtained his means of life. Then they convinced the
king—s brother, Astiago, to inflict vengeance on him for the offense made to his
deities. Astiago, waiting for the precise moment, captured the Holy Apostle in the city
of Albano and had him crucified with his head down. The Holy Apostle suffered with joy
for Christ and, thus suspended from the cross, did not cease to proclaim the word of
God. He made the faithful stand firm in their faith and exhorted the believers to know
the truth and move away from the darkness of the demons into the light of Christ.

The tyrant refused to hear this and, instead, ordered the Apostle to be skinned alive;
yet the Holy One, bearing all with great patience, did not remain silent, but taught all
about God and offered to Him the glorification. Finally, the tyrant ordered the head of
St. Bartholomew to be removed from his body, along with his skin. Only then did his
lips quieted; though his body, being lifted off his head, hung on the cross; while his
legs, which were placed upward, gave the impression of pointing the way of the
Apostle to heaven. Thus ended the earthly life of Bartolomeus, the Apostle of Christ,
who had passed through much pain, to the glory of his Lord (circa AD 90). The faithful
who were present at the time of the Holy Apostle—s rest drew their body from the
cross, as well as their head and skin, placed it in a lead coffin and arranged their burial
in the City of Albano (now Baku) in Armenia Higher. With their relics the sick received
miraculous healings, which is why many believers converted to the Christian Church.

During the year AD +508, during the reign of Emperor Anastasius, the relics of the
Holy Apostle Bartholomew were transferred from Albano to the city of Dura in
Mesopotamia. When the Persians took control of the city in +574, the citizens of Dura
carried such relics to the shores of the Black Sea, where their enemies caught them
unawares. There, the infidels threw the relics into the Black Sea, next to the remains of
four other saints - the martyrs Papias, Luciano, Gregorio and Acacio. God, in His
providence, arranged for them to sanctify great stretches of the sea which they
traversed until they reached the lands that were to receive them. The relics of the Holy
Apostle Bartholomew toured the deep abyss of the Black Sea, the narrow strait of the
Hellespont, the open Aegean and Ionian seas, to the small island of Lipari, far from the
northern coast of Sicily. In this place, the relics of San Papias went to Amila in Sicily,
those of San Luciano to Messina, those of San Gregorio to Colimi, a city of Calabria,
and those of San Acacio to the city of Ascalo.

The Divine Apostle then sent a vision to the local bishop, Agathon, revealing to him
that his relics had reached Lipari. The bishop immediately hurried to the coast along
with his clergy and all the people. Seeing the relics of the Holy Apostle, the pious
hierarch and all those who accompanied him marveled deeply that the lead coffin had
not sunk beneath the waves and had sailed as far as the sea, as the lightest of the
ships. The bishop exclaimed: —for what reason and for what, O island of Lipari, do you
possess this wealth and great treasure? — They have honored you in the extreme!
With your hands this treasure and shouts loudly: Welcome, welcome, O Apostle of the
Lord. —
 31

Desiring to keep the sacred chest in a place of honor in a reliquary, they thought to
build a church for the glory of the renowned Apostle. The lead case was quite large,
and although several times they tried to move it to different places, it remained in its
place. Then Agathon received a divine revelation telling him that they should bind him
with ropes and bring him with two heifers to the place where the Saint wanted to stay.
As the heifers dragged the chest, the neighboring island of Priano permanently
expelled boiling water that damaged Lipari. But by the power of God, this moved about
a mile away and ceased to involve any threat to Lipari. Oh wonderful miracle! Who has
ever heard such a fact? When all these things happened Bishop Agaton erected a
beautiful church. The holy Church commemorates the miraculous translation of the
precious relics of St. Bartholomew on 25 August.

Later, the island was captured by the Arabs, who disseminated the relics of the Apostle
Bartholomew; but these came together in a miraculous way; Because St. Bartholomew
appeared to a certain monk and indicated the place where they would be found.
Afterwards the relics of the Holy Apostle were transferred to the city of Benevento,
near Naples (in the ninth century), from where they were taken (though only a part) to
Rome in the tenth century.

One cannot fail to mention an incident that has been recorded in the life of the
venerable Joseph the Hinmograph. One day, in Thessaly, the venerable Joseph
received a portion of the relics of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew from a virtuous man
known to him. After taking them to his monastery, which was near Constantinople,
Joseph had a special church built in honor of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew, where he
kept the part of the sacred relics he had received. For the great love and faith in the
Holy Apostle, he often had the privilege of seeing in visions in his dreams, which is
why he adorned the feast of the Holy Apostle with hymns of prayer; However, he
resolved not to do so, since he doubted whether or not this would please the Saint;
Then he prayed intensely to God and his Apostle to reveal his will and give him
wisdom from above to compose the verses of prayer that were appropriate for Saint
Bartholomew. By fasting and pleading with tears, the venerable Joseph prayed for forty
days; Then when there was very little left for the day of the commemoration of the
Apostle, on the eve of solemnity, in a vision he witnessed Saint Bartholomew appear in
the sanctuary, dressed in his garments of dazzling whiteness.

The Holy One opened the curtain of the sanctuary and motioned for him to approach;
And when the venerable Joseph did, the Holy Apostle took from the table of the altar
the Holy Gospel and placed it near the breast of Joseph, saying: —May the right hand
of God Almighty bless you and that the waters of heavenly wisdom Sprinkle your
tongue, may your heart be a temple of the Holy Spirit and may your hymn-song please
the whole world!—

Thus speaking the Holy Apostle Bartholomew, he became invisible; But the venerable
Joseph, feeling within himself the grace of wisdom, was filled with inexplicable
jubilation and gratitude. From that moment on, he began to compose sacred hymns
and canons, with which he decorated the feasts not only of Saint Bartholomew, but
also of many other saints. He is known mainly for the great amount of canons that he
composed in honor to the pure Mother of God and the Holy Nicholas Nicholas. He
adorned the holy Church with his abundant hymnography, which is why he was known
as the —Himnographer— and is commemorated on April 3 (although according to
 32

some calendars, on the 4th). For all this, glory be to Christ our Savior, with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

There are some who think that Bartholomew is Nathaniel, whom Philip led to Christ. To
corroborate this, they maintain that the name of the Apostle of Christ was Nathaniel;
But that his family name, derived from his father—s, was Bartholomew, that is, the son
of Ptolemy. The word —bar— in Hebrew means —son,— just as the Lord Christ also
used it in reference to the Apostle Peter, when he said: —Blessed are you, Simon
Barjona— (Matthew 16:17), meaning —son of Jonah . — Also the blind man of Jericho
was called Bartimaeus, that is, son of Timaeus. Thus, they consider that Bartholomew
was called son as a patronymic, son of Ptolemy; because Ptolemy was an ancient
name among the Jews and was used frequently.

There are grounds for this because in none of the Gospels does Bartholomew—s call
to the apostolate speak unless the narrative of Nathaniel is considered as such. On the
other hand, the first three evangelists - Matthew, Mark and Luke, who mention
Bartholomew, say nothing about Nathaniel; While the evangelist John, who mentions
Nathaniel, does not say anything about Bartholomew; And when he refers to the
gathering of fish in the appearance of the resurrected Savior, he mentions Nataniel as
among the men closest to the Apostles. To point out, —Simon, Peter and Thomas,
called the Didymus, and Nathaniel, the Canaanites of Galilee, and the sons of
Zebedee and two of his disciples were together— (John 21: 2).
 33

19
Saint Philip

Next to the Sea of Galilee, on the banks of Lake Gennesaret and Capernaum, was the
village of Bethsaida. In this town were born three of the twelve apostles of Christ:
Peter, Andrew and Philip. The first two were fishermen, an occupation they performed
even when Christ called them; While Philip from his childhood had devoted himself to
theoretical study. After reading and studying regularly the Holy Scriptures and the
prophecies that spoke of the longed for Messiah, suddenly came to him a fervent love
for Him and an intense desire to witness to the Lord face to face. As he had not yet
seen it, he did not know that the one whom many wanted to see was already on the
earth.

While Philip was infatuated with love for the Messiah, Christ entered the neighborhood
of Galilee and found there. —Follow me! — Christ told Philip. He, hearing the call of
the Lord, believed with all his heart that he was indeed the Messiah, promised by God
through the prophets; and then he followed. Listening to the most holy life of the Lord,
Philip endeavored to emulate him and to learn from him the divine wisdom, by whose
power he was able to subdue the foolishness of the pagans. Feeling rejoicing to have

The tradition of the second century concerning him is unsafe, all the more so since a
similar tradition is recorded regarding Philip the Deacon and evangelist - a phenomenon
that must be the result of a confusion caused by the existence of two Philips In his letter
to Saint Victor, written about 189-98, Bishop Polycrates of Ephesus mentions among
the —great luminaries,— whom the Lord will seek —the last day—, —Philip, one of the
Twelve Apostles, who is buried In Hieropolis with his two daughters, who came virgins
to old age, —and a third daughter, who— lived a life in the Holy Spirit and rested in
Ephesus. — On the other hand, according to the Dialogue of Gaius, directed against a
Montanist called Proclus, he affirmed that —there were four prophetesses, the
daughters of Philip, in Hieropolis in Asia where his tomb and his father—s tomb are still
situated.— The Acts of the Apostles (21: 8-9) actually refer to four prophetesses, the
daughters of the deacon and —Evangelist— Philip, then living at Caesarea with his
father, and Eusebius, who gives the extracts quoted above ., III, xxxii), refers to the
latter the affirmation of Proclus. The assertion of Bishop Polycrates has more authority
in itself, but it is extraordinary to mention three virgin daughters of the Apostle Philip
(two buried in Hieropolis), and that the deacon Philip also had four daughters, and that
they were said to have been Buried in Hierópolis. Here too we may suppose that there
has been confusion between the two Philips, although it is difficult to decide which of the
two, the Apostle or the deacon, was buried in Hieropolis. Many modern historians
believe that he was the deacon; however, it is possible that the Apostle was buried there
and that the deacon also lived and worked there and was buried there with three of his
daughters and that these were then erroneously considered as daughters of the
Apostle. The apocryphal —Acts of Philip, — which are, however, purely legendary and a
fabric of fables, also refer to the death of Philip in Hieropolis. The remains of Philip, who
were buried in Hieropolis, were later transferred (like those of the Apostle) to
Constantinople and thence to the church of the Dodici Apostoli in Rome. The Feast of
the Apostle is celebrated in the Roman Church on May 1 (together with that of James
the Less), and in the Greek Church on November 14.
 34

discovered this Treasure, by which the whole world would be redeemed, Felipe did not
want to keep this treasure for himself, but wanted to share it with others.

When he met his friend Nathaniel, he joyfully announced to him, —We have found him,
whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.
— But Nathaniel, doubting that an insignificant people and simple people could give
rise to the Messiah, the King of Israel, said: —Can anything good come from
Nazareth? — Philip, without answering, advised him to only see Him. —Come and go,
— he said. He had the feeling that Nathaniel needed only to see Jesus and hear his
words of salvation, in order to believe that he was the Messiah; and this was how it
really happened.

When they both went to Jesus, the Lord, who tests hearts and restrains, and reads the
hidden thoughts of the hearts of men, when he sees Nathaniel coming to him,
recognized him and said: —Behold a true Israelite! , In whom there is no deceit. —
When Nathaniel heard these words, he was amazed and said to Jesus, —How do you
know me?— The Lord replied, —Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig
tree, I saw you.— For when Nataniel was sitting there, he was thinking of the Divine
Messiah, in whom all the joy and joy of the faithful servants of God were incarnated;
And at that moment God granted him repentance of heart and fervent tears, which
added to his sincere plea that the Lord should fulfill what he had promised in time past
to his parents and to send the Savior of the world to the earth.

God, who sees all things, observed Nathaniel at that moment, because he had a spirit
of compunction. It was for this reason that the Lord told Nathaniel that he had seen him
when he was under the fig tree. With these words Nataniel was even more astonished.
He began to remember what he was thinking when he was under the tree, as well as
the compunction with which he had implored God to send the Messiah. He also
concluded that at that time there was no one else who could have seen him and
caught his thoughts except God. That is why Nathaniel immediately believed that
Jesus was the Messiah, whom God had promised to send to save the human race,
and recognized the divine essence in Jesus Christ, who had seen the secrets of his
heart; for this reason, he exclaimed: —Rabbi, You are the son of God, You are the
King of Israel!— (John 1: 43-49).

How many feelings of gratitude did Nathaniel later experience Philip for having
announced to him the coming to the land of the Savior and to have led him to the
promised Messiah! The saint Felipe felt joy in his heart because the people had found
his divine Treasure hidden in the depths of the human nature, reason why its love for
the Lord grew still more with fervor. Nevertheless, Saint Philip saw in his Divine Master
only the outstanding human perfections and did not realize that He was at the same
time Divine. For this reason Christ resolved to remove him from his error. One day,
when the Lord passed by the sea of Tiberias with five thousand people, wishing to feed
his followers in a miraculous way, Jesus asked Philip: —Where can we buy bread so
that they can eat?— He told this to prove it, because he knew in advance what Philip
would say in response. For this reason, he asked Philip about this, so that he would
come to know more and, ashamed of his lack of faith, he would come out of his error.
In fact, Philip was not aware of the omnipotence of Jesus Christ, nor would he say, —
you can do all things, O Lord, it is not for this question to be asked of anyone. Open
your mouth; all things will be filled with goodness — (Psalm 103: 28).
 35

Philip did not say this, but, taking his Lord as a man and not as God, he said: —Two
hundred denarii of bread will not suffice for them, that each of them take a piece—
(John 6: 7) And then with the other disciples, he said, —Send them, that they may go
into the farms and villages round about, and buy bread for themselves: for they have
nothing to eat— (Mark 6:36). But when Jesus broke the five loaves and the two fish for
the five thousand people, Philip saw that from the hand of the Lord, as if it were an
inexhaustible barn, each received enough food, until all were satisfied. Then the
disciple was greatly ashamed for his lack of faith and, strengthened in his soul, with
others he glorified the power of God in Christ Jesus.

Subsequently, the Lord chose him for the choir of his twelve apostles, granted him
grace, and gave him the honor of remaining in his close company. It happened that on
a holiday gathered in Jerusalem some Greeks. These could not approach Jesus,
because they were pagans without faith; for this reason, they approached Philip and
asked him to make them see Jesus. This one went to inform Andrew first, and together
they dared to tell the Lord of the desire of the Greeks, rejoicing that even the pagans
were trying to see and hear their Lord and Master. Then he heard from Jesus the
wonderful teaching and prophecy about the Gentiles who would come to believe in
Him, though not then, but after His death. —The time has come when the Son of man
is to be glorified ... If the grain of wheat does not fall on the earth and die,— he said, —
he remains alone, but if he dies, much fruit bears— (John 12 : 21-24). In this way
Christ was really saying, —While I am on the earth, I will have only part of the house of
Israel, but if I die, I will have not only the house of Israel, but many of the Gentiles will
believe in me.—

On another occasion, after the mystical supper, Philip dared to ask the Lord about the
great mystery of his divinity, how much he begged the Father to manifest through him,
saying, —Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.—(John 14: 8). In asking
this question, he did much good to the church of Christ; because since then we have
learned to recognize the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son and to restrain the
mouths of heretics who reject the Divine Truth. For the Lord reproached Philip with a
reproach, —How long have I been with you, and still do not know me, Philip? He who
has seen me has seen My Father.

How then do you say: Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father
and that the Father is in me? The words I tell you, I do not speak of myself; But the
Father that is in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me; otherwise believe me for the works themselves — (John 14: 9-11).

This response of the Lord taught the holy Philip and through him the whole Catholic
Church to believe in the equality essential of the divinity of the Father and the Son and
Holy Spirit, denouncing the blasphemy of Arius (that heresy of Arius is heresy Of the
current Jehovah—s Witnesses), who pointed out that the Son of God is a creature and
not the Creator. (Thoughts on the Blasphemy and Heresy of Arius (Arianism,Who
Thought Jesus Was Created, therefore Jehovah—s witnesses are no Christians,
Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), who founded the Jehovah—s Witnesses, a
modern-day revival of erratic Arianism, in the 1870s)
 36

After the voluntary passion and resurrection of the Son of God, Saint Philip, together
with the other apostles, saw his Lord in his immortal and glorified body, received from
him his peace and blessing, and also witnessed his Ascension. Then he was honored
with the grace of the Holy Spirit and became a preacher of Christ among the Gentiles,
because he had to announce the Word in Asia Minor and Syria. However, he first went
to evangelize Galilee. There, once it happened that a woman came to him who carried
in his arms his dead child and lamented disconsolately. When he saw her, he took pity
on her; then he stretched out his hand and laid it on the boy and said, —Arise, it is
Christ who commands you, for it is he whom I proclaim.— Instantly the child came
back to life. The mother, seeing her son alive and well, was filled with joy and stood at
the feet of the apostle, expressing his gratitude for having raised his son and then
asked him to baptize her; Because she had come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
whom he preached. The apostle baptized the mother and the son, after which he left
for pagan lands.

During his preaching of the Gospel in Greece, the apostle performed numerous
miracles, healed diseases, and raised a dead man through the power of Christ. This
last miracle left the Jews who lived there astonished, which informed Jerusalem, the
chief priests and the princes of the Jews, saying that a stranger had come there
named Philip, to announce the name of Jesus, by which Expelled the demons, healed
all diseases, and even raised a man from the dead by the same name of Jesus; And
that many had come to believe in Christ.

Soon a chief priest came from Jerusalem to Greece, accompanied by scribes, who
struck Philip bitterly. Dressed in his clerical vestments, the apostle sat in the
courtroom, in the presence of a large number of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Then
they took him farther, in the middle of that group. The chief priest, with a menacing
glance, said angrily, —Is it not enough to have deceived these simple and ignorant
people of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria? But you have gone far as far as the Greek
scholars, to spread the evil teachings Which you have learned from Jesus, the
adversary of the law of Moses, whereby he was condemned, crucified, and perished of
an ignominious death, buried only by the feast of the Passover, and you, his disciples,
secretly stole His body; To deceive many, you spread the word everywhere saying that
he himself had risen from the dead. —Hearing these words of the chief priest, the
crowd began to exclaim against Philip: —what do you have to say in response to this,
Philip?—

There was a loud rumor among the people; some asked that they immediately put
Philip to death; others, to be sent to Jerusalem to be executed. Then the Holy Apostle
said to the chief priest, —You love your vanity and say falsehoods! How is it that your
heart is hard and why you do not want to confess the truth? Have you not sealed the
tomb and placed a guard there And when the Lord rose from the dead without
breaking the seal of the tomb, did they not give money to the guards to blame
themselves, saying that while they slept the disciples had stolen the body of Him? Day
of Judgment, the very seals of the tomb will openly unmask your falsehood, for they
were an indisputable evidence of the true resurrection of Christ. —

Hearing this, the chief priest became even angrier, and in a fit of insane wickedness he
threw himself upon the apostle with the intention of seizing him and killing him; but at
that moment he became blind, turning black. Those who were present, seeing what
 37

had happened, attributed this fact to sorcery, then also pounced on Philip to eliminate
him, as if he were a sorcerer; but they all suffered the same punishment as the chief
priest. Meanwhile, the earth began to tremble strongly, then all trembled with fear and
came to know the great power of Christ. The apostle Philip, seeing in them the
blindness of his spirit and his body, began to weep for them and then turned to God to
pray, begging him to forgive them. And, how wonderful! With the prayers of the saint,
from above came healing over all those who were afflicted. This miracle caused many
to convert to Christ and believe in Him. However, the chief priest, blinded most of all by
evil, not only did not want to amend his behavior after the punishment inflicted on him,
but began to utter blasphemies against Our Lord Jesus Christ. Then an even greater
punishment fell upon him. Suddenly the earth opened and swallowed it alive, just as it
once did for Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16: 1-3).

After the priest died, there St. Philip baptized many and appointed as bishop a certain
respected and worthy man named Narcissus; after which he departed for Parthia.
Along the way, the apostle asked God to help him in his tasks. Then, wonder! As he
was kneeling to pray, from the sky appeared the figure of an eagle that stretched its
sprockets forming the cross of Christ.

Strengthened by this manifestation, St. Philip again went forth to preach; And after
crossing the towns of Arabia and Candacia, resolved to cross the sea until the city
Syria of Azot. But in the night a strong storm came on the sea, which made all of them
despair to save their lives. Then the holy Apostle began to pray, and immediately in the
sky appeared the sign of the cross bearing light, which shone through the darkness of
the night; and the sea was instantly quieted, and its waves were gradually
extinguished.

When the ship anchored on the coast of Azotus, Philip disembarked there, where he
was received at the house of a certain hospitable man named Niocledes, who had a
daughter named Caritina, who suffered from a disease that affected one of his Eyes.
After listening to the preaching of the apostle, all came to believe and accept the
sacred baptism. Later, Niocledes asked Felipe to heal the eye of his daughter. Then
the apostle said to the girl, —Caritina, to reveal the miraculous power inherent in
sacred baptism, I want you to heal your own evil.— So, in the morning, place your right
hand in your eye and call on the name Of Christ, the Master Savior of souls, that you
may be healed. —Following the saint—s instructions, Caritina was healed of the evil,
for which she thanked the Lord. Then the apostle left.

From Azotus, the apostle Philip traveled to Hierapolis from Syria. There, in preaching
Christ, he aroused the people—s great wrath, which threatened to kill him by stoning.
However, the aid of the ruler, a man named Iro, saved him from the indignation of the
crowd. —Citizens,— he told them, —listen to my advice, do not harm this stranger until
we know for sure if his doctrine is true, but if it turns out not to be so, then we will kill
him.— The crowd did not dare to oppose Iro, so he took Philip to his house. But when
they came to the house together, the wife of the ruler, Marcela, was offended by this.
She asked him to let her out of his marital bonds and to give him back the dowry, if he
did not throw Felipe away from his house.

The apostle, seeing that the governor was filled with consternation, urged him to
remain steadfast in faith; then he offered to beg Marcela. In such circumstances, Iro—s
 38

maid had heard the apostle speak, then said to his master, —Where does this
wonderful man come from? How sweet are his words and how laudable is his
character!— The ruler answered, —Woman, this is the herald of the great God and the
ambassador of the Eternal Kingdom.— Therefore, we believe in his words. —The maid
went immediately to Marcela to tell her about the great virtue of Philip. After listening to
her words, Iro and all his family honored the apostle and were baptized, together with
many of his neighbors.

When the people learned that Iro had accepted the baptism, they gathered at night and
surrounded the house, intending to burn it while Iro, the apostle and all his servants
slept. However, the Holy Spirit warned this to the apostle, who presented himself
without fear; but these, grinding their teeth like wild beasts, rushed upon him and
brought him to the place of meetings. When the head of the mob, whose name was
Aristarchus, saw the apostle, he said to him, —I know that they want to burn you for
your witchcraft, and if you do not repudiate these things spontaneously, I will make you
stoned until you die. I will question you about it on a later occasion. —Saying this, he
reached out and grabbed the apostle—s hair and, to make a fool of himself, tossed
him to and fro. The apostle, in order to correct Aristarchus—s bad attitude, or perhaps
for all to know the power of God—s servants, exclaimed in a loud voice, so that they
would all hear, saying, —O Lord, Thou who hast formed Our heart and know our
actions and thoughts, listen to my words, which do not come from the wrath of the
heart, but from the desire to correct others. —He paralyzes the arm of this rebel, who
dares raise his hand against the Head that you have blessed! —And Miracle! ... At that
very moment his arm began to dry, and he stopped seeing and hearing. The attitude of
the crowd changed: his anger became astonished to see this miracle. Then they
begged the apostle to heal his exarch Aristarchus; but he said to them, —If he is not
willing to believe in the God whom I preach, he will not be healed.—

At that moment a funeral began to happen, and then the people, wishing to mock the
apostle, said: —If you raise this dead man, Aristarchus and all of us will believe in your
God. — The apostle then looked up at the sky, prayed for a moment, and then turning
to the dead, said to him: —Theophilus. — The dead man immediately sat on the coffin
and opened his eyes. Then Philip again said to him, —Christ commands you, — Get
up and talk to us! —The man came out of the coffin and stood at the apostle—s feet,
saying: —I thank thee, O holy servant of God, that thou hast delivered me at this hour
of this great harm, because two evil black Moors seized me and dragged me; But if you
had not prevented it and had delivered me from them, I would have been cast into the
dark hell!— In witnessing this glorious miracle, all felt fear and admiration; Because
Philip knew the name of the dead man, whom he had never seen before, and instantly
raised him up; then they all began to glorify the true God who announced Philip.

Then the apostle silenced the people by shaking his hand, and commanded Iro, who
had arrived, to make the sign of the cross with his hand upon the sick members of
Aristarchus. As soon as this one did, the exarch—s dry arm regained its form
immediately, which also recovered its vision and heard, being completely healthy. With
this, the people dispelled all doubt and hesitation, and began to believe in Christ,
exclaiming, —that whom thou preachest, O wondrous man, is the only true and
almighty God, who hath done all these marvelous miracles. We all praise him and
believe him firmly. —Then he again calmed the tumult by making a gesture and
ordered Aristarchus to make the sign of the cross and invoke the name of the Holy
 39

Trinity. In doing so, he fully recovered. He was then one of the first to receive the
redeeming baptism, together with Prefect, the father of the resurrected man, who was
an elder of that city. Aristarchus came to believe in Christ with all his soul, so he gave
the apostle the gold drawn from twelve idols which he had, which was distributed
among the poor. In addition to this, he dumped the rest of his wealth and preserved
faith to the end, ending his life in a way that pleased God. Then the apostle affirmed
and confirmed in them the orthodox faith. Iro, Marcela—s husband, ordained him as
bishop; And among the others he appointed priests and deacons, commanding them
to erect a church. Finally, with his teachings he gave them strength, before leaving to
proclaim Christ in other lands.

After founding the church in Hierapolis of Syria and affirming to them in the faith the
newly enlightened San Felipe departed to other places, passing through other regions
of Syria and the mountainous regions of Asia. In Lydia and Misia, when he crossed
these lands, he made God unbelieving pagans unbelievers. . There he joined the holy
apostle Bartholomew, who at that time preached in the neighboring cities and was sent
by God to help Philip. Philip was also joined by his sister Mariana (commemorated by
the Church on February 17), and they all began to work together for the salvation of
the human race. During their passage through Lydia and Misia proclaiming the good
news of the word of God, they had to endure many afflictions, burnings and tribulations
at the hands of the unbelievers. They were imprisoned, stoned and beaten; but in spite
of all these persecutions, by the grace of God, they continued to live to fulfill their
appointed task of spreading the faith of Christ.

It is one of the villages of Lydia that they met with St. John the Theologian, the beloved
disciple of Christ, and with him they set out for the land of Phrygia. There they visited a
city also known as Hierapolis, where they preached Christ. This city was home to
numerous idols, to which all the people worshiped; besides these gods, they had a
viper for which they had built a special temple. They brought him food and offered him
many and varied sacrifices. But these foolish people also worshiped other snakes and
snakes. St. Philip and his sister first protected themselves with prayers; St. John the
Theologian, who accompanied them at that time, also helped them. Together, they
managed to kill the viper by prayer, as if it were a spear, giving it death through the
power of Christ. After this, St. John took his own way, leaving them Hierapolis as the
ground for his missionary activities, while he went to other cities, spreading the holy
gospel everywhere. St. Philip stayed in that city together with St. Bartholomew and
Mariamna, trying hard to destroy the darkness of idolatry, so that the light of the
knowledge of the truth shone on those who went on the wrong road; For which they
labored day and night, teaching the believers about the word of God, educating the
ignorant and returning the misguided on the right path.

The apostle taught them who were the true God, the only author of creation and the
universe, of all things visible and invisible, and how he had shaped man. He further
explained to them the divine indulgence of God by becoming man, their saving
crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He also told them that the Son and Word of
God, our Lord Jesus Christ, would come again and resurrect the human race and
reward everyone according to their works. All those who were baptized in the name of
God and kept His commandments, will inherit eternal bliss. But those who would have
disobeyed his law will be condemned to eternal torment. With these and other words of
salvation, the apostle catechized the people. He baptized all those who, as he realized,
 40

would have accepted his words of faith in his heart. And then ordained for them
bishops and priests.

In that city there lived a man named Stachus, who had been blind for forty years.
Through the power of prayer, the holy apostles gave light to their corporeal eyes, while
with the preaching on Christ they also illuminated their spiritual blindness. After
baptizing Estaquio, the saints stayed in his house. When the fact that the Blind
Estaquio spread had recovered the vision, numerous people began to come together
in his house. The holy apostles taught everyone to believe in Jesus Christ. Many of the
sick had been taken to them, and they healed them by prayer and cast out demons, so
that a great number of people came to believe in Christ and were baptized.

The wife of Nicanor, the mayor of the city, was bitten by a snake and lay sick to death.
When she heard of the holy apostles who were in the house of Estaquio, and that by
their very word they healed all kinds of diseases, she ordered her slaves to take her to
them while her husband was absent. Once there, she was healed miraculously: in her
body, from the bite of the snake; And in his spirit, of the deceit of the demons; And
after being instructed by the holy apostles, came to believe in Christ. When the mayor
returned home, his slaves informed him that his wife had come to believe in Christ
because of strangers who were living in Estaquio—s house. Enraged, Nicanor ordered
the apostles to be arrested immediately and the house of Estaquio burned, all of which
was carried out promptly. After a great multitude gathered, the holy apostles Philip and
Bartolomew and the holy maid Mariamna were dragged through the streets of the city,
beaten and humiliated, and finally imprisoned.

Then the mayor took his place in court to judge the preachers of Christ; He summoned
all the pagan priests and the priests of the dead viper and let them present their
complaints against the apostles. They said, —Lord, come and see the dishonor shown
to our gods, for since these strangers have appeared in our city, the altars of our great
gods have been emptied, and the people no longer care to offer sacrifices to them.—
Our renowned viper goddess He is dead and the whole city is filled with iniquity. That
is why ... Give Death to these sorcerers! —

Then the mayor ordered that the robes of San Felipe be removed, thinking that the
magic charms could be hidden inside; but found nothing. Neither was anything found
under the garments of St. Bartholomew. However, when they approached Mariamna,
with the intention of removing her garment and undressing her virginal body, she
suddenly transformed before them into a burning flame, so that the wicked fled in fear.
The mayor condemned the holy apostles to be crucified. The first to suffer was San
Felipe. After piercing holes between his ankle bones and passing strings, he was
crucified on a cross with his head down, in front of the portals of the viper temple;
There they threw stones at him. Then they crucified St. Bartholomew on the wall of the
temple. Suddenly a great earthquake occurred and the earth opened, swallowing the
mayor along with all the pagan priests and a large number of impious. All who
remained alive, both believers and pagans, felt a great fear and, lamenting, they
begged the holy apostles to pity them and they also prayed to their One and True God,
but the earth would swallow them as well. Hastily they ran down from the cross to the
apostles. Saint Bartholomew was suspended only a short distance from the earth, so
they were able to remove it with little difficulty. But they could not get down quickly to
Philip; because it was hanging above, especially due to the particular will of God,
 41

wishing that his Apostle, through such sufferings and his death on the cross, could
pass from earth to heaven, where his steps had been directed throughout his life.
Hanging in this way, St. Philip prayed to God for his enemies, so that the Lord would
forgive them of their sins and enlighten their minds with an understanding of the truth.
The Lord heard this supplication and immediately ordered the earth to vomit alive the
victims he had swallowed, with the exception of the mayor and priests of the viper.
Then they all confessed and glorified aloud the power of Christ, expressing their desire
to be baptized. But when they went down to Philip of the cross, they realized that he
had already delivered his holy soul into the hands of God, so they removed him
already dead. Saint Mariamna, her sister, who had witnessed at all times the suffering
and death of her brother St. Philip, embraced and kissed her holy body with love when
he was taken from the cross, and was glad that Philip had been honored with Suffering
for Christ. The apostle Philip rested in martyrdom in 71 AD.

Saint Bartholomew baptized all who came to believe in Christ, and designated
Estaquio as his bishop. The newly converted people later buried with honor the body of
the holy apostle Philip. In the place where the blood of the holy apostle was shed grew
in three days a vine, as a sign that St. Philip, because he shed his blood for the name
of Christ, enjoyed eternal holiness with his Lord in His Kingdom. This precious death
happened on May 1 of the year 94 according to Baronius, or towards the year 90, in
the opinion of those who give San Felipe eighty-seven years.

After the burial of St. Philip, St. Bartholomew and the blessed virgin Mariamna stayed
in Hierapolis for a short time, and after establishing the newly founded church in the
faith of Christ, they went to the city of Albano, in Armenia Mayor, where St.
Bartholomew would be crucified. Santa Mariamna traveled to Lycaonia, where she
would rest in peace after converting many to holy faith.

By the year 560, the relics of the holy apostle Philip were transferred to Rome, where
they now rest in the church of the twelve apostles. One of the saints—s arms was
preserved in Constantinople, in the church of the Depara Pammacaristos.
 42

Saint James Brother of the Lord

According to legend, after Pentecost (AD 33), when the apostles were sent to
preaching, James would have crossed the Mediterranean Sea and landed to preach the
Gospel in Hispania (present Spain and Portugal). According to some accounts, his
preaching would have begun in Gallaecia, to which he would have arrived after passing
the Columns of Hercules, bordering the Betica and the uninhabited coast of Portugal;
Other traditions affirm its arrival in Tarraco and its trip by the Ebro valley, until joining
with the Roman way that crossed the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountain range and
ended in the present Corunna. This tradition makes James the patron saint of Spain.
Archeology does not provide data that fully corroborate this history - as almost no
preaching, except for Pauline, testifies, since the first Christians did not arrive in Galicia
in the first century, but in the middle of the third century.

It is known, however, that there were important Christian populations already during the
second century in the cities of Bética and Tarraconense, although the remains do not
allow to distinguish them clearly from the preexisting Jewish communities, as in the rest
of the Empire, until the III century. The development of Christianity in the Peninsula was
rapid and intense, as indicated by other traditions and, fundamentally, that it was in
Spain where the first council known after Jerusalem (Council of Elvira, about 303) was
celebrated, just after the persecution of Diocletian. Apart from the Gospels, he is only
named in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12: 2), when, after a preaching, he was
martyred in Jerusalem (he was one of the first Christian martyrs) around the year 44,
Agrippa I, king of Judea.
This story seems to contradict the preaching of James in Hispania, but neither is it real.
It is known that almost all the apostles leave Jerusalem and begin the preaching shortly
after Jesus died on the cross, and it is also known that they returned from time to time to
the city (as in the case of the so-called Council of Jerusalem, recounted in Acts Of the
Apostles). The tradition that places James the Greater in Jerusalem, shortly before his
martyrdom, is picked up by various neo-testamentary apocryphal books (The Book of
the Dormition of Mary, etc.), all of which preceded the —discovery— of the Tomb of the
Apostle. According to these accounts, when Mary sees her death close, she receives
the visit of the risen Jesus Christ. She asks him to want to be surrounded by the
apostles on the day of his death, but that they are all scattered throughout the world.
Jesus Christ grants it and allows it to be the same Mary, through a miraculous
apparition, who warns his disciples. The appearance of Mary to James would have
taken place on a pillar in Caesar Augusta, a column that is still venerated in the Basilica
of Our Lady of Pilar, in the Aragonese capital. Then he would have made the entire
journey back from Spain to Jerusalem to find the Virgin (since she was alive there, in
the capital of Judea) before her dormant, and then she would have met death in
martyrdom. The legend closes with the fact that his disciples would have carried his
body (preserved in some way) by the Mediterranean Sea in a mythical stone boat and
would have covered the Atlantic again to Galicia, where they would have buried it just in
Iria Flavia, where Bishop Teodomiro He found it. The Dormition of the Mother of
God (Greek: Κοίμηζις Θεοηόκοσ, Koímēsis Theotokou often anglicized as Kimisis,
Slavonic: Успение Пресвятыя Богородицы, Uspenie Presvetia Bogoroditsi) is a Great
Feast of the Roman church and Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern
 43

Catholic Churches which commemorates the —falling asleep— or death

of Mary the Theotokos (—Mother of God—, literally translated as God-bearer), and her
bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15
(August 28, N.S. for those following the Julian calendar) as the Feast of the Dormition of
the Mother of God. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a
fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest August 15.

James, brother of the Lord and divine Apostle, was the first bishop of Jerusalem. He
came from Judea and was the son of St. Joseph the Bride. There was no one as
fervent in piety and sweet in virtues as James the Just, who lived according to his
appellation in full and deservedly was called brother of Christ. As has been said, he
was one of the sons of Joseph with his first wife, Salome. Being an elder and widower,
Joseph was betrothed to the Virgin Mary, who was a virgin before and after the birth of
His Son. James, who was holy from his birth, was first called Joblián, which in Hebrew
means —just,— because even as a child he showed control over all his senses and
limbs, which was really extraordinary. His eyes were directed only to good things and
he was granted divine mercy. His ears opened to the saving readings of the soul and
his mouth rejoiced with the law. Her right hand was always ready to give alms and
sympathy for all. He controlled his appetite and did not use anything superfluous or
unnecessary. In all his life he consumed nothing alive, that is, meat, fish or
crustaceans. He never drank wine, only water to quench his thirst. He subsisted with
bread and tears. By his prostrations, his knees were torn to the bone, and his bodily
appearance revealed extreme skepticism. He wore a horsehair shirt, but he wore a
linen robe when he entered the Sanctuary. He prayed and worked tirelessly. He was
loved by both relatives and friends, and foreigners and those who came from afar were
venerated by his virtues. Among these there were not only devotees, but also pagans,
who had great esteem.

James the righteous was the first chosen by our Savior and the Apostles for the
episcopate of the Church of Jerusalem. He was adorned with all the virtues, but he had
two of them in particular: he was able to guide men to perfection in theory as well as in
practice. He was both humble and moderate. His name said: —James, servant of God
and the Lord Jesus Christ. — From his own personal experience he understood the
patience that came from afflictions and encouraged others with these words: —My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials ... Blessed is the man who
suffers temptation; Tested, will receive the crown of life — (James 12: 2, 12).

He corrected those who said that sin is natural, declaring that God is the author of evil.
As an outstanding physician, he healed these fools in these words: —When any man
is tempted, let him not say that he is tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth any man: He is tempted, when he is drawn and seduced out of
his own lust —(James 1: 13-14). He taught them that God was not the cause of man—
s illnesses and warned them to acknowledge their own indolence and weakness, be
humble and ask for forgiveness. He also said that without Divine grace, we are
incapable of doing only one good thing, for —every good gift and every perfect gift
comes down from on high, from the Father of lights— (James 1:17). He urged all to
give alms to the needy, to find mercy of the judge at the hour of judgment, and pointed
out: —For judgment without mercy will be done to him who does no mercy, and mercy
triumphs over judgment— (Jac. 2:13). The righteous also said that faith alone does not
 44

benefit those who do not keep the commandments of God; because without works,
these are considered dead, just as if the body were dead and lifeless without soul. On
this point, he points out: —do you want to know, vain man, that faith without works is
dead? — (James 2:20). He also taught men to restrain words, and not to utter lies,
babblings, insults or judgments, but especially to depart from false testimony, which is
very harmful to the soul. In fact, not only should this kind of perjury be uttered, but not
even true prosecutions. Man should not swear by heaven or earth or anything created.
These and many other sweet teachings came from the mouth of the Apostle James,
the hierarch and brother of our Lord, which are found in his epistle.

All the Apostles venerated James and considered his word as law. His opinion
prevailed in several situations in the Acts of the Apostles, as in the question of whether
or not it was necessary to circumcise the Gentiles. When the apostles and elders came
together to discuss this matter, James answered them, after Peter, Paul, and Barnabas
had spoken, saying, —for I judge that those of the Gentiles should turn to God. But to
write to them to turn away from the defilements of idols, from fornication, from
drowning, and from blood — (Acts 15: 19-20). His voice and his vow were valid, for the
Apostles worshiped him above all. To further demonstrate their pre-eminence among
them, St. Paul went with the other Apostles to see James, when the elders were
present, in order to declare the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles
through his ministry; And then they glorified God.

Only James, the Just One, was allowed to enter the sacred place and entered the
sanctuary alone. According to Hegesípo, only priests of the lineage of Aaron could
enter the sanctuary, although priestly privileges were granted to the Nazarenes. They
often found him kneeling, offering supplications for the forgiveness of the people,
especially those who were under the Law of Moses; His knees had calluses like
camels. The extraordinary James really counted on the high favor of God for the
conduct of his life.

However, members of one of the heretical sects of the Jews once dared, at the
instigation of Ananias, the high priest, to surround James to ask him to renounce his
faith in Christ. The enemies of Christ asked him, —Tell us, O Just, what the —door of
Jesus— means? He replied, — This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, of one essence
with the Father. — To believe only in James, and to accept their just words of truth,
some of various sects were against him, yet they considered him deceived, for they did
not believe in the resurrection, nor did they all receive a reward for their actions And
there was a great murmur among the Pharisees and scribes, who were convinced that
there was a danger that all the world would believe in Christ: and they went to James
and said unto him, We beseech thee, O Just, to teach The people, because they have
turned aside from the road and believe in Jesus saying that he is Christ. Therefore, at
the Passover feast, when all have gathered together, make them sure that they are not
deceived by a simple man. We beg you, be good to do this, because we all recognize
that you are a fair and impartial man. Therefore, we pray that you ascend to the
parapet of the temple, where people will see you easily and listen to your just words,
so that you may instruct them. —

At the feast of Passover, all the tribes gathered, there being even Christians there. It
was then that the shameless liars, believing that James shared their beliefs, made him
stand on the parapet of the temple and for all present to hear, they shouted aloud: —
 45

As we all accept thee, O righteous one, tell us: What do you think Of Jesus, who was
crucified by Pilate, and after whom the people departed from the way, thinking that he
is Christ, even believing that he is God? Clear this to us and proclaim the truth! —
When the time came to speak the truth against the false, James did not recoil from fear
of death or deny the truth, but rather, contrary to the expectations of those, raised his
voice and with a spontaneous spirit and word, Replied:

—Why do you ask me about Jesus? He is sitting in heaven at the right hand of his
Father with the heavenly powers, and will come again on the clouds of heaven to judge
the world with justice. — In witnessing this, many were convinced and exclaimed: —
Hosanna to the Son of David! — But the obsessed Pharisees and scribes complained
that they had allowed James to address this audience, because he had not given the
answer they expected. Then they went up to the parapet and grabbed him like wild
beasts, throwing him to the ground, but the blessed did not expire, and they began to
stone him. He received the stones with ease, as if he were a precious treasure, knelt
down and prayed, —Lord God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do.—

O blessed soul! Oh wonderful humility! These were the authentic words spoken both
by the Master on the cross and by the long-suffering Protomartyr Stephen. So James,
the pure brother of the Lord, prayed for his ruthless murderers. Although some
managed to hear him pray for them, the ungrateful had no respect for their clemency
and continued to throw stones at him. One of the descendants of Rechab, the son of
Racabim, of the priestly caste, exclaimed, —enough! Wicked, what are you doing? —
The righteous is praying for us, unjust as we are and we stoned him! —Then one of
the attackers took a club of batán, that is used to strike on cloth, and hit Jameso
strongly on the head, to which the just He was buried near the sanctuary, and at his
death he was named Simeon, the son of his uncle Cleopas, because he was the
cousin of the Lord and because of a unanimous desire that he should be next.

There were some compassionate and just Jews who secretly sent a letter about this
ungodly death to the tetrarch Agrippa, who was Herod—s successor. In the letter, they
asked him to order Ananias to never again call a council without their authorization.
King Agrippa had appointed him as high priest, but he was not in the position more
than three months, when he was replaced by another, Jeshua ben Dammeo.

After the resting of James, many Jews considered that the calamities that came upon
them were the retribution for the vile death of that just man; because in AD 67
Vespasian stormed Jerusalem. This concludes this narrative, because Josephus
recorded the later events in his writings. Saint James, the son of Alphaeus

The Holy Apostle James was the son of Alphaeus and brother of the Apostle and
evangelist Matthew, who was formerly a publican. When our Lord Jesus Christ, during
his physical abode on earth, chose simple and pious men for the dignity of the
apostolate, in order to send them to preach the Gospel throughout the whole world, he
also chose James and included him in the choir of the Apostles as worthy of it. James
became one of the twelve Apostles, witness and minister of Christ, preacher of his
mysteries and his follower.
 46

After receiving together with the other Apostles the Holy Spirit, who descended upon
them in the form of tongues of fire, went to the Gentiles to preach Christ and guide the
lost in the way of salvation. Inflamed by the flame of divine zeal, he destroyed the
thorns of ungodliness, destroyed the idols in pieces, demolished their temples, healed
various diseases, expelled evil spirits from the people and converted a great number of
people to Christ, for whom Gave him a new man: the —Divine Seed. — Because he
sowed the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of men, he planted the faith and
cultivated piety, for which he was called —Divine Seed.—

When he visited many lands, he sowed the seed of heaven, gathered the harvest of
the salvation of men, and completed his earthly work in the footsteps of Christ;
Emulating the sufferings of Christ, surrendered his spirit into God—s hands by being
nailed to a cross in Egypt. After this —Divine Seed, — the Holy Apostle, was gathered
in the heavenly barn with the fruits he produced a hundred times more.
 47

Saint Judas Thaddeus

He was born in Cana (Galilee), is said to have died in Beirut, although other accounts
claim that he and St. Simon suffered martyrdom in Suanis (Persia), about 62 AD.
According to the Bible, he was brother of the apostle James the Less, and cousin of
Jesus Christ Feast: October 28, next to the apostle Simon the Canaanite. San Judas
Thaddeus has often been confused with the San Thaddeus of the legend of Abgar.

It has been said that he died peacefully in Beirut of Edessa although according to
Western tradition, as it appears in the Roman liturgy, met in Mesopotamia with San
Simón and both preached several years in Persia and there they were martyred. There
is an alleged account of the martyrdom of the two Apostles; But the Latin text is
certainly not before the second half of the sixth century. This document has been
attributed to a certain Obadiah, who is said to have been a disciple of Simon and
Judas and consecrated by them the first bishop of Babylon. According to the old
tradition, St. Simon was killed by sawing it in half, and San Judas Thaddeus cut off his
head with an ax and so they paint him with an ax in his hand. Therefore, the Church of
the West celebrates them together, while the Eastern Church separates their
respective festivals.

Judas Thaddeus, we must differ from the Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus to the
Jewish authorities of the time, was a family of farmers. Son of Alphaeus Cleopas, who
was the brother of Joseph the father of Jesus, and his mother, was Miriam Antera,
cousin sister of Mary, mother of Christ. Miriam Antera was the sister of Joaquim father
of the Virgin Mary. His brothers were four, James the younger who was also an
apostle, Justo; St. Simon, then Bishop of Jerusalem and companion on his travels and
the elder sister who was Mary Salome, mother of his nephews both apostles James
the Greater and St. John the Evangelist. From what we see in this little genealogical
account, Judas Thaddeus was a close relative of Jesus, they were cousins, therefore
perhaps they grew up, were educated and worked almost together. Judas Tadeo,
according to some compilations, is also the BRIDE of the Marriage of Cana where
Jesus, according to the Biblical writings, makes his first Miracle by turning water into
wine on the initiative of his mother, the Virgin Mary. After his life as an apostle of the
Christ, he carried the message of this with his brother.
 48

St. James, Son of Zebedee

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James, son of Zebedee (Hebrew: ‫ י ַעֲ ק ֹב‬Yaʿqob, Greek: Ἰάκωβος; died 44 AD)
was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and traditionally considered the first
apostle to be martyred. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John
the Apostle. He is also called James the Greater or James the Great to distinguish
him from James, son of Alphaeusand James the brother of Jesus (James the Just).
James the son of Zebedee is the patron saint of Spaniards, and as such is often
identified as James.

Saint James, the son of Zebedee and brother of the Holy Evangelist John the
Theologian, was one of the twelve Apostles chosen by the Lord among the simple
fishermen to be his disciple. Called by Jesus Christ, James, along with his brother, left
his father, boat and fishing nets, and joined Christ (Matthew 4: 21-22), following him
everywhere, listening to his preaching and seeing the miracles That he worked.

The Lord so esteemed both brothers that John allowed him to recline in his womb
(John 13:23) and promised to give James drink in the same vessel that he had used
(Matthew 20: 22-23). The Apostles also came to love their Lord so much and showed
their loyalty by wanting to bring down fire from heaven on the believers to destroy them
(Luke 9:54); They would have done it had it not been for our merciful Lord Jesus
Christ, who forbade them. The Lord gave preference to these two Apostles, James and
John, as well as to the Apostle Peter, when he revealed to them mainly His divine
character and its mysteries; as when it happened, for example, on Mount Tabor, when
the Lord, desiring to demonstrate the glory of His divinity, led Peter, James, and John
there, where he was transfigured before them (Matthew 17: 1 ff.).

After the voluntary suffering and the resurrection and ascension of our Lord and the
descent of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Apostle James traveled to Spain and other
countries to preach the word of God. He later returned to Jerusalem, where he became
for Jews a threat like thunder (Mark 3:17), because he boldly and openly announced
Jesus Christ, proclaiming him as the true Messiah, the Savior of the world. James
began to argue with the Pharisees and scribes, denouncing them and reproaching
them for his hard heart and his disbelief. Feeling incapable of confronting him, they
called a certain sorcerer by the name of Hermogenes to quarrel with him and put him
to shame. But the magician refused to do so because he was a proud person and
instead sent a disciple of his, called Fileto, saying, —Not only I myself, but even my
disciple caused James to be unable to win in arguments.—

When Philetus went to converse with the Holy Apostle, he saw that he had no basis for
opposing the wisdom of the Holy Spirit with which the Apostle had filled himself, and
he was silent and could not even open his mouth to express himself. Recognizing the
truth, Fileto humbled himself and, when he returned to his master, informed him that
nothing had been able to overcome James, who even confirmed his words with
miracles. In addition, Fileto advised his teacher to abandon his knowledge of witchcraft
and become a disciple of James. But the proud Hermogenes called by his spells the
 49

demons, whom he commanded them to hold Fileto in bonds in a certain place, so that
he could not move from this place, and added: —Let us see how your James will get
rid of you.—

Secretly Fileto let the Apostle know that he was imprisoned by the demons, because of
the spells of Hermogenes. When he heard this, the Apostle sent him his cloth,
instructing him to take it and say the words, —The Lord loosens the bound ones, the
Lord lifts up the fallen ones— (Psalm 145: 81). As soon as Philetus spoke these
words, he was immediately freed from the invisible bonds, for the demons, terrified by
the cloth of the Apostle and by the power of the words uttered, released Philetus from
his bondage and fled from him. Then Philetus, laughing at Hermogenes, went to St.
James and, after learning from him the sacred faith, he was baptized.

However, Hermogenes, full of great wrath and anger, evoked the demons that served
him and ordered them to bind James and Fileto tied to him. But when the demons
approached the abode where St. James and Philetus were, the angel of the Lord
immediately caught the demons by the command of God, and when he had bound
them invisibly, he began to torment them. Then the demons, tortured by the power of
God, begged for all to hear: —James, Christ—s Apostle, have mercy on us, for we
came to catch you and Philetus by Hermogenes, and now we are strong Tied and
suffered cruelty.— The Holy One James then said to the demons, —May the angel of
God, who bound you, release you from your bonds, so that you may go and bring me
to Hermogenes, without hurting him!— The demons immediately released themselves
from their bonds, and went to Hermogenes and arrested him; bound, they brought him
before the Apostle in the twinkling of an eye and then asked him to allow them to
avenge their afflictions on the wicked. The Apostle asked the demons why they had
not bound him as Hermogenes had commanded them. The demons replied, —we
cannot even touch a fly in your house.—

Then the Apostle said to Philetus, —Our Lord has commanded us to do good for evil,
so let loose Hermogenes and free him from the demons.— Then the Apostle said to
Hermogenes: —Our Lord does not wish to have servants by force, but he desires to
have voluntary servants, therefore, go wherever you wish.— But Hermogenes replied:
—As soon as you leave your house, the demons they will kill me because I know how
great their anger is and I also know that it will be impossible for me to escape them if
you do not defend me.—Then the Apostle handed him the cane he had used on his
travels. , So that in the way he did not suffer any evil at the hands of the demons.

Thus, recognizing the power of Christ and seeing the impotence of the demons,
Hermogenes gathered all his witchcraft books, took them to St. James and, falling at
his feet, implored him: —True servant of the true God, Souls of perdition, have mercy
on me and accept your enemy as a disciple.— After learning from James the sacred
faith, Hermogenes received baptism burned his books of witchcraft by orders of the
Apostle and became a true servant of Christ, to the point that he came to perform
miracles by the name of Jesus Christ.

The Jews, seeing what happened, became very angry and convinced King Herod
Agrippa to initiate a persecution against the Church of Christ, Then —Herod took
captive of some of the Church to mistreat them, and he slew the sword of James the
 50

brother of John, and seeing that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter
also— (Acts 12: 1-3).

Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea of Palestine, referring to James, writes that when he
was condemned to death by Herod, a certain man named Josiah, one of those who
slandered the Apostle to Herod, seeing the courage and daring of St. James and
acknowledging his innocence And holiness, as well as the truth of the words he spoke
concerning the coming of Christ the Messiah, began to believe in Christ and became
the confessor of the Lord. But he was immediately condemned to death, along with
James. When they were on their way to the place of execution, they found a paralytic
resting on the side of the road, and the Holy Apostle healed him. When they rested
their heads under the sword, Josiah begged St. James to forgive the sin he had
committed in his unbelief when he had slandered him before the king. The Apostle,
embracing and kissing him, said: —Peace be with you. — Then both, placing their
head under the sword, ended their life together. This happened by the providence of
God in AD 44.

After the beheading, the body of the Holy Apostle James was taken by his disciples
and, as God permitted, he was taken to Spain, where up to this day there are cures
and miracles in his tomb for the glory of Christ the God who, W ith the Father and the
Holy Spirit, is forever glorified by all creation. Amen.
 51

Saint Simon Apostle

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In the version of the early Eastern Church, Simon went to the regions of Galilee,
Judea, Asia, Egypt, Euphrates, Tigris, Libya, Samaria, Edessa and Babylon, reaching
the confines of Syria and Persia. After preaching and performing various prodigies,
one of his greatest achievements was to transform Christianity into King Ahab of
Babylon. Then his transit through Persia was the most tortuous and difficult but he
traveled all over the territory, preached rebuking all the vices and mistakes, managing
to convert more than one hundred thousand inhabitants; Baptized and gave
confirmation and made large number Christian marriages. Upon entering the city of
Sammir, they were surprised by the pagan priests of the place and when refusing to
worship their gods they were sentenced to death.

San Simon was killed with blows of mallet in the head and San Judas beheaded him
with an ax. On hearing the news, King Ahab arrived with his soldiers and invaded the
place, where he collected the bodies of the apostle and his brother, taking them to the
city of Babylon. When centuries later the Muslims invaded the city, the remains were
secretly taken out by the Christians and taken to Rome. Later Pope Leo III, in the year
800, donated the relics of both Saints to Charlemagne for his faith and baptism, and
this led them to the Basilica of St. Saturnine in Toulouse (France), where they are
venerated today.

Simon the Zealot (Acts 1:13), Simon, who was called the Zealot (Luke 6:15), Simon
Kananaios (Matthew 10:4), or Simon Cananeus (Mark 3:18) was one of the most
obscure among the apostles of Jesus. To distinguish him from Simon Peter he is
called Kananaios, Zelotes, the—Zealot—. Both titles derive from
the Hebrew word qana, meaning zealous, although Jerome and others mistook the
word to signify the apostle was from the town of Cana, in which case his epithet would
have been —Kanaios—, or even from the region of Canaan. In the Gospels, Simon the
Zealot is never identified with Simon the brother of Jesus mentioned in Mark 6:3

St. Isidore of Seville drew together the accumulated anecdotes of St. Simon in De Vita
et Morte; the fully developed legend is presented in the LegendaAure, In later tradition,
Simon is often associated with St. Jude as an evangelizing team, The most
widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude
in Persia and Armenia or Beirut, Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65 AD. This
version is the one found in the Golden Legend. He may have suffered crucifixion as
the Bishop of Jerusalem. One tradition states that he traveled in the Middle
East and Africa. Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria,
while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia.
However, Moses of Chorene writes that he was martyred at Weriosphora
in Caucasian Iberia. Tradition also claims he died peacefully at Edessa.
 52

Another tradition says he visited Britain— In his 2nd mission to Britain, he arrived
during 1st year of Boadicean War 60 AD. He was crucified May 10, 61AD by the
Roman CatusDecianus, at Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire.

The 2nd century Epistle of the Apostles Epistula Apostolorum). Polemic

against gnostics, lists him among the apostles purported to be writing the letter (who
include Thomas) as Judas Zelotes and certain Old Latin translations of the Gospel of
Matthew substitute —Judas the Zealot— for Thaddeus/Lebbaeus in Matthew 10:3. To
some readers, this suggests that he may be identical with the —Judas not Iscariot—
mentioned in John 14:22, —Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Our Lord, how is it that
thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? — As it has been suggested
that Jude is identical with the apostle Thomas (see Jude Thomas), identification of —
Simon Zelotes— with Thomas is also possible. Barbara Thiering identified Simon
Zelotes with Simon Magus; however this view has received no serious acceptance.
The New Testament records nothing more of Simon, aside from this multitude of
possible but unlikely pseudonyms. He is buried in the same tomb as St. Jude
Thaddeus, in the left transept of the St. Peter—s Basilica in Rome, under the altar of
St. Joseph. Simon, like the other Apostles, is regarded as a saint by the Roman
Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches,
the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church.

In the apocryphal gospel of the infancy of Thomas there is mentioned a fact related to
this apostle. A 15-year-old named Simon heard a noise in a tree and thought it was a
chick. He reached out to take it and bit a snake on his arm. His family took him to
several doctors in Jerusalem to try to cure him without success. Then, some children of
Jesus— followers told the family to go and see —their king—. Jesus told the child —
you will be my disciple— and at that time he was healed. The mention ends with the
phrase —This is Simon, called the Canaanite, because of the nest where the serpent
bit him—

In the collection of apocryphal books of Pseudo-Obadiah (VI 1) it is said that he was

brother of the Canaanites James of Alphaeus and Judas Thaddeus. Johann Albert
Fabricius noted about this passage that these three brothers were the children of a
previous marriage of Joseph, husband of Mary. Eusebius of Caesarea, in his History of
Church (H.E. III, 11 and 22), mentions that a certain Simeon or Simon was the father of
one of the women named Mary who were at the foot of the cross in the Gospel of
John. In addition, other traditions take advantage of his condition as a native of Cana
to say that he was the husband of the marriage of Cana, attended by Jesus, his
mother and his disciples. In addition there are those who thought that it could be
Nathanael, who conversed with the apostle Philip in the Gospel of John.
 53

Saint Matthew Evangelist

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St. Matthew is the seventh of the apostles chosen by Jesus. He had been preceded by
Andrew and Peter, John and James, Philip and Bartholomew, simple fishermen.
Matthew was a publican, of the heinous and despicable guild of those who collected
taxes in favor of the oppressive foreigner. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, he
preached for fifteen years in Palestine, where he wrote his gospel about the year 80.
According to Rufinus, he then left for Ethiopia. Some traditions claim that he was
martyred in Ethiopia and others, who suffered martyrdom in Hierapolis, Parthia.

According to Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Cyprus, Matthew died in Hierapolis and

was Matthias, the substitute of Judas Iscariot, who suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia. It is
considered holy by all the Christian confessions that admit this distinction. His feast is
celebrated on September 21 by the Catholic Church and 16 by the Orthodox.
According to tradition, his remains are preserved in Italy, Salerno.

In iconography, Matthew is often depicted in Christian art. His particular attribute is a

winged man, alluding to the tetramorphs of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez 1, 10; cf Rev 4: 7)
so common in the representation of the evangelists. Of particular note are the
paintings by Caravaggio for the church of St. Louis of the French (Chapel Contarelli) in
Rome. Etymologically, the Spanish name Mateo comes from the Greek Mathaios
(Μαηθαιος) and this, from Aramaic Mattai, a short form of the Hebrew MattanYah,
which means —gift of Yahweh—, that is, —gift of God—.

Matthew also called Levi, is a learned Galilean, son of Alphaeus, of Hellenistic

formation (Mark 2:14, Lc 5, 27). In NT times, many types of taxes, both Jewish and
Roman, are collected in Palestine. Therefore, there are also different kinds of
collectors (Mt 5:46). Matthew works as a tax collector (publican) in Capernaum, on
Lake Galilee; A profession very odious to the Jews, impure before the Jewish law,
because those taxes are collected for the dominant foreign power. Publicans are Jews
who are frowned upon by the people, who consider them thieves, sinners, and traitors
to their country. They are forbidden to participate in religious activities, as in all social
and commercial events. For in addition to taxes, the people have to pay sums many
times arbitrary for the livelihood of those collectors. Thus publicans were easily
enriched. Mateo—s work is particularly related to the products that come from the
Genesaret or Tiberias, and charges a toll that passengers pay when they come by
water. It is a dangerous profession, and an occasion of greed, oppression, and
extortion.

As he exercised his office in Capernaum, where Jesus spent many days and worked
wondrous miracles, surely Matthew had heard him several times and was impressed
by the way of being and speaking of this formidable Master. One day Jesus passes by
his table by the lake and makes a totally unexpected proposal: —Come and follow
me.—

Matthew leaves everything and follows him, just accept the invitation of Jesus.
Renouncing his productive employment, he goes with him, not to earn money, but
 54

brothers in the new life. No longer to get high jobs on Earth, but a first-class post in
Heaven. St. Jerome says that the call of Jesus to Matthew serves as a lesson for all
the sinners of the world to know that, whatever life we have lived so far, in any day and
at any time we can dedicate ourselves to serve Christ, and He We accept with
pleasure

Matthew plans to bid farewell to his life as a public employee giving a big lunch to all
his friends, and the guest of honor is none other than Jesus, And as the flower of the
sinners and tax collectors is gathered there, the Pharisees are terribly scandalized,
and they call upon several of the apostles to protest to them for such a performance of
their chief. —How is it that his teacher dares to eat with publicans and sinners?—
Jesus responds to these protests of the Pharisees with a news that must fill us all with
joy: —They do not need the doctor who are healthy, but the sick. I have not come to
seek saints but sinners, and to save that which was lost. —

Since then Matthew has always been with Jesus. He witnesses his miracles, hears his
wise sermons, and he collaborates by preaching and catechizing the people and by
organizing the crowds eager to hear the great prophet of Nazareth. At Pentecost he
receives the Holy Spirit with the other brothers. Later the Jewish leaders beat him 39
times by announcing that Jesus has risen (the same thing they do with the other
apostles).

Tradition identifies him with Matthew the Evangelist, but an important group of
exegetes say today that there is not enough bases to confirm it. Between the 40s and
50s, he wrote in Aramaic or Syriac this gospel; is thought to have probably been
written in Syria, where there were more Christianized Jews. Paphos of Hierapolis,
about 110 or 120, says that —Matthew arranged the lodges in Hebrew dialect, and
interpreted each one as he could. — As we know, Matthew took from Mark 50% of his
gospel material, and the remaining portion of the Q Source as Luke, and of the lodge
and oral traditions (for the account of the infancy of Jesus and elsewhere, Matthew An
unknown source). This primitive original Semitic is lost, although several primitive
authors cite it; seemed to be based on the sayings of Jesus Christ and was used by
Matthew for his own preaching. He writes it especially for the Jews of Palestine who
convert to Christianity, and for that reason it writes in Aramaic (It is believed that the
apostle Bartholomew took a copy with him to India, which he left there).

The Roman Catholic Church agrees with the Orthodox Catholic Church the official
canonical character of the new Greek text, apparently translated by Matthew himself,
and it is the one we keep (although as we said the current biblical science does not
allow to attribute this writing to a direct disciple of A decree of 19 June 1911 of the
Pontifical Biblical Commission of the Roman Catholic Church declares that the original
Aramaic of Matthew was not a mere collection of words or sentences of the Lord, But a
true Gospel, which was not composed after the year 70, that its content is credible,
and that the Greek Matthew is identical, in its essence, with the original Aramaic. The
purpose of his gospel is to prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah or Savior announced
by the prophets and the Old Testament.

The Christian community sees in Jesus of Nazareth the expected Messiah and,
therefore, calls it the Christ. Matthew presents Jesus as the Emmanuel or —God with
us— (Mt 1, 23). It is the Messiah who fulfills all the promises made in the OT; In
 55

Hebrew Messiah means Anointed. The symbolism of the anointing is very rich: just as
oil fortifies, heals, waterproofs, nothing can weaken or corrupt this Anointed; His life will
be pleasing to the Lord, like the perfume of oil. It is the Master who comes to do justice
(Mt 3:15). The Gospel of Matthew has rightly been called —the Gospel of the Church—
because of the preponderant role of the life and organization of the congregation in the
name of Jesus. This community is the new People of God, the place where the risen
Lord manifests his presence and radiates it to all men. That is why it is called to live in
fraternal love and mutual service, as indispensable conditions to make visible the true
face of Jesus Christ.

When the terrible persecution against the Christians in Jerusalem explodes, Matthew
goes abroad to evangelize. It leaves for Ethiopia (Africa), where it turns to the
Christianity to the king Egippus, to the queen and to great part of the inhabitants.
Years later, Hirtaco, who snatches the throne from his brother Egippus, orders Mateo,
who defends the vow of virginity from Princess Iphigenia, daughter of Egippus, to be
killed. Instead, according to Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Cyprus, Matthew dies in
Hierapolis. Its remains are venerated in the cathedral of Salerno (Italy); Pope Gregory
VII, in a letter to the bishop of Salerno in 1080, testifies that they were kept in a church
that had the name of the city. Until about 1830, from the relics of St. Matthew shed a
transparent and odorless liquid that was called —manna of St. Matthew—, which was
attributed miraculous properties. The authentic tomb can be reached by an open
staircase after World War II and visible from a circular window.

The Gnostic writings, basically preserved in Egypt, show that Christianity in those
latitudes had sensible differences compared with that which became the official
orthodoxy. In the Gnostic gospel according to Thomas, the frequent allusions to
Matthew make it clear that his fame had universal profiles. The Gospel according to
Thomas, a Greek of the second century, translated into Coptic in the fourth century, is
20
the most famous of the writings of the Nag Hammadi library, which claims to offer —

20
Known as the Gnostic Gospels, they are a collection of texts, mostly attached to
Primitive Gnostic Christianity, are twelve papyrus codices with leather covers that were
casually discovered in 1945 in Upper Egypt, next to the ancient village of Quenoboskion,
About ten kilometers from the modern city of Nag Hammadi. They are currently preserved
in the Coptic Museum of Cairo, and are usually designated by the abbreviations NHC (Nag
Hammadi Codices). To the same collection are usually assigned three other codices known
since the eighteenth century found in London (Codex Askewianus, commonly known as
Pistis Sophia), Oxford (Codex Brucianus) and Berlin (Codex Berolinensis). These three
codices, although they are later, come from the same area. The NHC were made by the
year 330 and buried at the end of the s. IV or V. principles. These codices contain some fifty
works written in Coptic-the Egyptian language spoken by the Christians of Egypt and written
with Greek characters-which are translations of Greek, sometimes not very reliable. Almost
all the works are of heretical character and reflect different Gnostic tendencies that were
generally known because they were fought by the Fathers of the Church, especially St.
Irenaeus, St. Hippolytus of Rome and St. Epiphanius.
The main contribution of these codices is that we now have direct access to the
works of the Gnostics themselves and it can be seen that indeed the Holy Fathers
knew well what they were facing. From the point of view of the contained doctrines,
the codices generally contain Christian Gnostic works; although in some, like the —
 56

the secret words which Jesus the Living One said and which wrote the Twelve Judas
Thomas.— One of the sayings that compose this gospel is a question that Jesus asks
his disciples and recalls that of the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus asked his disciples:
—Who do men say that the Son of Man is?— ( Mt 16:13). Jesus asks his disciples: —
Compare me and tell me who I look like. — Peter, Thomas and Matthew respond. For
the author of this gospel, it seems that these three apostles exert a special
protagonism. Peter is the leader of the group, Thomas is the eponym of the work, and
Matthew appears as one of the outstanding apostles. This is Matthew—s answer to
Jesus— question: —you look like a wise philosopher. — It was the Greek version of
the Hebrew term Rabbi.

Apocryphon of John— - one of the most important since it is in four codices -, the
Christian traits seem secondary with respect to the Gnostic myth that constitutes its
nucleus. In this myth the reverse is interpreted the first chapters of Genesis
presenting the creator God or Demiurge as an inferior and perverse god who has
created matter. But in the codices there are also non-Christian Gnostic works that
collect a Greco-pagan gnosis developed around the figure of Hermes Trismegistus,
considered the great revealer of knowledge.
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Saint John the Evangelist the Theologian

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The Holy Apostle Evangelist John the Theologian was the son of Zebedee and
Salome, the daughter of Joseph the Promised One (Joseph the Promised One had
four sons, James, Josiah, Judas and Simeon, and three daughters, Esther, Martha,
and the aforementioned Salome. Both the Lord was also uncle of John.). John also
departed from the fisherman—s nets to preach the gospel when our Lord Jesus Christ,
walking on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, chose His Apostles among the fishermen.
After calling the brothers Peter and Andrew, the Lord looked at two other brothers,
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were mending their nets in a boat with
their father, and then he also called them. They immediately left their boat and their
father and went after Jesus.

At the very moment in which he was called, the Lord gave John the name of —son of
Thunder, — because his theology would be heard like thunder all over the world and
fill the whole earth. John followed the blessed Master, learning the wisdom that came
from his lips; and was dearly loved by Christ, his Lord, for his total lack of falsehood
and his immaculate purity. John was honored by the Lord as the most righteous of the
twelve Apostles and was one of the three disciples most closely associated with Christ,
who revealed to him many times his divine mysteries. Thus, when the Lord came to
raise the daughter of Jairus, he did not allow anyone to accompany him except Peter,
James and John. Neither was John absent when the Lord prayed in the garden,
because he said to his disciples, —Sit here while I go there and pray. — And taking
Peter and the two sons of Zebedee — (Matthew 26: 36-37); That is, James and John.
Likewise, when he wished to show the glory of his divinity on Mount Tabor, he also
brought only Peter, James, and John.

As a beloved disciple of the Master, John never separated from Christ. The great love
of Christ is evident in the fact that John rested his head on the breast of Him. For in the
mystical supper, when the Lord said that he was going to be betrayed and the disciples
looked at one another in perplexity, wondering who he was talking about, John laid his
head on the chest of his beloved Master, as he himself relates in his Gospel: —And
one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the side of Jesus. And Simon
Peter beckoned to him, saying, who was he of whom he spoke?

(John 13: 23-25) The Lord so loved John that he alone could put his head without fear
in the bosom of him and John also expressed a mutual love to his beloved Master,
more intense than that of the other Apostles, because at the moment of the voluntary
suffering of Christ, everyone turned his back on him, forgetting his Pastor. He suffered
with him in his heart, weeping and weeping together with the pure Virgin Mary; the
mother of the Lord, who stood by the Son of God who suffered for us, until he died on
the cross, for this reason, The Lord gave him as a son to the most pure Virgin Mary. —
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom he loved, who was present, he
said to his mother: Woman, behold, your son. Then he said to the disciple, —Behold,
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your mother. And from that hour the disciple received her in his house. — (John 19:
26-27) and he looked at her as his own mother and served him with much respect.

When the Apostles divided the lands to preach, John became crestfallen when he
chose the last land, that of Asia Minor, and sighed three times. With tears, he knelt on
the ground and revered all the Apostles. Then Peter took him by the hand and lifted
him up, saying, —We all have you as a father and your patient steadfastness as our
support. Why have you made us trouble with this action and confused our hearts?—
John answered, weeping and complaining bitterly, —I have sinned brethren, for at this
moment I have seen grave danger await me at the sea, just as I touched the part of
Asia.— This I received with great dejection, unable to remember our Lord When he
said, —Not a hair of your head shall be destroyed.— —Without God—s permission,
not a single hair is lost.— I beg you, therefore, dear brothers and sisters, to pray for me
before the Lord. Forgive this sin. —Then all the Apostles stood facing east and asked
James, the brother of the Lord, to make a supplication. Having done this, they all took
turns, according to their precedence, to embrace one another and went away in peace;
each with its assigned portion of land and with an Apostle of the Seventy as an
assistant.

The Apostle John, however, did not immediately go to Asia Minor, but took care of the
mother of God to his revered and glorious repose. On the day when his precious and
holy body was carried by the Apostles to bury him, St. John went before his coffin with
a royal scepter that shone with light, which the Archangel Gabriel had delivered to the
most pure Virgin when he announced his translation from earth to heaven.

On the Holy Apostle and Evangelist, the beloved John the Theologian, St. Prochorus,
one of the seven deacons, wrote the following: Departure and shipwreck

—Following me the passion and resurrection of the Lord, John stayed in Jerusalem
beside the mother of God, where he was a support for the Christians there. Mother of
God, we set out for Joppa, where we stayed at Tabitha for three days, and there came
a ship full of cloths from Egypt, and unloaded its cargo before continuing westward, so
that we embarked at Joppa and set sail To the sea, remaining in the ship—s hold, and
John began to weep, saying: —Prochorus, my son, great tribulations and perils await
us in the sea, which will afflict my soul greatly. However, whether alive or dead by this
danger, God has not revealed Himself to me. But if you survive the sea, try to reach
the city of Ephesus in Asia and wait there for three months.

If after that time I reach that city, we will continue our mission; But if I do not, then go
back to Jerusalem, where James, the brother of the Lord, and do whatever he tells you
to do. —Indeed, at the tenth hour of the day (at 4:00 p.m.) A great storm, which
continued until 3 o—clock in the morning, as a result of which the ship sank and all its
occupants were thrown into the waves of the sea, seizing these from any remaining
wreck they could. At noon) the sea sent us all, that we were forty-two souls, on the
shores of a place that remained about a mile from Seleucia.

—We all lay on the dry land, we could not speak and we were so weakened by hunger,
fear and effort that we stayed there from sixth to ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) Little by little,
we recovered our conscience and went to Seleucia.After the trauma of the shipwreck,
we searched for food by asking the locals and we ate, early our fear dissipated, but the
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others who were shipwrecked with me began to attack me, saying evil things: —That
guy who was with you was A magician and cast a spell on us to be able to seize the
cargo of the ship.

Now that everything has been stolen and gone, we know what has happened. And
since you were with him, we will not let you leave this city, because you deserve death.
Tell us where the fake is! All of the ship—s survived, except for that guy. Where is he?
—Then they began to incite the whole city against me, telling them stories, and then
they arrested me and put me in jail, and the next day the governor of the city took me
to a public place and began To interrogate me severely: —Who it—s you? What
religion do you have? What—s your job? What is your name? Tell us all before I
punish you. —I answered in my defense, — I am from Judea. I belong to the Christian
faith. My name is Prochorus. I and my traveling companions, my accusers, have been
shipwrecked. —The civil magistrate inquired: — how do you explain that all of you
landed except your partner? Therefore, it must be as the others affirm, that you
planned so that only you can be found with the sailors, so that nobody suspected,
while the other could take possession of the money and the cargo. Therefore, you are
a criminal, guilty of shedding innocent blood, and deserve death. Actually, perhaps this
is why your companion has been swallowed by the sea and Divine justice has saved
you so that you could find your end in this city. So tell us exactly where your partner is.
—

—When I heard this, weeping and groaning I said to them, — I am a Christian, a

disciple of an Apostle of Christ. The Lord commanded his twelve Apostles to travel all
over the world, teaching and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. After Christ ascended to the heavens, all the Apostles met and chose the parts
where each one was to preach by order of God. My teacher, John, chose the part of
Asia Minor and at that moment realized that it would be tremendously difficult; and as
he doubted, it was also revealed to him that he had sinned by having thus reacted, and
that he would be punished by the sea. This he told me before and it happened exactly
as he said it would happen. He also told me that where I disembarked I would stay
there for a few days and that if he came I would fulfill the Master—s command; But if I
did not do it after a certain amount of time, I would return to my homeland, Judea. As
you can see, my master is neither a sorcerer nor I; we are Christians. —

—And it came to pass at that time, that there came a certain officer of the city of
Antioch, a notary, and of the city of Antioch, and he heard my case, and commanded
the magistrate to release me: and they set me free, I walked for forty days until I came
to Mareotis, which is on the seashore The inn where I stayed was near the shore and
there I was full of grief and grief Then I fell asleep and fell asleep And just when I
opened My eyes, I looked at the sea and saw that a great wave broke on the beach
and threw out a man. I hurried quickly to assist him, having still in my mind fresh the
memory of my own desolate experience at sea. When I lifted it We were both aware of
each other and then we hugged each other, weeping and thanking the God of all. Forty
days and nights he had spent at sea, being violently shaken. I, for my part, told him
what he had suffered in the hands of the other castaways.

Ephesus
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—After this, we entered Mareotis for bread and water, and there we ate and drank, and
then we took the road to Ephesus and once there we stayed in a place called— the
place of Artemida. —Near it was the residence Then said to me, —Prochorus, my son,
for now that the inhabitants of this city do not know who we are or what we do, until
God reveals Himself to us so that we may proceed openly.— A large woman came to
us, who seemed to be in charge of the baths, and because of her obesity, she had no
offspring, just like the barren mule, and because of her strength, this woman was
accustomed to mistreat her servants in the house of Baths and beat them with their
hands, so no one dared to relax in his obligations for fear of her. Was said that in the
war used to throw stones without failing a single white. You might think that by his
physical appearance It should be simple; But it was just the opposite. He changed his
appearance with cosmetics and painted his eyebrows. So exaggerated was this that
for some she was nice; but to the discerning observer one of his eyes looked
disgusting, and the other seemed to incite the license. This woman was called
Romana.

—As she left the bathhouse, she observed our humble appearance and approached
us where we were sitting, thinking in the meantime: —these outsiders need food.
Maybe they can be useful to me in the bathroom and not require a good payment, and
for fear of me they will not be neglected in their work. —First he spoke to John, saying
to him, — where are you from? —John replied, — I am from a strange country. —And
he said to her, —Of Judea, she insisted, —what is your religion? — The Apostle
replied: My roots are of Judaism, but I am by grace a Christian and have passed
through a shipwreck —Then Romana asked, —Do you want to employ you to keep the
fire in the public bath?—— In return, I will give you food and something for your body—
s needs. —John replied, — I can do it. —The woman then addressed me, asking: —
And where are you from? — But John He answered for me, —He is my brother. Then
Romana said, —I can use him too. I need an assistant to bring water to the bathers. —
So she gave you daily food, about two pounds of bread, and money for the rest of our
needs.

After four days of work in the house, John, having no experience at work, sat quietly by
the side of the oven, when Romana entered. When she saw John standing, he struck
her so hard that he fell meaningless to the ground. She shouted to him, —Fugitive,
exiled, deceiver, useless. — If you cannot, why do you accept the job? I will put an end
to your deception. You came to work for Romana, whose reputation is heard in Rome.
You are my servant, you seek, and you cannot leave here; because if you do, I—ll find
you everywhere, and when I find you, I—ll kill you. When you eat and drink you
become cheerful; But when you come to work you let yourself be overcome by
laziness. Change your ways better, wicked, because you are the servant of Romana.
—

When Romana left the bathhouse and went home, I became very disconsolate and
worried after hearing everything and witnessing the blows she gave him, even though
it was not many days that we were at work. I did not reveal my thoughts to John; But
by the grace of the Holy Spirit he realized my affliction and said to me: —Prochorus,
my son, you know of the terrible shipwreck that happened to us because I hesitated in
my thoughts in Jerusalem; And not only for this, but for other sins that I committed
without knowing. Surely for this reason I spent forty days at sea, until God pleased me
to be thrown to dry land. And now you feel distressed and lose hope for the
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insignificant temptation of a silly woman and her indolent threats? Go to work on what
you have committed and applied; because our Lord and Creator Jesus Christ was
beaten, slapped, scourged and crucified by those He created. Let this be an example
to us as an incentive to always have good will; for he said to us, —In your patience
possess your soul.— When John thus spoke to me, I went away to do the work
assigned by Romans.

—The next day, very early in the morning, Romana came again and said to John, —If
you need more food, ask for it and I will give it to you, just be careful in your work.—
And I will pay attention to my work. —Then she asked him, — Why do you all accuse
you of being incompetent in your work? —John replied: — At the beginning I made
mistakes, but with the passing of only one you will see that I am good, because all the
arts are a little difficult for the apprentices. —Then she went to her house, but a wicked
demon appeared in the appearance of Romana and said to John, — another ill punish
you, fugitive, because my work has put you in the head! I cannot take you anymore!
Fire in the oven to throw you in! I do not want to see you any more, part and get away
from here, detestable conspirator, and take Return to your home from where they
threw you for your evil deeds! —Then the devil seized one of the furnace—s irons and
with him threatened John, saying, —I will slay thee, wicked! Get away from here! I do
not want you any more at my service! By the grace of the Holy Spirit, John knew that
the words and actions were of the demon that dwelt in that bathhouse. Therefore, he
invoked the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and cast out the devil.

—The next day, Romana came to the bathhouse and said to John, —They keep
complaining about you that you are not careful in your work, you do it on purpose,
because you—re looking for a pretext to get you fired. It will happen, neither now nor
after, for after he punishes you, will you be useless. —To this John did not utter a
single word, she observed his patience, humility, and calm demeanor, and thought he
was a peasant without education. Put him to the test, she spoke roughly and with
threats, saying, —Are you not my servant, malevolent? — John replied: —yes, we are
your servants, I, John the stoker, and Prochorus, the waterman. —

—Romana had a lawyer friend, who asked for her legal opinion and told her a lie: —my
parents, when they died, left me two slaves who, after several years, escaped from my
house. Then I destroyed the certificates of purchase from them but they have returned
to my house and acknowledge that they are my slaves. Can you get a duplicate of
these property papers? —The lawyer replied:— If they admit it to three honorable
witnesses who were once your slaves, it is possible —Through the Holy Spirit, John
learned of all this plot and said to me, —Prochorus, my son, Romana tries to make a
confirmation that we are his slaves, so he has gone to see a lawyer for She is looking
for three witnesses who confirm that we are her slaves, but that there is no sadness in
your heart, but rather rejoicing, because through this our S Jesus Christ will quickly
reveal everything to this woman, as to who we are. —

At that moment Romana entered the house and, taking John by the arm, began to give
him a barrage of blows on all sides, saying: —Perverse servant, fugitive! When you
love to enter, you should greet and bow. Maybe you are imagining that you are a free
person. So that you may know, you are a slave of Romana. —And again he began to
slap him to scare him, saying, — you are not my servant, a fugitive. —And John said to
him, — But you said otherwise, that we are your servants. I am John, the stoker, and
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this is Prochorus, the water-keeper. —Romana asked him, — whose servants are you,
you evildoers? —John answered, — whomsoever thou wilt we may say. —She replied,
—You are mine.— John then said to her, —In writing or not, we acknowledge that we
are your servants.— Then she quickly said, —I want to do this in writing before three
witnesses. John said to him, —Do not delay; Let us take care of the matter today. —
Then she took us to the temple of Artemis and, in the presence of the three witnesses,
drafted our sales papers. Then he returned to our work.

Preaching and Miracles of John in Ephesus

—When the festival of the goddess Artemis was held at Ephesus, all the people made
a great celebration and had fun, for which they had to wear white clothing. — John, for
special reasons, wore clothes that had been blackened by soot when she worked in
the bathhouse, and went up to a high place, where the statue of the goddess was
placed, which greatly angered the Ephesians, who began to throw stones at John.
That nobody could touch it.

The same stones that they threw to him arrived at the statue, damaging it considerably
by the great number of blows. Then John raised his voice to the crowd, saying, —Men
of Ephesus, why do you get drunk with the deception of idolatry? Why have you
forsaken the Master, the God and author of creation, who has created all of you and
given you a reasoned soul, only to submit to the will of demons who rejoice with your
destruction? Awaken from your dream and come to your senses; Leave behind the
intoxicating drink of shameful thoughts; Cast out the darkness of ignorance; Abandon
your superstitions and the deceit of your ancestral myths.

—Romana had a lawyer friend, who asked for her legal opinion and told her a lie: —My
parents, when they died, left me two slaves who, after several years, escaped from my
house. Then I destroyed the certificates of purchase from them but they have returned
to my house and acknowledge that they are my slaves. Can you get a duplicate of
these property papers? —The lawyer replied:— If they admit it to three honorable
witnesses who were once your slaves, it is possible —Through the Holy Spirit, John
learned of all this plot and said to me, —Prochorus, my son, Romana tries to make a
confirmation that we are his slaves, so he has gone to see a lawyer for She is looking
for three witnesses who confirm that we are her slaves, but that there is no sadness in
your heart, but rather rejoicing, because through this our S Jesus Christ will quickly
reveal everything to this woman, as to who we are. —

At that moment Romana entered the house and, taking John by the arm, began to give
him a barrage of blows on all sides, saying: —Perverse servant, fugitive! When you
love to enter, you should greet and bow. Maybe you are imagining that you are a free
person. So that you may know, you are a slave of Romana. —And again he began to
slap him to scare him, saying, — you are not my servant, a fugitive. —And John said to
him, — But you said otherwise, that we are your servants. I am John, the stoker, and
this is Prochorus, the water-keeper. —Romana asked him, — whose servants are you,
you evildoers? —John answered, — whomsoever thou wilt we may say. —She replied,
—You are mine.— John then said to her, —In writing or not, we acknowledge that we
are your servants.— Then she quickly said, —I want to do this in writing before three
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witnesses. John said to him, —Do not delay; Let us take care of the matter today. —
Then she took us to the temple of Artemis and, in the presence of the three witnesses,
drafted our sales papers. Then he returned to our work.

Preaching and Miracles of John in Ephesus

—When the festival of the goddess Artemis was held at Ephesus, all the people made
a great celebration and had fun, for which they had to wear white clothing. — John, for
special reasons, wore clothes that had been blackened by soot when she worked in
the bathhouse, and went up to a high place, where the statue of the goddess was
placed, which greatly angered the Ephesians, who began to throw stones at John.
That nobody could touch it.

The same stones that they threw to him arrived at the statue, damaging it considerably
by the great number of blows. Then John raised his voice to the crowd, saying, —Men
of Ephesus, why do you get drunk with the deception of idolatry? Why have you
forsaken the Master, the God and author of creation, who has created all of you and
given you a reasoned soul, only to submit to the will of demons who rejoice with your
destruction? Awaken from your dream and come to your senses; Leave behind the
intoxicating drink of shameful thoughts; Cast out the darkness of ignorance; Abandon
your superstitions and the deceit of your ancestral myths.

Come to the knowledge of the true God and you will receive the forgiveness of your
sins and eternal life. So that you may be sure that your worship is vain and without
purpose, look to your goddess Artemis, who has been destroyed by the stones that
you have thrown yourself. To prove it, restore it to its original state or pray for me to
perform a miracle or to punish me, so that I may see its power and believe. —Seeing
the Ephesians that their goddess was torn to pieces and hearing this, they became
even more angry with John and again began to throw stones at him.

But none of them hit him, but they turned and beat those who had thrown them. In their
anguish and frustration, they tore the garments of the apostle. Again the grace of
Christ protected John. Observing that his actions were prompted by the demons, he
spoke to them, saying: —Be silent and remain quiet, O men of Ephesus, because you
are not behaving like persons endowed with reason. On the contrary, your behavior is
irrational and ignorant, and it is proper only of those unclean demons who have
instigated you to do these things. And when he had lifted up his hands to heaven, he
began to preach, saying, —O Lord Jesus Christ, deal firmly with them, but with mercy,
that ye may show them To those present that You are God and that there is no one
else besides You. —As soon as he finished praying, there was a great earthquake and
on the earth came a hellish heat, falling dead as two hundred by excess of fear. The
others fell at John’s feet and begged for mercy; for fear and trembling had taken
possession of them, and they said to him,

We beseech you, O man of God, raise our dead and believe in the God whom you
announce. —John looked up to heaven and begged God, sighing and weeping; And
with a voice that they could not hear, he prayed: —O true God, who for centuries was
with the Father; O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, who appeared to save men; Forgive
the sins of those who have died; Reshend them with Your almighty hand and open
their hearts to receive the light of Your knowledge; And armed with courage to your
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servant to announce your words without fear. —At the end of praying, once again there
came a tremendous heat from the earth and immediately all the dead rose and then
venerated John, begging him to grant the divine salvation through the sacred baptism.
Then John catechized them with the word of God and then baptized them all.

The Apostle John the Evangelist in Rome

In those days, Domitian, the emperor of Rome, undertook a relentless persecution of

the Christians, as a result of which John was killed before him. The prefect of Asia had
him arrested and sent him bound to the Caesar in Rome, where John had to endure
blows for his confession of Christ; then was forced to drink a glass full of poison.
However, as the words of the Lord say, —when they drink anything poisonous, it will
not harm them— (Mark 16:18) the poison did no harm to him. Then he was thrown into
a boiling oil boiler, but he came out unscathed. Then the people shouted, —Great is
the God of the Christians!—

Not daring to continue torturing John, Caesar considered him immortal and sentenced
him to exile on the island of Patmos, just as the Lord had told John in a dream: —you
will suffer much and you will be exiled to an island that will greatly benefit you. —

Exile as Punishment in Patmos

—The soldiers - as Prochorus tells us - took us both, but John was tied tightly with
chains and chains, and they said to him, —This is the magician and he does terrible
things.— They gave me a barrage of blows for everything And they told me things to
frighten me, but they did not put me in shackles, they took us to the boat, and we went
away, every day they gave us about eight ounces of bread, a small cup of bad wine,
half-pint, and a little less Of a room of hot water, which John took very little and left to
me. They were not in a hurry to sail directly to Patmos, but rather delayed a long time
in one place. Finally, we were able to leave, but just when we were leaving, the officers
sat down to eat, and as there was a large amount of food and drink, they were excited.
A young officer went to the front of the ship to do some duty, but carelessly fell head
over His father was in prison. On the boat and deeply grieved for the loss.

He would have been thrown into the water if the others had not stopped him. All those
on board were sorry for the fact. Some came to where we were and one of them said
to John, —O man, we are all lamenting for what has happened; But how is it that you
not only do not mourn, but that you rejoice? —John asked him, — what do you want
me to do? —He replied, — can you help us? —John then asked the one who was
saying, —what deity do you worship? — He answered, —Apollo, Zeus, and Hercules.
— Then John asked the second, —And whom do you obey? — He answered, —To
Aesculapius, Hermes, and Hera. — He continued to ask each and every one
confessed their disappointment. Then the Apostle of the Lord said to each one of
them, —How many gods you have, and yet are unable to save a drowning man! —
They answered him, —This is because we are sinners and do not serve them with
purity, therefore the gods punish us.—

—Then he left them in their affliction and said to me, —Prochorus, my son, rise up and
reach out your hand to me. — He told him this because he was bound and could not
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get up alone. Then I stretched out my hand and he got up and walked to the edge
There he sighed weeping and said, —O God of ages, you who have created
everything and with your gestures control the whole creation, O Thou art only the
Almighty and the King of all, Jesus Christ, who for our sake and according to your
forgiveness, have allowed us to walk on the waters as if on dry ground. O master, I
have been commanded to entreat you in the name of the drowned by those who hope
to receive abundantly. Even when he had finished his prayer when suddenly a great
quantity of hot water and a wave broke out from the sea, which broke against the boat,
and threw the young man alive at the feet of John. At this site they were all absorbed
and knelt John—s feet, exclaiming, —truly your God is the God of heaven, the earth
and the sea. —Then they began to honor John and took off his shackles.

—Arriving at a place called Kitikión, the ship anchored there, and all of them landed,
except us and the guards. — The sun was setting, when the helmsman noticed that
there was a good time to set sail, so that when the others returned, we departed. But
at five o—clock in the evening, a great storm struck the sea, threatening the ship, and
they began to shout, waiting for death, and the commander of the soldiers approached
John, saying to him: —Man of God, In a marvelous way you brought a dead man from
the depths of the sea through your prayer, so now beg your God to calm the tempest,
because we are in danger of sinking. —John answered him, — Go in peace and But
as the tempest grew more violent, John rose to pray, and the storm immediately
calmed down, and there was great calm.

—As drinking water became scarce, many were weakened by thirst and found
themselves on the verge of death. — Then John asked me to fill some containers with
sea water, and then he said, —In the name of Jesus Christ, take and when they tasted
the water, they found it sweet and drank it, refreshing themselves with it.

—Then we had to anchor in a place called Miron, because one of the officers had
dysentery, so he was near death, and we stayed there for seven days, but at the
eighth, the superior officers began to argue among themselves because of the delay
Some said that it was not right to delay the fulfillment of the imperial order, others
believed that it was not right to abandon one of his own companions, some even
wanted to take the sick with them, but this would surely die. He asked me to go to the
sick man and tell him that John, the apostle of Christ, ordered him to go where he was,
and I went to the sick man and told him this: he immediately got up without having a
trace of it. Disease and went after me to where John, who said to him, —Tell your
companions that we must leave this place. — The newly healed, who had not eaten for
seven days and had been in grave danger He immediately suggested with joy to the
others to leave the place.

—As the whole crew watched this miracle, they fell at John—s feet, saying to him, —
Hear the whole earth is at your disposal, for you have proved to be a servant of the
true God. —John replied, — By no means, my children, and you must take me to
where you have been ordained, so as not to be punished by the emperor. —That same
day he baptized them all after having been catechized, and then we left for Patmos,
where on our arrival we entered a city called Flora, A city in which the officers gave us,
at the command of the emperor, at the hands of the governor, but they did not want to
leave us, but rather to stay with us. But John said to them: —my children, if you are
careful not to leave the grace that you have received, they will not harm you in any
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place. —They stayed with us for ten days and continued to receive instruction from
John, and then he prayed and blessed them, He gave them a wish that they should go
in peace, entrusting them to the hands of God, in whom they believed and to whom
they owed glory for eternity of ages. Amen.

The Writings of the Apostle John

—Through the grace and help of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the words of
divinely inspired John and the great signs and miracles that God worked, almost all the
inhabitants of Patmos began to believe. — At that time the emperor Domitian was
killed. Which had exiled us to Patmos, which was a penal colony, after which the
Roman throne was occupied by Nerva, who did not prevent the preaching of Christ or
persecuted those who believed in him. This young emperor had received a favorable
report On John and, with the annulment of the sentence of Domitian by the senate,
raised the sentence, reason why the Apostle was free to go wherever he wanted. As
John saw that almost all the natives already believed in Christ, he decided to return To
Ephesus. —When the faithful heard this, they gathered around us to pray with tears,
saying: — Father, we appeal to your goodness. Art forever with your children! —But
John comforted them, saying, —Do not do that, my children. Your tears really sadden
my soul; but you show no concern for others. Christ, in whom you believe, has
appeared to me and has directed me to return to Ephesus, to advise and help the
brothers there. —

—Seeing that they could not persuade John with his words, they stood at his feet and
begged him, saying, —O father and master, as you have decided to leave us forsaken,
we ask you to give us a recount on the incarnation and the So that we may always
meditate upon it and remain steadfast and immutable in the faith, in case any brother
may be deceived, by neglect, by Satan and follow him. —John answered them, —
Many things, my children, you have heard of me as to the dispensation and the signs
worked by the Son of God, which I have witnessed. Therefore, until you keep the
words of the Lord that he may give you eternal life. — The brothers begged him with
even greater force and tears, insisting that they would not leave the ground until he
acceded to his request. The Apostle was very moved by their tears and then said: —
my children, id to your causes, for by the commandment of the Lord your pious will be
satisfied. —After he had blessed them, all returned home.

Then John took me to a place outside the city, about a mile away, to a quiet place
called Katapavsis (which means —cessation—). There we went up to a high mountain,
where we stayed for three days. John spent time fasting and praying, begging God to
give the gospel to the faithful brethren. At the end of the third day he said to me: —
Prochorus, my son, go to the city to bring paper and ink. — Then I went there to fulfill
this order and then I returned. Then he said to me, —Leave the paper and the ink, son,
and return to the city, but come back here in two days—. I found John standing and
praying. Then he said to me, —Take the paper and the ink, my son, and stand to my
right. — I did as he told me. Suddenly there was thunder and lightning flashed, while
the mountain shuddered. Overwhelmed with fear I fell to the ground like a dead man.
And John stretched forth his hand, and lifted me up, saying, Sit at my right hand. Then
he returned to continue praying, after which he said: Prochorus my son, what you hear
from my mouth you must write it down on paper. Standing with his gaze directed to the
sky, he opened his mouth and began to say: —In the beginning was the Word, and the
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Word was with God, and the Word was God ....— and so it continued, he was stopped;
and I, sitting down writing. We stayed two days in that mountain where he was
standing talking and I sat and wrote. After the divine words of the Gospel, he uttered a
prayer and then we both descended from the mountain. We went to Sosipater—s
house, where they prepared the table and ate and rested.

—The next day, John said to Sosipater, —my son, make sure you find a good
parchment so that you can copy the Holy Gospel clearly.— Sosipater came to bring
parchment sheets and John said to me, —Sit here, my son, and write the Gospel with
a good letter. —Then I sat down and with great care and attention wrote it clearly.
Meanwhile, John ordained bishops and presbyters for the churches. After I finished
transcribing the Gospel , John took him to the church, and there, following his order, all
the brothers gathered together, and then he read it, and by his grace there was joy and
happiness, and he ordered the parchment to be copied exactly, so that they could stay
with him , And he could take a copy to Ephesus (according to Do sit he us, he wrote
the gospel 64 years after the Ascension of the Lord, but others point out that it was
thirty years, and then two years after he wrote the Apocalypses. St. Peter of
Alexandria also points out that the Gospel written by John was kept in the church of
Ephesus, where the faithful worshiped him. Then we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, after
which the people left. —

It is also known that St. John wrote the Apocalypse on the same island. Tradition
points out that one day John and his disciple Prochorus left the city to go to a grotto in
the desert, where they were together ten days and then he alone another ten days. In
these last ten days, he ate nothing, but only prayed to God, begging him to reveal what
he should do. From above came a voice saying to him, —John!.. John! — He
answered, —what do you command, Lord? — The voice from above said to him, —
Wait ten days and you will receive a much greater revelation John stayed there ten
more days without food. Then something wonderful happened: the angels of God
descended to him and told him many ineffable things. When he returned to Prochorus,
he sent him back to bring paper and ink, and for two days he told Prochorus the
revelations which he had made, and his disciple wrote them down.

The ancient ecclesiastical writers Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Irenaeus, and

Eusebius, confirm that the Apostle John wrote Revelation. The sacred text of the book
was given to him in what is now known as the Cave of Apocalypse. This cave is
currently hidden in the interior and underneath the buildings of the monastery of the
Apocalypse. This monastery was built in the 17th century to house the Patmias, a
theological school that was established on that date. These structures have since been
altered almost nothing. Buildings are composed of cells, classrooms, flowered
courtyards, staircases and chapels dedicated to Saint Nicolas, Saint Artemio and Saint
Ana. The cave itself was transformed into a small church dedicated to Saint John the
theologian. The old tradition, testifies to the presence of San John. In a corner there is
a place where he laid his head to rest, near there, there is the Uncle, where he put his
hand to rise from the stone floor in which he slept; Not far from there is the place where
he scattered the parchment; And at the door of the cave is the triple fissure of the rock
where he heard —a great voice like a trumpet. — The cave is small and dimly lit. Also
mention should be made to the Blessed Christdoulos (+1093), who founded the
monastery of St. John on the day in 1088, where he wanted to establish in Patmos —a
workshop of virtue.— Its relics lie buried in the monastery, where wonderful cures are
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performed. He is commemorated on March 16; and the translation of his sacred relics,
on October 21.

Return to Ephesus

—The next day, we said goodbye to the faithful, embracing all of them, those who
accompanied us, weeping and mourning, not wanting to turn away from this —sun—,
by whose teaching their land was enlightened. And we all set out on the voyage. At the
ship, there were many who traveled to different parts of Asia Minor. After fourteen
days; we disembarked to a distant city three miles from Ephesus. And upon learning of
this, the brothers came to meet us, which brought them an indescribable joy, and they
exclaimed, —Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!— John was received
with honor in that place and we all did not sit down to rest. After our departure,
Dioscoridas had passed away, so it was his son Domno who took us to his house,
where he laid the table and we enjoyed his hospitality and we rested. It was there
where we stayed; they came to visit us to receive the teachings of John, who guided
them along the path of salvation. John did not stop working, so little by little everyone
came to believe in his words. —

The Young man given to the Bishop

One cannot omit what Clement of Alexandria (+217 AD), on John, pointed out. When
he set out to preach in the cities of Asia, he met a young man who had a spiritual
inclination toward good deeds, for which St. John taught him and baptized him. As he
had to go forth to proclaim the Gospel, he first gave the young man to the bishop of the
city in confidence, so that this pastor could instruct him in all good things. The bishop,
taking charge of the young man, taught him the Scriptures, but he did not care for him
as he should; since he did not give him the kind of education that is required for a
young man, but, on the contrary, left him to his free will. Soon the young man began to
lead a different life began to get drunk with wine and to steal. Finally, he came to share
his lot with thieves, who, tempting him, took him to the deserts and mountains and did
his boss, then committing robberies on the roads. On returning after a certain time,
John went to the city, and upon learning that the young man had been spoiled and had
become a bandit, said to the bishop, —Give me back the treasure which I have left you
in custody, Trustworthy hands! Return me to the young man who gave you confidence
that you would teach him the fear of God! —Weeping, the bishop replied: — That
young man no longer exists: his soul is dead, but his body has become a highwayman.
—John said to the bishop, — Is this how you keep the soul of your brother? —Give me
a horse and a guide, so that I may go in search of the one whom you have allowed to
die.—

When John met the thieves, he asked them to take him to his chief, to which they
agreed. The young man, seeing John, was ashamed and began to run into the desert.
Without listening to his age, John followed him, shouting: —my son, return to your
father and do not despair of having fallen in this state! Stop your sins! — Because the
Lord has sent me to you. — He paused in his flight, and he stood at the foot of the
Sanctuary, trembling and deeply ashamed, not daring. To look up at Johns face. But
he embraced him with paternal love and kissed him, and then carried him back to the
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city, feeling the joy of finding the lost sheep. Then he taught him a great deal,
instructing him in repentance, for which the boy was struggling to please God, and so
he received the forgiveness of sins and rested in peace.

The last years

The Apostle John spent the last years of his life in strict asquetism. He took only bread
and water, did not cut his hair, and wore plain linen. Because of his age, he was not
strong enough to preach the word of God even in the neighboring places of Ephesus.
At that time he taught only the bishops of the church, whom he urged to teach
incessantly the Gospel to the people and especially to keep in mind and preach the
first and principal of the Gospel: the commandment of love. When the apostle began to
weaken, as the blessed Jerome relates, his disciples used to take him to church; but
he could no longer give long sermons. He then reduced his teaching to the incessant
repetition of —Little children, love one another.— One day, when His disciples asked
Him why He repeated this incessantly, John replied in the following words: —this is the
Lord—s command and if you do, it will suffice.—

Relics of Saint John

—On our visit to Ephesus, we stayed there for nine years and then spent our exile in
Patmos.— After twenty-six years had passed since we returned from Patmos to
Ephesus, John left the house of Domno and gathered seven of his disciples - I And
another six - and he said to us, —Take the swords into your hands and follow me.—
We did as he commanded us, and we followed him out of the city to a certain place,
where he commanded us to sit down. A quiet place and began to pray. It was very
early in the morning, the sun had not yet come out. After praying, he said to us: —Dig
with your swords a cross-shaped ditch, as large as I have. — And after he had finished
his prayer, he threw himself into the ditch we had dug and then said to me, —
Prochorus, my son, you must go to Jerusalem, where you will end your days.— Then
he gave us instructions and embraced us, saying, —Take you and then cover us with
it. —Then we embraced him again, and, taking a little earth, covered him only to his
knees. Once more he embraced us, saying, —Take more earth and cover me to the
neck. — Then we embraced him again and, taking more earth, we covered him to the
neck. Then he said to us, —Take a thin veil and place it on my face, and embrace me
again for the last time; because you will no longer see me in this life. —Then we
embraced him full of regret. While he made us farewell in peace, we, bitterly bewailing,
embraced the whole body. Just as the sun was just coming out he gave up his spirit.

On the other hand we want to mention here that, according to the divine Jerome, the
apostle and evangelist rested in the third year of the reign of Trajan, that is, the year
101 AD. This is 68 years after the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord. This is
confirmed by Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus and many other holy fathers of the
church. It is believed that he was about six to eight years younger than the Lord, which
suggests that he died at ninety-three or ninety-five years).

—Then we went back to the city, where they asked us about our teacher, and we
explained what had just happened, in a detailed way, they asked us to show them the
place, so we had to go back to the tomb together with the Brothers and sisters, but
 70

John was no longer there, only his sandals, and it was then that we remembered the
Lord—s words to St. Peter: —If I have him waiting for me, until I come, what is that for
you?— Then we all glorify God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom be
glory, honor, and worship, forever and ever. Amen.—

Every year, on the eighth day of May, fragrant myrrh (liquid) comes out of his tomb,
and prayers to the Apostle, the sick heal through them, for the honor of God who is
glorified in the trinity for the centuries of centuries. Amen.

Thesis on the martyrdom of John the Apostle

As with other oral or written traditions related to people of ancient times, there is no
documentary or archaeological evidence that the episode of the martyrdom of John the
Apostle not followed by death has taken place in Rome or Ephesus, or The result of a
later elaboration. There is also no direct evidence to disqualify it, so it all comes down
to hypotheses and arguments for and against, according to the authors. However,
there is an underlying question to the subject of John—s martyrdom itself: it is the
fulfillment of Jesus— prophetic phrase to the two sons of Zebedee: —the cup that I am
about to drink, you will drink and you will also be baptized with the Baptism with which I
am to be baptized. — This was investigated by Marie-Emile Boismard, who deepened
in numerous patristic and liturgical elements of interest.

Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that
of —Saint John Before the Latin Gate— on May 6, celebrating a tradition recounted by
Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian,
and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved
unharmed. A church (San Giovanni a Porta Latina) dedicated to him was built near
the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional site of this event The Orthodox Church and
those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite commemorate the —
Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian— on September 26.
On May 8 they celebrate the —Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the
Theologian—, on which date Christians used to draw forth from his grave fine ashes
which were believed to be effective for healing the sick.
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St. Jude Brother of the Lord

The Holy Apostle Jude was one of the twelve Apostles of the Lord, and he came from
the tribe of Judah, from whence David and Solomon descended. St. Jude was born in
the city of Nazareth, Galilee; was the son of the righteous Joseph, to whom the most
pure Virgin Mary was betrothed. According to tradition, the mother of Judas was
Salome, daughter of Hagai, son of Barakia, brother of St. Zechariah, the father of the
Holy Prophet John the Precursor of the Lord. Judas was brother of the Holy Apostle
James the Just, the first hierarch of the Church of Jerusalem. The Holy Apostle was
better known as Judas of James, ie brother of the Apostle James.

He preferred this nickname in accordance with his humility, because he considered

himself unworthy to be called brother of the Lord according to mankind, since he had
sinned before the Lord, first for his lack of faith and second for his lack of brotherly
love. The Holy Evangelist John the Theologian testifies to Judas— sin for his lack of
faith when he writes: —neither did his brothers believe in him— (John 7: 5). Explaining
this passage of the Gospel, the Holy Theophilactus interprets that the brothers
mentioned here are the children of Joseph. He says, —Even his brethren, the children
of Joseph (among whom was Judas) did not believe in him - that is, in Jesus. Where
does this disbelief come from Him (Jesus)? By their own foolish will and by their envy
because it is more common in people to envy their own relatives rather than strangers.
—Thus it is clear that Judas sinned against the Lord for his lack of faith.

Likewise, Judas also showed Christ his lack of brotherly love. When Joseph, when he
returned from Egypt, began to divide his land among his children born of his first wife,
he also wanted to give a part to the Lord Jesus, who was born supernaturally and
without blemish from the most pure Virgin Mary, He was more than a child. But three of
the sons of Joseph did not want Christ to receive a part, for he was born of another
mother; only the fourth son, St. James, accepted him as co-owner of his own part, so
that later he was called —Brother of Jesus Christ.— Conscious of his previous sins
because of his lack of faith and brotherly love, Judas did not dare to call himself
brother of Christ, but only brother of James, as he himself writes in his epistle: —
Judas, servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James —(Jude 1: 1).

Apart from being called this Apostle Judas of James, Judas also had other titles. The
evangelist Matthew calls him Lebeo and Thaddeus. These names were given to the
Apostle Judas with reason, because the name Lebeo means —fervent.— In the
Apostle Jude, this title would mean that, after having committed sins against Christ
God in his unbelief, he later came to believe in Jesus as the true Messiah, and joined
him with all his heart. The Apostle Judas was also called Thaddaeus, meaning —he
that giveth praise—; because he glorified and confessed Christ to God and proclaimed
the Gospel to peoples.

Little is known about the life and activities of the Holy Apostle Jude, apart from the fact
that he married a woman named Miriam. Apart from this, all that is known is that during
the reign of imperator Domecian (81-96 AD), two grandsons of Judas, who worked the
land with their own hands, were taken to the same emperor, for calumnies made by
heretics, because they were descendants of David and relatives of the Lord. But when
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the emperor made sure that they did not pose any political danger to him, they were
released.

Like the other —brothers— of the Lord, the Apostle Judas undertook many evangelical
tasks, spreading the Gospel of Christ. Shortly after the ascension to heaven of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Jude, as did all the other Apostles of Christ, set out to
preach the Gospel. The testimony of the ecclesiastical historian Nicephorus points out:
—The divine Judas, who had the double title of Thaddaeus and Lebeus, son of Joseph
and brother of James (who was cast from the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem),
preached the Gospel and First came the city of Edessa, which belonged to King Abgar,
where the Gospel had been preached to him by another Thaddeus, one of The
seventy Apostles. —There, the Apostle Judas undertook and concluded what had not
been completed by the other Thaddeus.—

There are some indications that presume that the Holy Apostle Jude also preached
Christianity in Persia, from where he wrote his universal epistle in Greek. The occasion
or reason for which he composed this epistle was the fact that these ungodly people
had been hidden among the community of believers, turning the grace of God into an
opportunity to sin evil, and under the guise of religious liberty, were allowed to commit
all kinds of abominable deeds. This brief epistle contains many deep thoughts and
much uplifting doctrine. In part it deals with dogmatic teachings: the mystery of the
Holy Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the difference between good and bad
angels, and the terrible judgment that is about to come; and on the other hand it deals
with moral teachings: the exhortation to avoid the impurity of sin - carnal injury,
blasphemy, pride, disobedience, envy, hatred, perfidy and wickedness. The Apostle
advises all to remain faithful in their duties, their faith, prayer and love; He advises us
to concern ourselves with the correction of the backsliders, to avoid heretics, whose
spiritually harmful morals clearly describe him, explaining that heretics will perish as
the people of Sodom (Jude 1: 7 et seq.).

Likewise, in his epistle, the Holy Apostle Jude points out that for our salvation it is not
enough to convert from paganism to Christianity, but that besides faith we need to do
good works that are appropriate for Christians and worthy of salvation; Then he cites
as an example the angels and men who were punished by God. To the angels who did
not preserve their dignity, God bound them with the eternal chains, plunging them into
darkness, leaving them thus to the terrible judgment (1:16). God also destroyed in the
wilderness the people he had brought from Egypt, because they did not believe and
fell into depravity, not living according to the law of God (1: 5). Thus, in a few words,
the Apostle Jude reveals great Truths in his epistle.

The Holy Apostle Jude visited many other lands, preaching the Gospel, converting
peoples to the Christian faith and guiding them on the path of salvation. By working in
this way, he came to the lands around Mount Ararat, where he converted from idolatry
a large number of people to Christianity. In doing this, the Apostle aroused displeasure
among the pagan priests against his person. They seized him and, after subjecting him
to numerous tortures, hung him on a cross and then speared him. Thus ended the
struggles and life of the Holy Apostle Jude, who departed to Christ the God to receive
from Him a crown of eternal reward in the heavens.
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When the rumor of the miracles and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ from Galilee to
Syria and the whole surrounding region spread, Luke traveled from Antioch to Galilee,
where the Lord had begun to sow the seeds of His saving teaching. These seeds
found a good soil in the heart of Luke and gave fruits a hundred times more. Saint
Luke was soon considered worthy of a place in the group of the seventy Apostles and,
after receiving the Lord—s travel instructions and power to work miracles, went before
the Lord Jesus Christ, preaching the imminence of the kingdom of God and preparing
the way.

In the final days of the earthly life of the Savior, when the Shepherd was slaughtered
and the sheep of his flock spread, Saint Luke remained in Jerusalem, mourning and
weeping for his Lord, who had voluntarily accepted the suffering. In all probability, Luke
also remained —distant— from the others who knew Jesus and looked at the crucified.
But soon his grief turned to rejoicing, for the resurrected Lord comforted Luke the very
day of his resurrection, deeming him worthy to see and converse with him, as Luke
himself points out in detail and vividly in his Gospel (Luke 24 : 13-32). Distressed by
21
the death of his Master, and doubting that he was resurrected, what Mirofora had

Mirófora, as —carriers of myron, Christian Tradition The Miróforas (Greek:

Μσροθόροι, Latin: Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены-мѷроносицы; Enruman,
mironosiţe: are the women mentioned in the New Testament who were directly
involved in the burial or who discovered the empty tomb that followed the
resurrection The term traditionally refers to the women who carried myrrh to the
tomb of Christ early in the morning and found it empty. In Western Christianity, the
terms commonly used are the two women in the tomb, the Three Marys, and even
(Matthew 27: 55-56,27: 60-61,28: 1 10, Mark 15: 40-16: 11, Luke 23: 50-24: 10,
John 20: 1-18) Sometimes also Joseph of Arimathea, John 19:38) and Nicodemus,
who lowered Jesus— body from the cross, embalmed him with myrrh and aloe,
wrapped him in clean linen, and placed him in a new tomb.-Matthew 27: 57- 60,
John 19: 39-42) If these people are included the term Or employee in Spanish
should be, by grammatical agreement, that of miróforos.
The traditional list of Miróforas is:
• Maria Magdalena
• Mary, the mother of James and Joseph
• Maria, the wife of Cleopas
• Martha of Bethany, sister of Lazarus
• Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus
• Juana, the wife of Chuza the intendant of Herodes Antipas
• Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee
• Susanna
Sometimes they are considered mirophores:
• Joseph of Arimathea
• Nicodemus
• Nicodemus (Greek: Νικόδημος) was a Pharisee and also a member of the
Sanhedrin, who is mentioned early in the Gospel of John, when he visits
Jesus to hear his teachings, but goes by night for fear John 3: 1-21). It is
mentioned again when he declares the teaching of the Law of Moses
concerning the arrest of Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7: 45-
51). He is lastly mentioned following the Crucifixion, when he and Joseph of
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informed him, Luke departed from Jerusalem to Emmaus in the company of Cleopas,
another disciple of the Lord. On the way to that city, he had the honor of becoming his
traveling companion, who is —the Way, the Truth and the Life.—The two disciples
walked and talked with each other when Jesus himself caught up with them and
walked with them, the Lord appeared to them, as the evangelist Mark relates, —
otherwise (Mark 16:12) And not in the manner in which they knew him before. —
Likewise, by the special providence of God, — but their eyes were bound — (Luke
24:16), so that they could not recognize the Lord that they had been they supposed
that his companion was one of the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast of
the Passover.

—What is it that they are talking together on the road and you are sad? — The Lord
asked them. —Are you a stranger in Jerusalem and do not know the things that have
happened there these days? — Cleopas asked in turn. —What things? — Jesus asked
again. —Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, with powerful actions and
words before God and all the people, and how the high priests and our rulers
condemned him to death by making him crucify, but we hope that he who has saved
Yes, and some of the women of our group made us astonish, they were early in the
tomb, and when they did not find the body of Jesus, they went out Saying that they had
seen a vision of angels, that they said that he was alive. Some who were with us went
to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see
Him.

Arimathea prepared the body of Jesus for burial John 19: 39-42. There is
an apocryphal titled the Gospel of Nicodemus that claims to be written by
him.

In the Eastern Church there is another icon different from the one of the Down to
Hell to reflect the mystery of the resurrection of Christ. It is the icon of women
Miróforas, the carriers of the oils -myron- that are the last gesture of love to the
deceased. They have arrived at the foot of the tomb after the end of the Sabbath
and are the first witnesses of the empty tomb. Among the icons that contain the first
announcements of the resurrection to women are those that echo the apparition of
the resurrected to Mary Magdalene, the well-known icons —noli me tangere—, the
—do not touch me— that Christ under Appearance of gardener says to Mary
Magdalene. Women are the first recipients of the Gospel message —Jesus
Nazarene is not here. He has risen. Look at the place where his body was. —They
are, at the same time, bearers of ointments and aromas, bearers of the good news
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This unique fact makes the dignity of women
enhanced in the Eastern Church with three beautiful names addressed to them:
mirophores, evangelists and Isapóstolas.,—Miróforas, as —carriers of myron the
perfumed ointment with which the corpses were covered in the grave; Evangelists,
for their role as bearers of the Gospel, of the good news of the risen Christ, kernel
of the kerygma; And finally, isapóstolas, that is to say, —equal to the apostles—,
because they were disciples of Jesus, they followed him in life, they are sent to
announce it and they can say, like Saint Paul, that the resurrected Christ has gone
out to meet him.
 75

Then the Lord said to them: —you fools and unbelievers of all that the prophets have
said. —Should not Christ have suffered these things and entered into glory? — Then
the Lord began to explain to them, beginning with Moses, passages of all the prophets
who spoke of Him in the Scriptures. Thus, conversing with the Lord, the disciples came
to Emmaus without even realizing it; And as their conversation was pleasant to them,
and his companion supposedly went to a more distant place, they asked him to stay
with them, saying, —Stay with us, for it is getting dark and the day is gone.—

In this way the Lord entered the village and stayed with them in a house. When he
reclined with them for supper, he took a piece of bread from the table and, after
blessing it, broke it and gave it to him. As soon as the Lord did this, His disciples
recognized Him immediately. In all likelihood, the Lord had previously performed this
action in the presence of his disciples; and they could have recognized him by the
wounds of the nails which had pierced his hands. But at that moment the Lord
disappeared before their eyes, who said to each other, —Did not our heart fail within
us, while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?— (Luke 24:
13-35).

With the desire to share their joy with the other disciples of the Lord, Luke and
Cleopas immediately left the food and left for Jerusalem. There they found the
Apostles and the other disciples who were gathered in a house, and naturally they
immediately announced to them that Christ had risen and that they had talked with
him. For their part, the Apostles confirmed to them that the Lord had really risen and
appeared to Simon. Then Luke and Cleopas narrated in detail everything that
happened on the road and how they had recognized Christ the Lord when he broke the
bread. Suddenly, in the midst of the conversation the same resurrected Lord appeared
before the Apostles, and granted them peace and calmed their troubled hearts. To
convince those who thought that what they were seeing was not only the soul of their
dead master, the Lord showed them the wounds that the nails had done to his hands
and feet, and then ate a little food. Then the evangelist Luke was again honored to
hear from the Lord an explanation of all that the Lord said in the Old Testament
Scriptures, receiving the gift of understanding the Scriptures (Luke 24: 18-49).

After the Ascension of the Lord, Saint Luke stayed with the other Apostles in
Jerusalem for a time; but later it went, according to the tradition, to Antioch, its native
city, where already there were many Christians. On his way to this city, he passed
through Sebaste, the main city of Samaria. There he proclaimed the good news of the
arrival of the Messiah, where he also found the intact relics of St. John the Baptist.
When it was time to leave Sebaste, Saint Luke wanted to take these remains with him
to his native land, but the Christians of the place, who earnestly honored the Lord—s
Baptist, were not allowed to remove the sacred relics. Then Luke drew only the right
arm, under which Christ bowed his head when he received the baptism of John. With
his invaluable treasure, Saint Luke came to his native land, to the great joy of the
Christians of Antioch, a city that he abandoned only after he became a traveling
companion and collaborator with the Holy Apostle Paul, who, in the words of several
ancient writers, was even one of his relatives. This happened during the second
missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. At that time, St. Luke and the Apostle Paul
traveled to Greece to preach the Gospel; But the Apostle left the holy evangelist with
the Gentiles, to establish and organize the church in the Macedonian city of Philippi;
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since then, Saint Luke worked for several years spreading Christianity in all those
places.

When the Apostle Paul again visited Philippi, at the end of his third missionary journey,
Luke left for Corinth, by order of the latter and at the request of all the faithful, in order
to collect alms for the poor Christians of Palestine. After completing the task entrusted,
St. Luke set out with the Apostle Paul to Palestine, visiting in his way the churches of
the islands of the Aegean archipelago, along the coast of Asia Minor, in Phenicia and
Judea. When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in the city of Caesarea of Palestine, St.
Luke remained at his side, not even leaving him when he was sent to Rome to be tried
before Caesar. Together with the Apostle Paul, he endured all the difficulties of his
voyage by sea, almost losing life. (Acts of the Apostles, chapters 27 and 28).

When arriving at Rome, the Saint Luke always remained next to the Apostle; likewise,
together with Mark, Aristarchus, and several other companions of the Apostles,
announced Christ in the principal city of the ancient world (this is inferred from the
information given in the Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon). In Rome, St. Luke wrote his
Gospel and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. In this Gospel he describes the
earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ, not only on the basis of what he himself saw or
heard, but also taking into account all that was given by —those who from the
beginning were witnesses and ministers of the Word— (Lk 1: 2). The Holy Apostle Paul
guided him in his task and subsequently approved the Gospel written by Saint Luke.
The Book of Acts of the Apostles was written in the same way, according to the
tradition of the Church, by order of the Apostle Paul.

After remaining chained for two years in the dungeons of Rome, the Apostle Paul was
released; He left Rome and went to visit the many churches he had founded before.
On this occasion Saint Luke was also his companion. However, shortly afterwards
Emperor Nero began a cruel persecution against the Christians of Rome, whereupon
Paul returned to this city, in order to be able to encourage, with his preaching and
example, the persecuted Church, to affirm it and to share with The faithful, if this
pleased God, the crown of martyrdom. Soon he was arrested by the pagans and
imprisoned again. Nor did St. Luke forget his master on this occasion; among all the
collaborators of the Apostles, he remained alone at his side during that period of time
so terrible that the Apostle was compared to a predestined victim to be sacrificed. —
Now I am ready to be offered,— he wrote to his disciple Timothy, —and it is very near
the time of my departure, for Demas hath forsaken me, loving this world, and hath
gone to Thessalonica, and to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. It is only with me — (2
Timothy 4: 6, 10-1).

It is quite probable that Luke also witnessed the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul in
Rome. After the rest of his teacher, Saint Luke spread the Gospel of Christ, according
to the tradition of the Church in Italy, Dalmatia, and Gaul and especially in Macedonia,
where he had worked for several years. He also evangelized Achaia, which borders
Macedonia.

When he was a very advanced age, the Apostle Luke embarked on a journey to distant
Egypt, where he worked hard and went through many afflictions for the Holy Name of
Jesus. First crossing all Libya, he arrived in Egypt, where in the Tebaida he converted
many to Christ. In the city of Alexandria he ordained Abilio as the successor of Annas,
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who had been ordained by the evangelist Mark and ministered for twenty-two years.
Upon returning to Greece.He established churches there again, chiefly in Boeotia,
ordained priests and deacons, and healed the sick with body and soul. Like his friend
and counselor, the Apostle Paul, St. Luke fought the good fight, concluding his journey
and maintaining the faith. At the age of eighty-four, he died as a martyr in Achaia,
crucified to an olive tree instead of a cross. His precious body was buried in Thebes,
the main city of Boeotia, where his sacred relics, which produced numerous cures,
were to be found only in the second half of the fourth century, which were later
transferred to Constantinople, capital of the Empire of East.

The site of the relics of the Holy Apostle Luke was known in the fourth century because
of the cures that were there. Thanks to them, numerous cures were made in which
they suffered from eye diseases. The emperor Constantine, son of the Holy Emperor
Constantine the Great, of the same kind as the Apostles, on hearing from the bishop of
Achaia that the body of St. Luke lay at Thebes, sent Artemius, then prefect of Egypt, to
transfer the relics From Santo Luke to the capital, a task that Artemio carried out with
great solemnity.

During the transfer of the sacred relics of St. Luke from the coast to the church, a
miraculous event took place. One of the Imperial Chamberlains, a eunuch named
Anatolius, suffered from an incurable disease. He had spent a great deal of money on
doctors, but without achieving results; however, when he approached the precious
relics of the Apostle Luke with faith in his miraculous power, he asked the Saint to heal
him. He approached the venerated reliquary of the Saint and helped to load it, as far
as he could. Then the evil left him before taking even a few steps. Rejoicing, he
continued to carry the precious reliquary to the church of the Holy Apostles, where the
remains of St. Luke were kept under the altar, together with the relics of the Holy
Apostles Andrew and Timothy. There, his remains became a source of miracles and
were venerated with special affection by Orthodox Christians.

The writers of the ancient Church point out that St. Luke was the first to paint the
image of the most holy Mother of God holding the pre-eternal Child, our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the pious desire of the first Christians. Then he also painted two other icons
of the most holy Mother of God, to whom he took them for approval. Upon seeing the
icons, she said: —May the grace of him, who was born of me, and my mercy be with
these icons!— Saint Luke also painted images of the pre-eminent Holy Apostles Peter
and Paul on tablets, thus being the initiator of the good work of iconography, for the
glory of God, the Depara and all Saints, for the decoration of the holy churches and the
salvation of the faithful who venerate them with devotion. Amen.
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Saint Mark the Evangelist is not counted among the first twelve apostles but do
seventy.

St. Mark, who was a Jew by birth, belonged to the lineage of the tribe of Levi, the
priestly caste, and lived at the beginning in Jerusalem. In Hebrew Marco was called
John (ie, Johanan); His most commonly used name, Marcos, is of Latin origin. He
added this name to his Hebrew name shortly before departing to a strange country,
when he went with the Apostle Peter to preach the Gospel in Rome at that time the
capital of the world. According to the tradition accepted by the Orthodox Church, which
is consistent with the testimony of many ancient writers (Origen, 3rd century,
Epiphanius of Cyprus, 4th century and others), he was one of the seventy disciples of
the Lord and, consequently, witnessed Of certain events in the life of the Lord Jesus
Christ.

In the same narrative about the betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of
Gethsemane, the evangelist Mark mentions a certain young man who, while all the
disciples of the Lord left him, followed only the divine Master, who was wrapped only in
a linen blanket; When the soldiers tried to stop him, he escaped naked, leaving the
sheet in their hands (Mark 14: 51-52). The young man—s dress reveals that he had
suddenly emerged in the middle of the night, listening to the crowd, undoubtedly of a
house belonging to the owner of the garden. Even in antiquity there was the tradition
that pointed out that this young man was none other than Mark himself and that the
garden of Gethsemane was his family. The Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles testifies
that the mother of the evangelist Mark, Mary, had a house in Jerusalem where the
Apostle Peter found refuge after his miraculous deliverance from the prison by the
angel (Acts 12: 1- 12). After the Lord ascended to heaven, during the persecution of
the Christians, this house served as a place where many of the converts to Christianity
could worship, and where several of the Apostles found refuge. Thus, in his mother—s
house, St. Mark could enter into permanent contact to converse with Christians,
participating in his prayer meetings; and related to the Apostles themselves. He formed
a particularly close relationship with the Apostle Peter, who showed him a love and a
disposition that were truly fatherly. This is apparent from St. Peter—s own words; for in
his epistle Mark calls his son, saying, —the church which is in Babylon, chosen
together with you, salute you, and Mark my son— (1 Peter 5:13).

St. Mark was the nephew of the Holy Apostle Barnabas, who was of Levitical descent,
though born on the island of Cyprus. Through him, St. Mark was introduced to the pre-
eminent Apostle Paul, who, after his wonderful conversion to the Christian faith, came
first to Jerusalem. In establishing a close relationship with these two pre-eminent
Apostles, Peter and Paul, St. Mark became his closest collaborator and kept his
orders.

In the year 44 or 45 AD, over the Christians of Jerusalem fell a heavy affliction. Due to
the growth of the Christian community in the holy city, the malice of the Jews, the
enemies of the Christian faith, increased tremendously. Inflamed by hatred of the
Christians, the Jews broke into their houses and plundered their belongings
mercilessly to such an extent that the faithful had to starve by force. On hearing of the
deplorable situation of the Christians of Saint-Simon, the .The loyals of Antioch
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immediately came to his aid; made a collection among them and handed over the
funds gathered in the hands of Paul and Barnabas, who at that time were in Antioch.
They entrusted the Apostles with distributing the money to the Christians of Jerusalem.
When they arrived there, Barnabas and Paul fulfilled the task entrusted to them by the
Christians of Antioch; but when they returned to this city, they took Mark with him.
Since then, Mark became the collaborator of Paul and Barnabas, undertaking the great
apostolic struggle to spread the good news of the faith of Christ to the Jews and
Gentiles alike.

St. Mark participated in the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas as his
closest assistant in the preaching of the Gospel. As they left Antioch, they sailed to the
sea city of Seleucia, and sailed from Cyprus to Cyprus, from Salamia to Paphos. In this
last city, the proconsul Sergio sent to call to Barnabas and Paul, with the intention to
hear from his lips the word of God. A Jewish sorcerer named Elimas, whose nickname
was Barjesus, tried to dissuade the governor from believing in the Lord. Mark saw with
his own eyes how, with only his word, the holy Apostle miraculously turned blind to the
sorcerer. Later Mark separated from the Apostles Paul and Barnabas in the city of
Perga and returned to Jerusalem, to his mother—s house.

Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, Mark joined the Apostle Peter and soon went with him
on an apostolic journey to preach the Gospel in Rome. By that time in the imperial
capital already there were Christian believers. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles
testifies that among those who witnessed with their own eyes the extraordinary change
that took place in the Apostles after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them and who
heard the first sermon of the Apostle Peter on Christ the Savior, There were Jews and
proselytes (Gentiles converted to Judaism) who came from Rome (Acts 2: 10-41).
Upon arrival in Rome, no doubt these people brought their faith in Christ and
transmitted it to others. Certainly, many of the Jews who lived in the populous Jewish
community of Rome went every year on the solemn holy days to Jerusalem, filled with
the teachings of the Gospel, and there heard preaching about Christ; Then returned to
Rome as Christians. Finally, Christians from all over the world traveled to Rome on
matters of government and other motives, since it was the capital of the Empire, and
favored the increase of those who believed in Christ there. Through his preaching and
his miracles, the Apostle Peter, with the help of St. Mark, extended and affirmed as far
as possible the Church of Christ in Rome, turning to Christendom a large number of
people, both Jews and Gentiles.

By listening to the holy words of the preaching of the Gospel from the lips of the
Apostles and being inflamed with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christians of Rome
were not satisfied with the Apostles— oral preaching about the Redeemer, Writing the
teachings they had heard. Then they approached the companion of the Apostle Peter,
St. Mark, and asked him earnestly to write down all the sacred words that he and Peter
had spoken about Christ the Lord and to leave them this Holy Scripture as a memento.
Mark committed himself to fulfill the good desire of the Roman Christians and wrote his
Gospel, in which, narrating the facts of the life of the Savior during his stay on earth, he
wrote down exactly what he remembered what the Lord had taught and Done, taking
great care not to omit anything he had heard or to change anything. He then showed
the Apostle Peter what he had done for him to review, which confirmed that the Gospel
written by Mark was the true one, approving it later to be read in the churches. Since
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then, the Gospel of Mark was accepted unopposed by all the Churches as a scripture
of apostolic and divine inspiration.

After working in Rome, St. Mark, by order of the Apostle Peter, went to preach the
Gospel in the city of Aquileia, which is at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. In this
rich city, which was called the second Rome, Mark established the Church; He also
visited other places along the Adriatic Sea to preach the good news of the Word of
God, founding churches everywhere. Then, again at the request of the Apostle Peter,
St. Mark traveled to Egypt to spread the Gospel. This happened in the ninth year of the
reign of Emperor Claudius (about 49 AD).

In Egypt, a pagan land adjacent to Palestine lived a large Jewish colony, whose origins
date back to the time of Alexander the Great and (Ptolemy). There they copied their
villages, their synagogues, their Sanhedrin, and even their temple to that of Jerusalem,
filled with priests and Levites according to the Mosaic Law. In Egypt, by order of King
Ptolemy Philadelphus, a translation was made of the books of the Old Testament
Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek, through which the pagans had access to the divine
revelation of the salvation of the human race. There, too, the remarkable fall of the
idols of one of the temples of Egypt, which according to the fathers of the Church,
accompanied the arrival of the most pure Mother of God, Saint Joseph the Bridegroom
and his son, Saint James, with the Divine Infant Jesus, who fled from the hands of the
cruel Herod, was still fresh in the memory of the people. Finally, even on this earth
there may be witnesses to the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles,
who carried the seeds of Christian teaching. All this prepared the ground firmly for the
inhabitants of Egypt to accept the teaching of Christendom, and give hope of great
success to the work of St. Mark. In fact, when Mark, the first of the Apostles to reach
Egypt, began to preach the Gospel, announcing to the people that they were free from
the devil, a great many men and women embraced faith in Christ from the very
beginning of his work.

The Holy Evangelist first stayed in the Cyrenian city of Pentapolis, where he worked by
announcing the teachings of Christ and establishing the Christian Church. There he
received an order from the Holy Spirit to go and preach the Gospel in Alexandria.
Obedient to the orders of the Holy Spirit, with all determination Marcos left quickly to
the new arena of his struggles. He told the brothers about the Lord—s command and,
after a farewell banquet with the Christians, he sailed from Cyrenia to Alexandria with
their blessing.

Alexandria arrived on the second day of his journey and after landing he departed to a
certain place called Medion. As he approached the gates of the city, his sandal split in
two, which he took as a favorable omen. After looking in the vicinity of a shoemaker to
repair used shoes, he gave her sandal to fix it. The cobbler, while working with the
sandal, accidentally introduced the spike in his hand; shouting in pain, invoked the
name of God. Hearing this exclamation, the Apostle rejoiced in spirit, seeing there a
sign that the Lord was giving him a good way.

The wound from the shoemaker—s hand was very painful and blood flowed copiously.
St. Mark spat on the earth and with it made clay, which he anointed on the hand of the
shoemaker, saying: —In the name of Jesus Christ, who lives forever, be healed!—
Immediately the cobbler—s wound closed and his hand healed. Realizing the power of
 81

the man in front of him, the effect of his words, and the purity and holiness of his life,
the shoemaker made a supplication to him, saying: —Man of God, I beg you to come
To my house and stay with me, your servant, even for a day, so that you may share my
food, because you have shown me mercy.—

The Apostle joyfully accepted his invitation and said, —Heaven give you the bread of
life, the bread of heaven. — Thus, the artisan, taking him by the hand, took him to his
house with great happiness. As he entered the house, St. Mark said, —May the
blessing of the Lord come to this place, O brothers, let us pray to God!— All together
they prayed to God, after which, when they were seated at the table, the cobbler,
lovingly beginning the conversation, asked: —Father, who are you, and where does
the power that is in your words come from?— St. Mark replied, —I am the servant of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.— The man said to him, —I would like to see
this Son of God.— St. Mark replied, —I will show you!— Then he began to speak to
him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to explain to him about the prophets what
they had predicted about our Lord. When he heard his words, the man said, —I have
never heard of the scripture you tell me. I have only heard of the Iliad, the Odyssey,
and what they teach the young Egyptians.— Continuing with his preaching of Christ,
St. Mark showed him with certainty that the wisdom of this world is —foolish— in the
sight of God (1 Cor 1:18:22). The cobbler believed everything that the San Marcos
told him, and after seeing the miracles that this one realized, it accepted the baptism.
Together with him he baptized his whole family, as well as a large number of people
from that place. The man—s name was Ananias. Day by day the number of loyals
grew.

The rulers of the city of Medion, upon hearing that a foreigner had come, blaspheming
their gods and preventing them from making the sacrifices that were usually offered to
them, tried to kill San Marcos, for which they gathered to plan how to arrest him. Upon
learning of his decision, St. Mark hastened to order Ananias as bishop for the faithful,
three priests - Maco, Sabino and Cedrono - seven deacons and eleven minor clerics
for the ministry of the Church; and then fled the city, returning to Pentapolis. There he
spent two years affirming the faith of the brethren there and ordaining bishops, priests
and clergymen to the surrounding regions and cities before returning to Alexandria. In
this place he found that the brethren had grown in number and were distinguished by
their grace and faith in the Lord. By that time there was in Alexandria a Christian
church that was built near the sea in a place called Búculo. Upon seeing the church,
St. Mark rejoiced, and after kneeling, he glorified God. The evangelist remained in
Alexandria for a long time. The Christians of that church grew in number to form a
large group and, as their faith grew, openly criticized the Greeks for their idolatry.
When he learned of St. Marks stay in the city and learned that he was performing
miracles - healing the sick, returning the deaf to the deaf, and seeing the blind - the
heathen authorities of the city raged with hatred and wickedness and they began to
look for him. Their efforts were in vain; at meetings in pagan temples, gnashed their
teeth and exclaimed with anger: —So many problems that this sorcerer and sorcerer is
provoking us!—

St. Mark founded the church in Alexandria, the main city of Egypt, where he was the
first bishop. There he worked hard to illuminate both the Jews and the Gentiles with
the light of Christ, who had hitherto lived in the darkness of idolatry. After leaving the
church of Alexandria in great order, consecrating to this and other surrounding cities
 82

bishops and other clerics, St. Mark departed from the land of Egypt. It is not known
where he went from there or whether he was present in Jerusalem for the Council of
the Apostles (50 or 51 AD). But when the Apostle Paul was with Barnabas at Antioch,
before he set out on his second missionary journey, St. Mark met with them, as the
Book of Acts of the Apostles attests, and he and his uncle set out for the land of this
Last, the island of Cyprus (Acts 15: 36-40). After working with Barnabas for a time to
spread the good news of Christ, Mark departed again to Egypt; but after spending
some time there, he returned once more to the Apostle Peter. Together they set out
again to various parts of Egypt, where they established churches. The Apostles also
had the opportunity to find a church in the city of Babylon (Numerous sources assume
that Babylon (1 Peter 5:13) refers to one of these three places: the ancient city on the
Euphrates, a nearby Egyptian village From Alexandria or, figuratively, to Rome.), From
which Peter wrote his first general epistle to the Christians of Asia Minor (1 Peter 5:13).
San Marcos remained in Egypt until the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Nero
(about 62 AD).

Subsequently, St. Mark met again with the Apostle Paul, becoming one of his
collaborators. While the Apostle Paul languished chained in Rome (from the years 61
to 63 AD), St. Mark and several others divided the evangelical work of the Apostle. In
his epistle to the Colossians, written at that time in Rome. The Apostle Paul refers to
Mark as one of his few associates for the kingdom of God who was a comfort to him at
that time (Col 4: 10-11; Phil 5.23). According to this epistle to the Colossians, at the
instruction of the Apostle Paul, Mark left Rome for Asia Minor, going to the Phrygian
city of Colossians (Col. 4:10), to counteract the false teachers they were carrying The
evil way for Colossian Christians (Col. 18-18).

It is not known where Saint Mark spent the following years. However, not long before
St. Paul—s martyrdom (about AD 67), St. Mark was in Asia Minor, specifically in the
city of Ephesus, the homeland of St. Timothy, bishop of the church of Ephesus. At that
time, the Apostle Paul, who was again in prison, wrote an epistle to Timothy in which
he sent for Rome to help him and also charged him with —bringing Marcus with him,
because it is helpful to him Ministry —(II Tim. 4:11).

In Rome, St. Mark witnessed the martyred end of both masters, the great and pre-
eminent Apostles of Christ, Peter and Paul, who suffered for their Master at the same
time in the imperial city; Paul, who enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizenship, was
beheaded with a sword, while Peter was crucified.

After the martyrdom of his great masters, the holy evangelist Mark traveled again to
Egypt to put in good order the church founded by him. He worked hard preaching the
Christian faith in Alexandria, which, as the capital of Egypt, was the first source of
Hellenic knowledge. In this city there was a famous library where pagan science
flourished; And as people came from all corners of the world, the city was full of
scholars, philosophers, orators and poets. Even the Jews, who lived in Alexandria in
great numbers, were attracted by pagan erudition. In order to affirm the faith of Christ
and to counteract the influence of the enlightened pagans and Jews, St. Mark founded
a school of Christian catechism in Alexandria. Later, this school would become a
source of Christian enlightenment and would gain renown because of the many great
teachers of the Church, such as Panteno and Clement, and several Church fathers,
such as Dionysius of Alexandria, Gregory the Thaumaturge and others who would
 83

leave her. Taking care to establish an order for the divine services of the Church, St.
Mark codified the ritual of the liturgy and gave it to the Christians of the Church of
Alexandria. This Eucharistic rite is preserved in that church until today.

After leaving the Church of Alexandria in order, the holy evangelist Mark, in his
concern to disseminate the teachings of Christ, did not fail to turn his attention to the
inhabitants of other cities and regions of Egypt, but as a strong and courageous
athlete, Led by the Spirit of God, with all diligence and concern traveled everywhere to
proclaim the doctrine of Christianity. He visited many lands in the interior of Africa, and
was also in Libya, Cyrenaica and Pentapolis, all of which were submerged in the
darkness of pagan idolatry. In cities, towns, and even uninhabited parts pagan temples
were built, in which idols were erected and magic rites, cartomancy and witchcraft were
practiced.

Passing through these cities and towns preaching the Gospel, St. Mark illuminated the
hearts of the people, who were plunged into the darkness of idolatry, with the light of
divine teaching, performing at the same time numerous miracles among them. Only by
his gracious word did he heal the sick, purify the lepers, and cast out impure and evil
spirits; while his preaching, accompanied by these great and wonderful miracles, was a
great success.

The pagan temples were destroyed, the idols collapsed and were shattered, and the
people cleansed and purified, being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit. In all places where the evangelist Mark was, churches of God were
built, and the Church of Christ flourished in Egypt. As a result of the holy words of St.
Mark—s preaching and under the influence of the exalted purity and sanctity of his
own virtuous life, the Christians of Egypt, through the action of divine grace, attained
such a degree of purity and perfection exalted in His own struggle for salvation, that his
life, brimming with sanctity of Christian virtue, became an object of great astonishment
and praise even to pagans and Jews of believers. Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea,
Palestine and Nicephorus Xantapulus, who were ecclesiastical historians, preserved in
their writings the testimony of a certain Philo, a Jewish philosopher contemporary with
the Holy Apostles, who, praising the virtuous life of Egyptian Christians, states: They
(That is, Christians) have abandoned all interest in transient wealth and do not even
care about their possessions, considering nothing earthly as their own or appreciable
for them.

Some, abandoned all interest in the things of this life, leave the cities and go to live in
lonely places and oases, avoiding the company of people who do not share their
conception about life, so that they do not make them hesitate In its virtue. They
maintain that abstinence and the mortification of the flesh are the only basis upon
which a good life can be founded. No one eats or drinks before the early hours of the
night, and some eat only every four days. Others, scholars in the interpretation and
understanding of the Divine Scriptures, thirsting for knowledge and nourishing
themselves with the spiritual food of the knowledge of God, spend their time studying
the Scriptures and often stop eating until the sixth day. None of them usually drink
wine and all avoid eating meat, adding only salt and hyssop (a bitter herb) to their diet
of bread and water.
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With them live women who have prepared themselves in the life of virtue and have
become so accustomed to this that they remain virgins until an advanced age. And
they keep their virginity not because they are compelled to do so, but of their own free
will, inspired by devotion and love of wisdom, which leads them to repudiate carnal
pleasures and to strive to obtain not mortal but immortal descendants, such as Soul
that loves and longs for God and is the only one capable of engendering. They explain
the Holy Scriptures in allegorical form, delving into their deepest and most hidden
sense and mysteries; because the Scriptures, in his opinion, are like a living entity, the
expression of his words constitutes his visible body, and the meaning and mysteries
that underlie this expression form his invisible soul.

They rise early to glorify and praise God, to sing and hear the word of God, men
separate from women. Some do not leave the fast for seven days. On the seventh day
they are kept with great veneration. When they prepare for it and their other holidays,
they lie down to rest on the bare ground. Divine services are performed by priests and
deacons, who are controlled by a bishop. —

This fragrant garden of Christ was planted and cultivated by the holy evangelist Mark
in the land of Egypt with his hard work. There, in Alexandria, he suffered and died, as
the first martyr of the Church in that city and province.

The sufferings and martyrdom of St. Mark are narrated by the blessed Simeon
Metafrastes, an ecclesiastical writer of the ninth century. He points out that when the
most splendid feast of the Hebrew Passover was on the 24th of April, also the feast of
the radiant Resurrection of Christ, which coincided with the feast of the false god
Serapis, the pagans were finally able to arrest St. Mark. On that day, the holy
evangelist was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, an occasion which the pagan wicked
found as an excellent opportunity; so, after meeting in a great crowd for their own
festival, they suddenly attacked the church. They seized San Marcos, bound him with
straps and dragged him through the streets and passages of the city, exclaiming: —Let
us take this ox to the trough!— However, St. Mark, enduring these torments, thanked
the Lord by saying: —I thank You, O Lord Jesus Christ, that you have honored me with
bearing these sufferings in your name.—

Then they dragged San Marco on the floor covered with sharp stones, so that his body
would be torn by them; and he was filled with wounds, and the blood, which flowed
copiously, stained the path. Thus lacerated, afterwards the pagans took the Saint to
the prison where they threw him, whereas in the first hours of the night they met to
decide the kind of death that would apply to him. At midnight the angel of the Lord
appeared to the martyred Apostle, in order to strengthen him to fight against
martyrdom in the hope of having an imminent blessing in heaven; then the Lord Jesus
Christ appeared to him, consoling him with his presence. The next morning, the wild
mob of pagans took the Apostle out of the dungeon and led him through the streets of
the city. The Holy One could no longer bear the wounds, so he soon rested, thanking
God, praying, —In Thy hands, O Lord, I give my spirit.—

The death of the Apostle did not satisfy the insatiable evil of the pagans, so they
decided to burn his body. The flame was scarcely lit when the darkness suddenly
came, a terrible thunder broke out, the earth began to tremble and began to rain and
hail, frightening the multitude and extinguishing the fire. The pious Christians collected
 85

the body of the saint with reverence and buried it in a stone tomb in the place where
they performed their services of prayer.

In 310 a church was built on the tomb of St. Mark, and its relics remained in Alexandria
until the ninth century. In AD 828, when Muslim domination and Monophysite heresy
had greatly weakened orthodoxy in Egypt, the relics of the Holy Evangelist were
moved to Venice, near where he had once preached the Gospel (in Aquileia). There
they rest until today, in the splendid church dedicated to him.

Also preserved there an ancient manuscript of the Gospel according to Mark, engraved
in a thin Egyptian papyrus, which, according to the tradition, was written by the same
evangelist. In year 828, relics believed to be the body of Saint Mark were stolen
from Alexandria (at the time controlled by the Abbasid Caliphate) by two Venetian
merchants with the help of two Greek monks and taken to Venice. A mosaic in St
Mark—s Basilica depicts sailors covering the relics with a layer of pork and cabbage
leaves. Since Muslims are not permitted to touch pork, this was done to prevent the
guards from inspecting the ship—s cargo too closely. Donald Nicol explained this act
as —motivated as much by politics as by piety—, and —a calculated stab at the
pretensions of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.— Instead of being used to adorn the
church of Grado, which claimed to possess the throne of Saint Mark, it was kept
secretly by Doge Giustiniano Participazio in his modest palace. Possession of Saint
Mark—s remains was, in Nicol—s words, —the symbol not of the Patriarchate of
Grado, nor of the bishopric of Olivolo, but of the city of Venice. — In his will, Doge
Giustiniano asked his widow to build a basilica dedicated to Saint Mark, which was
erected between the palace and the chapel of Saint Theodore Stratelates, who until
then had been patron saint of Venice.

In +1063, during the construction of a new basilica in Venice, Saint Mark—s relics
could not be found. However, according to tradition, in 1094, the saint himself revealed
the location of his remains by extending an arm from a pillar. The newfound remains
were placed in a sarcophagus in the basilica.
Copts believe that the head of Saint Mark remains in a church named after him in
Alexandria, and parts of his relics are in Saint Mark—s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral,
Cairo. The rest of his relics are in Venice. Every year, on the 30th day of the month
of Paopi, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the
consecration of the church of Saint Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint
in the city of Alexandria. This takes place inside St Mark—s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
in Alexandria.
In June 1968, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria sent an official delegation to Rome to
receive a relic of Saint Mark from Pope Paul VI. The delegation consisted of
ten metropolitans and bishops, seven of whom were Coptic and three Ethiopian, and
three prominent Coptic lay leaders.
The relic was said to be a small piece of bone that had been given to the Roman pope
by Giovanni Cardinal Urbani, Patriarch of Venice. Pope Paul, in an address to the
delegation, said that the rest of the relics of the saint remained in Venice.
The delegation received the relic on June 22, 1968. The next day, the delegation
celebrated a pontifical liturgy in the Church of Saint Athanasius the Apostolic in Rome.
The metropolitans, bishops, and priests of the delegation all served in the liturgy.
 86

Mark the Evangelist is represented by writing or sustaining his gospel. In tradition it is

symbolized by a lion - a figure of valor and monarchy. Some Christian legends refer to
St. Mark as —St. Mark the Lion—s Heart. — These legends say he was thrown to the
Lions and the animals refused to attack or eat him. Instead, the lions slept at his feet
as he caressed them. When the Romans saw this, they released him, impressed by
this vision, as the Lion in the desert; He may be represented as a bishop on a throne
decorated with lions; as a man helping Venetian sailors, he is often depicted holding a
book with —pax tibi Marce— written on it or holding a palm and a book. Other
representations of Mark show him as a man with a book or A parchment, accompanied
by a winged lion. The lion could also be associated with the Resurrection of Jesus
because the lions believed that they slept with open eyes, therefore a comparison with
Christ in his tomb, and Christ as king, another representation is rescuing Christian
slaves of Saracens.
 87

Saint Matthias Apostle, selected instead of Judas Iscariot Traitor

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The holy Apostle Matthias, a descendant of the tribe of Judah, was born in Bethlehem.
From his early childhood he began to study the sacred books and the law of God in
Jerusalem. Under the guidance of Saint Simeon the Receiver of God, Matthias was
instructed by him in the life of virtue. He lived a life that pleased God, strictly following
the path indicated in the commandments of God. The time came when the Lord,
having spent thirty years from the day of His nativity of the most pure Virgin Mary,
revealed Himself to the world after His Baptism by John. After gathering disciples, he
preached the coming of the kingdom of God, performing at the same time countless
miracles and signs. Matthias, hearing the teachings of Christ and witnessing his
miraculous work, was filled with love for him; And after abandoning the worries of this
world, he followed the Lord with the other disciples and the people, rejoicing at the
sight of the countenance of the incarnate God and in the ineffable joy of his teaching.
The Lord, to whom the most hidden movements of the human heart appear, seeing the
fervor and purity of soul of Saint Matthias, chose not only as a disciple but also for the
apostolic ministry.

At the beginning, St. Matthias belonged to the seventy Apostles, spoken of in the
Gospel. —The Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two in their faces—
(Luke 10: 1); However, after the voluntary passion, resurrection, and ascension into
heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Matthias was admitted into the company of the
twelve Apostles. After the fall of Judas from the choir of the twelve Apostles, as no one
had been chosen to take the place of this one, that group lost its fullness and with it the
right to be called of the twelve, therefore, Saint Peter, the preeminent Of the Apostles,
standing in the midst of the group of early Christians, addressed the faithful to how it
was necessary for them to choose someone to take the place of Judas, who had
separated and died: one who had been With the Apostles all the time that the Lord
Jesus had been with them; The company of the twelve closest Apostles, who had been
chosen by him, could be whole and unchanged. —And they appointed two, Joseph,
called Barsabas ... and Matthias. They prayed and said, —Lord, you know what is in
the hearts of all men, point to whom of the two you have chosen, Of this ministry and
apostleship, from which Judas fell for transgression, to go to his place. —And they cast
lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and was numbered with the eleven Apostles— (Acts
1: 23-26). This election was soon confirmed by the Lord in sending the Holy Spirit in
the form of tongues of fire, for he rested on St. Matthias as well as on the other Holy
Apostles, imparting grace to him in the same medium as the rest of the disciples of the
Lord.

According to some information, St. Matthias preached the Gospel in Macedonia, where
the Greek wicked, desiring to prove the power of the teaching proclaimed by the Holy
Apostle, arrested him and forced to drink the venom that deprives man of the vision.
However, St. Matthias, after choking the venom in the name of Christ, suffered no
harm and even healed more than two hundred and fifty people who had been blinded
by this poison, placing their hands on them and invoking the name of Christ. The
demon, unable to bear such reproach, presented himself to the pagans in the form of a
 88

young man and urged them to kill Matthias, because he wanted to abolish the worship
of their gods. When they went to seize the Holy Apostle, they sought him
unsuccessfully for three days; But the Holy Matthias, though he walked among them,
became invisible to them. Afterwards, the Holy Apostle presented himself to the
pagans who sought him and voluntarily surrendered to his hands; they tied him up,
locked him in a dungeon where demons appeared that made his teeth grind with rage.
But the next night the Lord appeared to him in a bright light, who, after encouraging St.
Matthias and releasing him from his bonds, opened the prison doors and released him.
At dawn, the Apostle stood in the midst of the people, preaching the name of Christ
with even greater courage. When several people, who were hard of heart and refused
to believe his preaching were enraged and wanted to hit him with their hands,
suddenly the earth shook and swallowed. Overwhelmed with horror, those who were
saved accepted Christ and were baptized.

Then the Apostle of Christ returned to his part, Judea, where he converted many of the
children of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ, proclaiming to them the Word of God and
confirming this with signs and miracles. By the name of Christ St. Matthias returned the
vision to the blind, hearing the deaf, life to the dead. He set the cripples standing,
purified the lepers, and cast out devils. Calling holy to Moses and exhorting all to keep
the law given to him by God on the tablets of stone, Saint Matthias at the same time
taught them to believe in Christ, who had been prophesied by Moses himself in signs
and prefigurations, announced By the prophets, sent by God the Father to save the
world and incarnated of the most pure and immaculate Virgin. Likewise, Saint Matthias
interpreted by pointing out that all the prophecies related to Christ were fulfilled in the
Messiah that had arrived.

At that time the high priest of the Jews was Ananias, who hated Christ and
blasphemed his name; was a persecutor of the Christians, who ordered to throw the
Holy Apostle James, brother of God, from the pinnacle of the temple killing him in this
way. When St. Matthias, who was going through Galilee, preached Christ the Son of
God in the synagogues of those places, the Jews, blinded by unbelief and wickedness,
were enraged; They seized the Holy Apostle and brought him to Jerusalem, where the
aforementioned Ananias, the High Priest, after summoning the Sanhedrin and calling
the Holy Apostle to trial, addressed the unconscious assembly, saying: —All the world,
And this assembly, knows the dishonor which our people have inflicted on themselves,
and not by our own will, but by the corruption of a few who have turned away from us
and by the insatiable self-interest, or rather the tyranny of the Roman prefects ... We
will not deprive you of the time to reflect, because we do not want its destruction, but
its correction. Let us choose one of two alternatives: or to follow the law given by God
through Moses and thus preserve his life, or that is called Christian and dies. —

In answering this, the Holy Matthias, raising his hands, said: —Men and brethren, I do
not wish to say much about the accusation they make against me. For me to call
myself Christian is not a crime, but glory. Said through the prophet (Isaiah) that in the
last days his —servants shall be called with a new man— (Isaiah 65:15). —The high
priest Ananias exclaimed: —is it not a crime to consider the sacred law as nothing, not
to honor God and to listen to empty stories of witchcraft? — —If you would listen to
me,— replied St. Matthias, —I would explain to you that the teaching proclaimed by us
is not full of myths and witchcraft, but that the very truth testified to the law long ago.—
 89

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were drawn to see which of them
would go to what country to preach the Gospel. Saint Matthias touched the lot of
Judea, where he worked through cities and towns, proclaiming the good news of the
appearance of the Savior of the world in the person of Jesus Christ. Subsequently, he
preached the name of Jesus not only among the Jews, but also among the Gentiles.
Tradition says that St. Matthias went to spread the good news of Christ to the
inhabitants of Ethiopia, where he endured numerous and diverse afflictions. The
pagans dragged him on the ground, bound him to strike him, hanging him from a pillar,
lacerating him with a sheet of iron and burning it with fire; but strengthened by Christ;
St. Matthias endured these torments with joy and courage.

According to some reports, Saint Matthias preached the Gospel in Macedonia, where
the Greek wicked, desiring to prove the power of the teaching proclaimed by the Holy
Apostle, arrested him and forced him to drink the venom that deprives man of the
vision. However, St. Matthias, after choking the venom in the name of Christ, suffered
no harm and even healed more than two hundred and fifty people who had been
blinded by this poison, placing their hands on them and invoking the name of Christ.
The demon, unable to bear such reproach, presented himself to the pagans in the form
of a young man and urged them to kill Matthias, because he wanted to abolish the
worship of their gods. When they went to seize the Holy Apostle, they sought him
unsuccessfully for three days; But the Holy Matthias, though he walked among them,
became invisible to them. Afterwards, the Holy Apostle presented himself to the
pagans who sought him and voluntarily surrendered to his hands; they tied him up,
locked him in a dungeon where demons appeared that made his teeth grind with rage.
But on the following night, the Lord appeared to him in a brilliant light, who, after
encouraging St. Matthias and releasing him from his bonds, opened the prison doors
and released him. At dawn, the Apostle stood in the midst of the people, preaching the
name of Christ with even greater courage. When several people, who were hard of
heart and refused to believe his preaching, were enraged and wanted to hit him with
their hands, suddenly the earth shook and swallowed. Overwhelmed with horror, those
who were saved accepted Christ and were baptized.

Then the Apostle of Christ returned to his part, Judea, where he converted many of the
children of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ, proclaiming to them the Word of God and
confirming this with signs and miracles. By the name of Christ St. Matthias returned the
vision to the blind, hearing the deaf, life to the dead. He set the cripples standing,
purified the lepers, and cast out devils. Calling holy to Moses and exhorting everyone
to keep the law given to him by God on the tablets of stone, Saint Matthias at the same
time taught them to believe in Christ, who had been prophesied by Moses himself in
signs and prefiguration, announced By the prophets, sent by God the Father to save
the world and incarnated of the most pure and immaculate Virgin. Likewise, Saint
Matthias interpreted by pointing out that all the prophecies related to Christ were
fulfilled in the Messiah that had arrived.

At that time the high priest of the Jews was Ananias, who hated Christ and
blasphemed his name; was a persecutor of the Christians, who ordered to throw the
Holy Apostle James, brother of God, from the pinnacle of the temple killing him in this
way. When St. Matthias, who was going through Galilee, preached Christ the Son of
God in the synagogues of those places, the Jews, blinded by unbelief and wickedness,
were enraged; They seized the Holy Apostle and brought him to Jerusalem, where the
 90

aforementioned Ananias, the High Priest, after summoning the Sanhedrin and calling
the Holy Apostle to trial, addressed the unconscious assembly, saying: —All the world,
And this assembly, knows the dishonor which our people have inflicted on themselves,
and not by our own will, but by the corruption of a few who have turned away from us
and by the insatiable self-interest, or rather the tyranny of the Roman prefects ... We
will not deprive you of the time to reflect, because we do not want its destruction, but
its correction. Let us choose one of two alternatives: or to follow the law given by God
through Moses and thus preserve his life or that is called Christian and dies. —

In answering this, the Holy Matthias, raising his hands, said: —Men and brethren, I do
not wish to say much about the accusation they make against me. For me to call
myself Christian is not a crime, but glory. Said through the prophet (Isaiah) that in the
last days his —servants shall be called with a new man— (Isaiah 65:15). —The high
priest Ananias exclaimed: —Is it not a crime to consider the sacred law as nothing, not
to honor God and to listen to empty stories of witchcraft? —If you would listen to
me,— replied St. Matthias, —I would explain to you that the teaching proclaimed by us
is not full of myths and witchcraft, but that the very truth testified to the law long ago.—

When the high priest gave his permission, Saint Matthias opened his mouth and began
to interpret the symbols and prophecies of the Old Testament in relation to Jesus
Christ; As God promised to the ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and James, to bring forth a
man from his seed, through whom all the tribes of the earth would be blessed, about
which David also speaks in the words of his psalm: In him shall all the tribes of the
earth be blessed; all the nations shall call him blessed —(Ps 71:17); How the unburned
bush announced the incarnation of Christ of the most pure Virgin, whom Isaiah
foretold, saying, —Behold, the Virgin shall conceive, and bear child, and call her name
Emmanuel— (Isaiah 7:14); That is, —God with us.— Moses also clearly proclaimed
Christ, saying, —The Lord your God will raise you up as a prophet of your brethren, as
I am: whom ye shall hear— (Deuteronomy 18:15). He also predicted the sufferings of
the Savior, when he lifted the serpent with the staff, Isaiah pointed out, —He was led
like a sheep to the slaughter— (Isaiah 53: 7); and —was counted with the wicked—
(53:12). The prophet Jonah, who came out unscathed from the belly of the whale, was
an announcement of the resurrection of the Lord on the third day.

These broad explanations of the Old Testament books that speak of Christ Jesus
infuriated Ananias so much that they speak of Christ Jesus, who could not control
himself, saying: —how dare you break the law? Do you not know the well-known words
—When there shall arise a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, in the midst of thee, and
shall give thee a sign or a wonder, and a sign or a wonder come to him, saying, —Let
us go after the gods of others; You did not know, and let us serve him ... that prophet
or dreamer of dreams, is to be dead ... ——(Deut 13: 1-5)?

Saint Matthias answered: —The one I speak of is not only a prophet, but the Lord of
the prophets, he is God, the Son of God, whose miracles testify. That is why I believe
in him and hope not to change my Confession of his Most Holy Name. ——If you give
yourself a moment to reflect, would you regret it? — Asked the high priest. —I hope
with all my heart and openly confess that Jesus of Nazareth, whom you rejected and
delivered to death, is the Son of God, the Son of God, Which is of an essence and
equally eternal with the Father, and I am His servant.
 91

Then the high priest stopped listening and gritted his teeth, saying, —The blasphemer,
the blasphemer, let him hear the law! — Immediately they opened the book of the law
and read the passage where it says: —Whoever that cursing God must bear his sin.
He who names the Lord must be stoned to death by all the congregation of Israel. —
(Lev 24: 15-16) after reading this passage, the high priest said to the Apostle of
Christ:— Your words testify against you; May your blood fall on your own head. —

Then the high priest condemned the Matthias to the death by stoning; and led the
Apostle to execute him. When they came to the place called Betlaskila, that is, the
house of those condemned to stoning, St. Matthias said to the Jews who had brought
him there, —Hypocrites! — The prophet David rightly said of such as yourselves: —
They will hunt the soul (Psalm 93:21) The same was said by the prophet Ezekiel of this
kind of men, who —announcing death to him who must live and life to him who must
die— (Ezekiel 13:19). ). After saying these words the Apostle of Christ, two witnesses,
as required by law, placed their hands on his head and testified that he had
blasphemed God, the law and Moses; and these were the first to throw stones at Saint
Matthias. The latter asked that the first two stones be buried next to him, as witnesses
of his sufferings for Christ. Subsequently, others also began throwing stones at him,
striking the Holy Apostle; He lifted up his hands and gave up his spirit into the hands of
his Lord. Then the wicked Jews added another insult to their torment; after the
martyr—s death, to please the Romans, they beheaded him with a sword, as if the
Apostle of Christ had been an opponent of Caesar. Thus, having fought in the good
fight, the Holy Apostle Matthias ended his march. The faithful people, after gathering
the body of the Apostle, caused him to be buried, sending glory to our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and
forever, forever and ever. . Amen.
 92

St. Paul is not counted among the twelve apostles.

The Holy Apostle Paul, who before his apostleship was Saul, was a Jew by birth, from
the tribe of Benjamin. He was born in Tarsus of Cilicia to where his parents, who
belonged to prominent families, had moved after living in Rome; they had the coveted
rank of Roman citizens, which is why Paul was also a Roman citizen. Apparently, the
first holy martyr Stephen was related to him, with whom his parents were probably sent
to Jerusalem to study the Law of Moses, where he was a disciple of the famous Rabbi
Gamaliel. His friend and study partner was Barnabas, who later became an Apostle of
Christ. When that friend converted to Christianity, he implored God incessantly to
enlighten Saul—s understanding and change his heart. While Saul primarily studied
the law of his parents, he became an advocate of it and joined the party of the
Pharisees (strict zealots of their heritage who boasted of their piety).

At that time, in Jerusalem and in the cities and lands of the region, the Holy Apostles
were striving to spread the good news of Christ; But because of this they often had to
enter into long discussions with the Pharisees and Sadducees, the latter of whom
rejected tradition and did not believe in the immortality of the soul; And also with all the
scribes and legal experts of the Jews, who hated and persecuted those who preached
Christ. Saul also detested the Holy Apostles and did not even want to listen to anyone
who spoke about Christ; He also mocked Barnabas, who had become an Apostle of
Christ, and blasphemed the Master. When the first holy martyr Stephen was stoned by
the Jews, Saul not only showed no pity for one of his own blood, who was condemned
in spite of his innocence, but approved his death and set guard over the garments of
the Jews who They threw stones at Stephen. Subsequently, after soliciting permission
from the chief priests and elders of the Jews, he attacked the Church (the community
of believers) in even greater anger, entering private homes and arresting men and
women whom he sent to prison.

Unsatisfied with persecuting the faithful in Jerusalem and perpetually threatening and
intimidating the disciples of Christ to death, he moved to Damascus with letters from
high priests to the synagogues, so that there he could even search for all those who
Believe in Christ, men and women, and then arrest them, take them back to
Jerusalem. This happened during the reign of Emperor Tiberius.

But when Saul was approaching Damascus, a bright and blinding light appeared
suddenly from heaven, which made him fall to the ground, and a voice was heard
saying to him, —Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?— Full of astonishment, Said to
him, —Who are you Lord?— The Lord answered him, —I am Jesus whom you
persecute: it is hard for you to kick against the sting.— Trembling and fearful, he said,
—Lord, what you want me to do it? —And the Lord says to him,— Get up and enter
the city and you will be told what to do. — (Acts 9: 4-6) the soldiers who went with Saul
also stood in astonishment, by the wonderful light, they heard the voice that spoke to
Saul, but they could not see anyone.

Obeying the Lord, Saul rose to his feet, but he could see nothing, though his eyes
were open; His eyes were blinded, but he began to see with the eyes of the soul.
Saul—s companions and assistants led him by the hand and carried him to Damascus,
 93

where he remained for three days, unable to see anything. In his repentance he ate
nothing, but rather devoted himself to praying without ceasing for the Lord to reveal his
will.

In Damascus there lived the disciple named Ananias. The Lord appeared to him in a
vision, ordering him to look for Saul, who was in the house of a certain man named
Judas, and to give him back the vision by touching his bodily eyes and also those of
the soul through sacred baptism. Ananias answered him, Lord, I know that many
speak of all the evil that this man has done to your Saints in Jerusalem; and here he
has the permission of the chief priests to arrest anyone who calls on Your Name. —
And the Lord said to him,— Go, for this is my chosen instrument, that I may bear my
name in the presence of the Gentiles; Kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show
him how much it is necessary for me to suffer for my name — (Acts 9: 13-16).

Then Ananias, as the Lord commanded him, went and found Saul, and putting his
hands on him, he immediately recovered his sight; when he rose, received the Baptism
which filled him with the Holy Spirit, and was consecrated for the apostolic ministry.
Saul began to preach immediately in the synagogues to the Lord Jesus Christ, saying
that he was the Son of God. All who heard him were surprised by the change of
attitude of the ancient persecutor of the Church of Christ, and they said to him: —Is not
this the one who ravaged Jerusalem in those who invoked this Name, and that came
here, to take them prisoners To the princes of the priests? — (Acts 9:21)

However, Saul, full of Holy Fervor, had an ever stronger faith and brought confusion to
the Jews living in Damascus by proving to them that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Then the Jews broke out in anger against him and plotted to kill him. For this they put
watch on the gates of the city day and night so that he did not escape. But the
Disciples of Christ who were in Damascus with Ananias, knowing about the Jews—
intentions, took Saul to a house that was built on the very wall of the city and made him
go down in a basket through a window. When he left Damascus, he did not go
immediately to Jerusalem, but moved to Arabia, as he writes in his Epistle to the
Galatians: —I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither did I go unto Jerusalem unto
them that were Apostles before me; That I went to Arabia, and returned to Damascus,
and after three years I went to Jerusalem to see Peter — (Galatians 1: 16-18).

When he arrived in Jerusalem, Saul tried to join the Disciples of Christ, but they were
fearful, not believing that he had become a disciple of the Lord. The one who believed
in him was the Apostle Barnabas, whose fervent plea had not left the merciful Master
unanswered. The newly converted Saul fell at the feet of his friend and implored: —O
Barnabas, master of the truth, I am now convinced of the truth of which you spoke to
me about Christ.— Barnabas wept for joy and embraced his friend and, taking him by
the hand, took him to the Apostles. Then Saul told them how he had seen the Lord on
the road to Damascus and how he had preached in the name of Jesus in that city. The
Holy Apostles were filled with joy and glorified Christ the Lord. Saul began to argue
even in Jerusalem with the Jews and Hellenes in the name of the Lord Jesus and
showed them that this was the Messiah that the prophets foretold.

One day, as he was praying in the temple, Saul was ecstatic and saw the Lord, who
said to him, —Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for you will not receive your
testimony from me.— Then Saul said to him, —Lord, they know that I imprisoned all
 94

the believers in the synagogues, and when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was
shed, I was also present and I consented to his death and I kept the clothes of those
who slew him.— But the Lord said to him, —Go, for I will send you away to the
Gentiles— (Acts 22: 18-21).

Despite this vision, Saul wanted to stay in Jerusalem for a few days, because he had
received the consolation of the conversation with the Apostles, but he could not do so.
The Jews, with whom he had had discussions about Christ, were very angry and
wanted to eliminate him. Knowing this, the Christians of Jerusalem accompanied him
to Caesarea, where he sailed to Tarsus, his native land; there he stayed for some time
preaching to his countrymen the word of God.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas came there and took Saul to Antioch of
Syria, knowing that he was appointed Apostle to the Gentiles. Preaching there in the
synagogue for a whole year, both converted many to Christ, who began to call
themselves Christians. At the end of the year, Barnabas and Saul returned to
Jerusalem and told the Apostles about what the Grace of God had done at Antioch,
which produced great rejoicing in the Church of Christ in Jerusalem. Moreover, they
brought with them generous alms from Christian donors from Antioch to help the poor
and needy brothers who lived in Judea; because at that time, during the reign of
Emperor Claudius, there was a great famine, which had been predicted by St. Agabus,
one of the seventy Apostles, through a special revelation of the Holy Spirit.

After Jerusalem, Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch. When they had stayed there
for some time, fasting and praying, in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and
preaching the word of God, the Holy Spirit sent them to preach to the pagans. He said
to the elders of the church of Antioch: —Separate Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which I have called them— (Acts 13: 2). Then the elders of the community, having
fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and sent them away.

Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul moved to Seleucia, where they
embarked to the island of Cyprus (native land of the Apostle Barnabas). There, in the
city of Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and
then traveled all over the island, even by Paphos. In the latter place, they found a
certain Elimas, a Jew whose nickname was Barjesus, who was a sorcerer and a false
prophet. This was related to the governor of that region, named Sergio Pablo, who was
an intelligent person and was apparently influenced by that one. The governor sent for
Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God and hear his
preaching. But Elymas opposed them, trying to keep the governor away from the faith.

Then Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him, said: —O,
full of all deceit and all wickedness, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will
you not cease to upset the ways Now therefore, behold, the hand of the Lord that go
against thee, and thou shall be made blind: and thou shall not see the sun for a season
—(Acts 13: 10-11). Immediately the darkness and darkness fell on the sorcerer, who
went from one side to another, looked for someone to take him by the hand. Seeing
what had happened, the governor began to believe completely; marveling at the
Lord—s teaching; with him many of his people also began to believe and, therefore,
the number of faithful grew.
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Leaving Paphos by boat, Paul and his companions arrived at Perga, which is in
Parnfilia, whence he departed to Antioch of Pisidia. There he preached about Christ;
but after he had converted many to the faith, the malicious Jews incited the principal
people of the city, who were idolaters, to cast the Apostles of the people and their
surroundings with their help.

Shaking the dust off their sandals, the Apostles went to Iconium, where they stayed for
some time and preached valiantly. Thanks to this, a great multitude of Jews and
pagans were converted to the faith, not only for their preaching, but for the signs and
miracles that they performed with their hands, it was there that they turned the holy
virgin Tecla (who is commemorated September 24) and promised it to Christ.
However, unbelieving Jews agitated the pagans and their leaders to confront the
Apostles and attack them with stones. Upon learning of this, the Apostles went away to
Lycaonia, to the cities of Lystra and Derba and its environs.

When they preached the gospel at Lystra, they healed a lame man of birth who had
never walked; In the name of Christ they set him standing, who stood immediately and
began to walk. Seeing this miracle, people raised their voices, saying in the Lycanonic
dialect: —Gods like men have come down to us— (Acts 14:11). Then they called
Barnabas Zeus, and Paul - Hermes. Then they brought oxen and garlands to them and
prepared to offer sacrifices to the Apostles. But when they heard this, they tore their
clothes, and they entered into the crowd and shouted, —Men, why do you do this? We
are also men like you, who tell you that from these vanities you should turn to the living
God who made The heavens, the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them —(Acts
14:15). Then they explained to the people the word of the one God, after which they
managed to convince her not to offer them sacrifices.

During their stay in Lystra, where they preached, Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived, who persuaded the people to leave the Apostles, shamelessly holding that
they said falsehoods, lying. They incited those who did not have a solid faith, who
stoned the Saint Paul, because he was the chief preacher, and took him out of the city,
in the assumption that he was dead. However, the Saint recovered when his disciples
surrounded him and returned to the city, but the next day he left for Derba with
Barnabas. After preaching the Gospel in that city and winning many converts, they
returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, to assert the soul of their disciples and exhort
them to remain faithful. They ordained priests in every church, prayed and fasted, and
committed the Lord to believers.

Later, passing through Pisidia they arrived at Pamfilia; And after preaching the word of
the Lord in Perga, they moved to Athaliah, where they embarked for Antioch of Syria,
where they were originally sent by the Holy Spirit to preach the word of the Lord to the
heathen. Once in this last city, they gathered the faithful and told them about what God
had done through them and the number of pagans who had converted Christ.

After a while, a discussion about circumcision arose between the Jews and the
Hellenes; some claimed that it was impossible to save without it, while others felt that it
was not necessary. That is why the Apostles had to go to Jerusalem to ask the
Apostles and the Elderly Elders what their opinion was on this matter and also to
inform them that God had opened the door of faith to the pagans. Upon learning of this
fact, the brethren of Jerusalem rejoiced greatly.
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When the Holy Apostles and priests met, they totally rejected the circumcision,
indicating that it was unnecessary under Divine Grace. They ordered Christians not to
be tempted by things sacrificed to idols, by blood, by drowning, and by fornication; so
as not to offend his neighbor. With this decision, the apostles and the elders, together
with the church, were happy to send Judas and Silas, chosen from among their
company, to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15: 20-22).

When they arrived at Antioch, the Apostles waited a long time before returning to the
Gentiles. Paul said to Barnabas, —Let us return and visit our brethren in all the cities
where we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are.— But Barnabas wanted
to be accompanied by his nephew John, who was surnamed Mark. However, Paul did
not think it was good to take him because he had abandoned them in Pamphylia and
had not helped them in their task. Then there was a disagreement, so they separated.
Barnabas took Mark, sailed to Cyprus; While Paul chose Silas, departed entrusted by
the brothers to the grace of God to Syria and Cilicia, where he confirmed the churches
(Acts 15: 36-41).

Then he moved to Derba and Lystra; in the latter city circumcised his disciple Timothy
to quell the murmurings of the Jewish Christians, and took him with him. Then he went
to Phrygia and to Galatia, from where he went to Mysia to try to go to Bithynia, but the
Holy Spirit did not leave them. When Paul and his companions met in Troas, in a
dream he saw a man who appeared to be from Macedonia, who stood before him and
begged him, saying, —Come to Macedonia to help us!— (Acts 16:9) Paul interpreted
this vision as the Lord was calling him to preach in Macedonia. First he sailed to Troas,
but the boat on which he sailed brought him first to the island of Samothrace; and on
the morrow he came to Neapolis, whence he proceeded to Philippi, a city which was a
Roman colony, and which was nearest to Macedonia. At Philippi, he first taught and
baptized a woman named Lydia, who sold purple cloths, who asked him and his
disciples to remain at home.

One day, when Paul and his disciples went to prayer, they encountered a Roman slave
girl possessed by a demonic spirit of divination, which reported considerable profits to
its masters because it predicted the future and found lost objects, which the devil saw
where they were. Following Paul and his companions, she said aloud: —These men
are servants of God the Most High, who proclaim to you the way of salvation— (Acts
16:17). So he continued to say for many days, which displeased Paul, who, turning to
her, said to the spirit, —I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of it.—
When they saw that their masters had ruined the source of their income, they seized
Paul and Silas, and brought them before the magistrates of the city, saying, —These
men, being Jews, make much more of our city, and teach customs that are not ours.
Lawful to receive or observe as Romans —(Acts 16: 20-21). The magistrates had the
apostles beaten with rods, after they had torn their garments, and after they had been
beaten, they were thrown into prison. But at midnight, when they both prayed, there
was an earthquake, and all the doors opened, and the bonds of the prisoners were
also released. The jailer, seeing this, began to believe in Christ and took them to his
house, where he washed his wounds.

He and all the members of his family were baptized immediately and prepared a feast
for the Saints, who then returned to prison. The next day, the city authorities, realizing
that they had cruelly punished innocents, sent the bailiffs to the prison with orders to
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release the Apostles so that they could go wherever they wanted. But Paul told them,
—We were publicly beaten without being condemned, being Roman citizens, and they
threw us into prison, and now they are casting us away covertly? (Acts 16:37) When
the magistrates learned of what Paul said, they were afraid that the prisoners they had
beaten were, in effect, Roman citizens.

They hurried to them and begged them to leave the prison and leave the city. Then
they left the place and went first to Lydia—s house, where they had been before, which
pleased the faithful who gathered there. Finally, they took leave of them and they left to
Arnfipolis and to Apolonia, from where they moved to Thessalonica.

In the latter place, when they had won many thanks to their evangelism, the evil Jews,
after gathering several ruined people, attacked the house of Jason where the Apostles
were staying. But as they did not find them there, they took Jason and several other
brothers and took them to the authorities of the city, accusing them of being against
Caesar and of recognizing another emperor named Jesus. However, Jason barely
managed to escape this danger.

However, the Apostles managed to hide from these infamous men and left
Thessalonica at night for Berea. Even there, the perversity of the Jews did not allow
Paul to be quiet. When the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was
being preached by Paul at Berea, they went there to stir up and instigate the people
against Paul. For this reason, the Holy Apostle was compelled to leave, not for fear of
dying, but at the insistence of the brotherhood, which asked him to preserve his life for
the sake of the salvation of many and accompanied him to the shore of the sea. The
Apostle left his traveling companions, Silas and Timothy at Berea, to confirm the newly
converted to the faith, since he knew that the Jews sought only his head. Then he
sailed for Athens.

In this city, Paul was dismayed when he saw the large number of idols that filled the
city and was grieved by the condemnation of so many souls. He began to quarrel with
the Jews in the synagogues and daily debated in the public squares with the Hellenes
and their philosophers. Those who listened to him took him to the Areopagus (place
where the superior court met to deliberate).

But the Saint Paul, having seen in the city an altar where he read the inscription: —To
the God not known, — began his announcement by reference to this and preached to
them about the true God, formerly unknown to them, saying: Therefore, that ye honor
without knowing it, this I declare unto you — (Acts 17:23). And he spoke to them of
God, the Creator of the whole world, of repentance, of judgment, and of the
resurrection of the dead. Some laughed when he spoke of the resurrection, but others
wanted to know more. However, Paul turned away from them, though not without
bringing good to some souls; as several began to believe in Christ, among whom was
Dionysius the Areopagite and a certain important woman named Damaris, as well as
many others, who were baptized.

From Athens, Paul moved to Corinth, where he stayed with a certain Jew named
Aquila; there also came Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, and they all proclaimed
Christ. Aquila and his wife Priscilla dedicated themselves to making tents, an office that
Paul also knew well, so that he worked with them, thus gaining his livelihood and that
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of his companions, as he himself points out in his epistle to the Thessalonians: —

Neither did we eat the bread of any one for nothing, but we labored and labored day
and night, so as not to burden any of you— (2 Thessalonians 3: 8). Elsewhere he also
points out: You yourselves know that these hands have given me my needs and those
who are with me — (Acts 20:34).

Every Saturday he exhorted the Jews in the synagogues, proving that Jesus was the
Messiah. But as they obstinately resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments
and said to them, —Let your blood be upon your head: I will cleanse myself from
henceforth to the Gentiles— (Acts 18: 6). But when he was about to leave Corinth, the
Lord appeared to him at night in a vision and said to him, —Do not be afraid, but speak
and do not remain silent, for I am with you, and no one will harm you, because I I have
many people in this city —(Acts 18: 1-10).

St. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, proclaiming the word of God to the
Jews and the Hellenes; many believed and were baptized, including Crispus, chief of
the synagogue, who began to believe in the Lord and was baptized with his whole
family. However, a group of unbelieving Jews attacked Paul and brought him before
the court of Gallio, who was proconsul of Achaia and brother of the philosopher
Seneca; But he refused to condemn the Apostle, saying, —If he had committed any
crime, or if he were involved in some evil act, I would have reason to hear and
condemn him, but I have no desire to act as a judge of any dispute over your doctrines
and laws. — And then he threw them out of court. But after a few days, the Holy Paul
took leave of his brothers and sailed to Syria with his companions. Aquila and Priscilla
followed, and all stayed in Ephesus.

Here, preaching the word of the Lord, the Holy Apostle worked numerous miracles; But
not only did his hands perform miracles, healing all illnesses only with his touch, but
even his handkerchiefs and garments that had absorbed the sweat of his body,
acquired this same miraculous power; For when these were placed upon the
mourners, they immediately healed them and expelled the unclean spirits of the
people. Seeing this, several itinerant Jewish exorcists began to invoke the name of the
Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, —I adjure you by
Jesus, whom Paul preaches.—

But the evil spirit answered them, saying, —I know Jesus, and I know who Paul is, but
who are you?— Then the man who was possessed threw himself upon the exorcists
and, after mastering them, acquired such power over them that he struck them and
wounded them until they barely managed to escape naked from the hands of the
possessed. When the Jews and the Greeks of Ephesus learned of this, fear seized
them and glorified the name of the Lord Jesus, and many began to believe in Him.
Even many sorcerers, after accepting the faith, cast their books of fire into the fire.
Spells; and when the price of them was calculated, they found that they were worth
fifty thousand drachmas. Thus the word of God grew mightily and spread.

Then Paul prepared to go to Jerusalem, and said, —after I had been there, I will also
have to go to Rome— (Acts 19:21). But in that there was a small revolt in Ephesus on
the part of the goldsmiths of silver, who made little temples of this metal for the
goddess Artemis. Once the revolt was over, St. Paul, who had stayed at Ephesus
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three days, departed for Macedonia, whence he went to Troas, where he remained
seven days.

On the first day of the week, when the faithful gathered to break the bread, Paul gave
them a long speech, because he planned to leave them the next day, and continued
until midnight; the meeting was held in an upper room, which was lit with many lamps.
Among those listening to him was a certain young man named Eutychius, who was
sitting at the window; But he fell asleep and fell out from the third floor. When he was
lifted he was already dead; But St. Paul came down and embraced him, saying to him,
—Do not worry, for his life is in him— (Acts 20:10). Then Paul went back upstairs, and
the rest went up to the living servant, and they were comforted not a few. After long
talk until dawn, the Apostle said goodbye to the faithful people and departed.

Arriving at Miletus, Paul wrote to Ephesus after gathering the elders of the church,
because he did not want to go there personally, unless he was delayed; because it
urged him to be in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. When the elders were present,
the Apostle gave them an instructive address, saying, among other things: —Look,
therefore, for yourselves, and for all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you
bishops, to feed the Church of the Lord , Which he gained by his blood —(Acts 20:28).
He then predicted that after their departure they would be attacked by ferocious wolves
who would raze the flock; And he also spoke of his own coming day: —And now,
behold, I am bound in spirit, I go to Jerusalem without knowing what shall befall me
there: but the Holy Ghost in all cities testifies to me, saying that prisons And tribulations
await me.

I regard no more than anything, nor do I esteem my precious life for myself; only to
finish my career with joy and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear
witness to the gospel of the Grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you
all, by whom I have preached the kingdom of God, shall see my face more. —(Acts 20:
22-25) There was a great cry of all, and lying about the neck Of Pablo, they kissed
him, very painfully by the words that he said that they would never see his face again,
they accompanied him to the ship, and he gave them a last kiss and began his
journey.

He passed through many cities and lands, both from the coast and from several
islands, visiting and encouraging the faithful, until arriving at Tolorneo, from where he
left for Caesarea Maritima, where he stayed in the house of the Apostle Philip, one of
the seven deacons. There one day the prophet Agabus came from Judea looking for
Paul; And when he found him, he took his belt and bound his hands and feet, saying,
—This is what the Holy Spirit says: —Thus shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind the man
of whom this girdle is, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles —(Acts 21:11). In
spite of this, the Holy Apostle Paul went to Jerusalem together with his disciples
(among whom was Trophimus, an Ephesus who had converted to Christianity from
paganism), and there he was received cheerfully by the Holy Apostle James, the
brother of the Lord, And for the whole congregation of the faithful people.

In those days, Jews came, who were implacable enemies of Paul and had always tried
to provoke disorders against him from Asia Minor to celebrate the feast of Pentecost in
Jerusalem. When they saw Paul in this city, along with Trophimus of Ephesus, they
complained against the Apostle to the chief priests of the Jews, as well as to the
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scribes and the elders, accusing him of violating the Law of Moses by not ordering his
Followers were circumcised and preached everywhere Jesus crucified. The authorities
were so upset that they decided to arrest him. During the feast, when they saw some
Jews from Asia to Paul in the temple of Solomon, they insulted him and shook the
people, and they rushed upon him, shouting, —Men of Israel help! Parts teach all
against the people, against the law and against this place, and have also brought
Gentiles into the temple and have contaminated this holy place. —For before they had
seen him accompanied by Trophimus, the Ephesus, whom they supposed that Paul
had brought into the temple (Acts 21: 28-30).

At the sound of the shouting, the whole city stirred and crowded. The crowd grabbed
Paul and threw him out of the temple, closing the doors immediately. They wanted to
kill him, but not in the temple, so as not to tarnish the sacred place. However, at that
moment, the news had arrived where the military commander of the city, which quickly
gathered his soldiers and centurions and left for the temple without delay. When the
people saw the commander and his warriors, they stopped beating Pablo. Then the
tribune took him and bound him with two chains of iron; only then did he ask who he
was and what he had done. The crowd shouted at the commander to have him killed;
but because of the commotion of the crowd, he failed to grasp what had been the
crime of Paul, so he had him taken to the fort. Numerous people followed the
commander and his soldiers, crying out for the death of the Apostle. When Paul came
up the steps of the fortress, he asked the commander for permission to address a few
words to the crowd, to which the latter nodded.

The Apostle stood on the steps and addressed the Hebrew people, saying to him in a
loud voice: —Men, brothers and fathers, listen to my reason that I now give you! —
(Acts 21:1). Then he began to tell them of his former zeal by the Law of Moses and
how he had been blinded by a heavenly light on his way to Damascus, and how he
had seen the Lord, who had sent him to the Gentiles. But the mob, not wanting to hear
more, began to shout to the commander: —Take a man like that from the ground, for
he should not live! — And when they had uttered their voices and cast their garments,
and cast dust into the air, the captain commanded to take him to the fortress, to
examine him with scourges, in order to know why they cried out against him. But when
they strapped him up, Paul told the centurion that he was present: —Is it lawful for you
to whip a Roman without being condemned?— Then the centurion went to tell the
commander, —Be careful of what you do, for this man is a Roman.— And he came
and said to him, —Tell me, are you a Roman?— He replied, —Yes, I am.— The chief
said to him, —I obtained this citizenship with a great sum.— (Acts 22: 22-28), Then he
immediately released him from his bonds.

The next day the commander ordered the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to come to
put Saint Paul before them. He, addressing the Sanhedrin, said: —Men and brethren,
to this day have I lived with all good conscience before God. — The prince of the
priests, Ananias, commanded those who were before him to beat him in the mouth.
Then Paul said to him, —God will strike you, wall in bank, and are you seated to judge
me according to the law, and command me to be smitten against the law?— (Acts 21:
1-3). Knowing that the council was composed of Sadducees and Pharisees, Paul cried
out, —Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: I am judged of the
hope and resurrection of the dead.— When he said this, there was a discussion
between the Pharisees and Sadducees, while the crowd was divided. The Sadducees
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say that there is no resurrection, no angels, no spirits; But the Pharisees confess both.
There was a bustling scream. The scribes, who were on the side of the Pharisees,
argued bitterly, saying, —we find nothing wrong with this man— (Acts 21: 6-9). But the
Sadducees held the opposite, and the discussion continued. Fearing that the council
will tear Paul apart, the chief captain ordered his soldiers to get him out of there and
take him back to the fort. The following night, the Lord appeared to the Holy One and
said to him, —Trust, Paul, since you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must
also testify in Rome— (Acts 23: 1).

When the day came, some Jews came together and swore they would not eat or drink
until they saw Paul dead. There were more than forty who had made this conspiracy
(Acts 23: 12-13). Seeing this, the commander sent Paul under a severe custody where
the procurator Felix, in Caesarea. The chief priests, Ananias, and the elderly members
of the Sanhedrin also moved to Caesarea to slander Paul before the procurator and
ask for his death; but they were not successful, because no fault was found to merit
the death penalty. The procurator, however, wishing to gain the sympathy of the Jews,
had the Apostle chained.

After two years, Félix was replaced like procurator by PorcioFesto. Then the prince of
the priests asked him with malicious intent to send Paul to Jerusalem, because he
hoped to murder the Apostle of Christ on the way. Festus, desiring to win over the
favor of the Jews, asked Paul, —Do you want to go to Jerusalem to be tried there
before me? — Paul replied, —I am before the judgment seat of Caesar where I am to
be judged, I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know, and if I had
wronged or committed something worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. There is
nothing that they accuse me, no one can take me to them. I appeal to Caesar! — (Acts
25:9-11). Festus, after conversing with his counselors, answered Paul, —If Caesar
appeals to Caesar, you will go— (Acts 25:12).

Some days later King Agrippa arrived in Caesarea to greet Festus; and when he heard
of Paul, he wanted to see him. When he stood before the king and the procurator, he
spoke to them in detail about the Lord Christ and how he came to believe in him; then
the king said to him, —You almost convince me to be a Christian. — Then Paul said to
him, —May God please you, that by little or by much, not only you, but also all who
hear me today, you were made as I am, except these bonds!— (Acts 26: 28-29). After
these words, the king, the procurator and those who accompanied them, retired to a
corner to deliberate, deciding later: —This man has not done anything worthy of death
or imprisonment.— Then Agrippa said to Festus, —This man could be released if he
had not appealed to Caesar— (Acts 26: 31-32).

So they decided to send Paul to Caesar in Rome, for which he was entrusted, along
with several other prisoners, to the centurion of an imperial regiment of July, who
embarked them and departed with them. The trip was full of dangers due to the
contrary winds; and when they docked on the island of Crete, in the port known as
Good Harbors, the Saint predicted the future, recommending the keepers to stay in
port until the winter was over. But the centurion believed more in the pilot and in the
owner of the ship than in the words of Paul. While on the high seas, there was a
stormy wind that raised great waves and there was so much fog that for fourteen days
they could not see the sun by day or the stars at night; They did not even know where
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they were, because the wave had dragged them; And in their desperation they did not
eat all those days and waited for death at any moment.

On board the ship were two hundred and seventy-six people. Paul said to them, —
Men, if you had listened to me and not set sail from Crete, you would have avoided all
this suffering and loss. But now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for no life will be lost,
but only the Last night an angel of God appeared to me, whom I belong to and serve,
saying, —Do not be afraid, Paul: you must be brought before Caesar, and behold, God
has given you all who sail with you.— Therefore, men, be of good courage, for in God I
believe that it shall come to pass as he told me —(Acts 27: 21-25). Then Paul
persuaded them all to taste food, saying, —This is for your health, for not a hair shall
fall from the head of any of you— (Acts 27:34). Then he took a piece of bread and,
giving thanks to God, broke it and began to eat it. Then they all had a better mood,
they ate too.

At dawn the day they saw land, but they did not recognize the place. They tried to
guide the ship to the shore, but they hardly moved it, it began to sink; Its bow remained
immobilized and its stern broke with the blow of the waves. The soldiers, then, decided
to kill all the prisoners, throwing them to the sea, so that no one escaped; but the
centurion, desiring to save Paul, prevented them from doing so, and ordered those
who knew how to swim to the water, to approach the shore. The rest managed as best
they could; some on planks, others on wreckage; But all came safely and were brought
out of the sea. They then discovered that the island was called Melita (the present
island of Malta). Its inhabitants, who were barbarians, showed them not a small
humanity, because, as it was raining and cold, they lit a fire to warm those who had
been wet in the sea. Meanwhile, Paul gathered a large amount of wood, which he cast
into the fire; in that, a serpent, which was moving away from the heat, jumped on his
hand. When the people saw the viper hanging from his hand, they said among
themselves, —Surely this man is a murderer, who escaped from the sea, justice does
not let him live— (Acts 28: 4). But Paul, shaking the viper in the fire, suffered no harm.
They waited when they had to swell or fall dead, but having waited long and seeing
that nothing happened to him, they changed their opinion and began to say that it was
a god.

The governor of that island, whose name was Publius, led the shipwrecked to his
house, where they stayed for three days. In those days, his father was ill with a fever
and suffered from dysentery. Then Paul healed him after praying to the Lord and laying
his hands on the sick. After this, all the sick of the island went to the Holy Apostle to be
healed.

Three months later, all the shipwrecked ones, including the Apostle, left in another ship
towards Rome, passing first by Syracuse and Puteoli. When the brothers who lived in
Rome heard of the arrival of Paul, they went to meet him, even reaching the place of
Appius and the Three Taverns. Seeing them, Paul felt comforted in spirit and thanked
God.

In Rome, the centurion gave the prisoners of Jerusalem to the captain of the guard, but
Paul was allowed to be alone, with a guard to guard him. Thus did the Apostle live for
two whole years, receiving all who came to him, preaching fearlessly and openly the
kingdom of God and proclaiming our Lord Jesus Christ.
 103

The book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by St. Luke, relates up to here the life and
work of Paul. His later labors and sufferings are counted by him in his second Epistle
to the Corinthians as follows: — (Compared with others, I was) in the most generous
labors, in lashes unspeakably suffered, in the most frequent prisons, in I was struck
three times with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, one night and
one day I was in the deep sea. Dangers in the wilderness, dangers in the sea, dangers
of false brethren, in labor and fatigue, in many vigils, in hunger and thirst, in many
fasts, in cold and in nakedness — (2 Corinthians 11: 23-27).

After crossing the length and breadth of the earth, on foot and by boat, the Apostle
Paul also came to know the heights of heaven, when he ascended into the third
heaven; Because the Lord, consoling his Apostle at the time of his most difficult labors,
which were made for his Holy Name, was astounded by the glory of heaven, which no
eye has seen, hearing secret words which man cannot say.

The way the Holy Apostle made the remaining struggles of his life and activities,
recounts the ecclesiastical historian Eusebio Pánfilo, in his second book —
Ecclesiastical History.— He points out that after two years of imprisonment in Rome,
St. Paul was released for his innocence, and preached the word of God in that city and
in other lands of the West.

St. Simeon Metafrastes writes that after his seclusion in Rome, the Apostle devoted
himself to spreading the good news of Christ. From Rome he went to visit Spain, Gaul
and all Italy, illuminating the pagans with the light of faith and converting them from
idolatry to Christianity. When she was in Spain, a certain noble and rich woman named
Xantipa, when she heard the Apostle preaching about Christ, wanted to see Paul in
person and convinced her husband, Probo, to invite him to their house to show him
your hospitality. When the Apostle entered their house, in the face of the Saint he saw
on his eyebrows written in golden letters the words: Paul the preacher of Christ. —
When reading this, although no one else could see it, she prostrated herself Before the
Apostle with joy and fear, confessing Christ as the true God and praying to be
baptized, Xantípa was the first to receive this sacrament, and was followed by her
husband, Probo, and all the members of his family, as well as by Filoteo, The
magistrate of the city, and many others.

After visiting all these lands of the West and illuminating them with the light of holy
faith, Saint Paul realized that his own martyrdom was approaching. Back in Rome, he
wrote to his disciple Timothy, saying: —Now I am ready to be offered, and the moment
of my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have gone my way, I have kept
the faith, The crown of righteousness is kept to me, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will give me in that day —(2 Timothy 4: 6-8).

The stage of Paul—s sufferings are variously quoted by ecclesiastical historians. Gayo,
ecclesiastical chronicler; Seferino, bishop of Rome, and Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth,
claim that the Apostles Peter and Paul were executed together on 29 June 67 AD in
the thirteenth year of Nero—s reign. They were held in the Mamertino prison in Rome,
from where they were taken out to be executed at the same time. At the entrance of
the Doors of the city, the guides of the Apostles said goodbye to these. Nícéforo
Calisto (+1350) - also writes that Saint Paul suffered next to Saint Peter the same day.
 104

St. Sofronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the chroniclers Justin and Irenaeus point out
that Paul was martyred one year after Peter, but on the same date, on June 29.

They claim that the reason for their death sentence was because, when he announced
Christ, he exhorted the maids and the women to embrace the life of chastity. However,
there is no great discrepancy; Because in the life of St. Peter (according to Simeon
Metafrastes), it is stated that St. Peter did not suffer immediately (after the death of
Simon Magus), but several years later; Because Nero—s twelve favorite concubines
converted to Christianity and chose to live in chastity thanks to the Apostle Peter. As
Paul also lived in Rome and in the nearby lands at the same time as Peter, it is likely
that he would help him in his fight against Simon Magus during Paul—s first stay in
Rome; And when he came to Rome a second time, he and Saint Peter helped the
salvation of men, teaching men and women alike to live a pure life of chastity. Thus the
Apostles awakened the wrath of the unbelieving emperor Nero, who led a depraved life
and condemned them to death, causing Peter to be executed as a non-citizen by
crucifixion on Janiculum Hill and Paul as a Roman citizen (Since it was forbidden to
execute citizens in a dishonorable way) by decapitation; If not in the same year, at
least on the same date. When the honorable head of St. Paul was cut off from the
wound, milk flowed with the blood. The execution was carried out a short distance from
the city, on the road to Ostia. His precious relics were buried by the faithful in the place
where he ratified his testimony with martyrdom.

When the Apostle was led by the soldiers for his beheading, a miracle took place
outside the city. He met a woman, named Perpetua, who was blind in the right eye.
The Apostle said, —Woman, give me your handkerchief, I will give it back to you when
I return. — The soldiers jokingly asserted: —O woman, you will receive it quickly.—
When they arrived at the place of execution, they covered the eyes of the Apostle with
this same handkerchief. What did God do to glorify His servant Paul? Invisibly, the
bloodstained handkerchief appeared in Perpetua—s hands. She rubbed her eyes with
him and was healed. When the soldiers came back and saw her healed, they also
began to believe in Christ and exclaimed, —Great is the God whom Paul preaches. —
When Nero learned of what had happened, he became terribly furious and
commanded the soldiers of one Perpetua was also apprehended, a heavy burden was
tied around her neck, and thrown into the Tiber River of Rome, by means of
decapitation, immolation, stoning, dismemberment, hanging, drowning, and skinning.

Thus was the chosen vessel of Christ, the teacher of all nations, the universal
preacher, the witness of the heights of heaven and of the beauties of paradise, the
object of rapture of angels and men, the great fighter and athlete, who endured in his
own flesh the wounds of his Lord, the pre-eminent Holy Apostle Paul. For the second
time, without his body, he was raised to the third heaven, where he took his place in
the light of the Trinity, with his friend and collaborator, the Holy and Predominant
Apostle Peter, being transported from the militant church to the triumphant church , In
the midst of joyous thanksgiving, raising the voices and joy of those who rejoiced; And
now, they glorify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God, whom all
honor, glorify, worship and thank, now and forever, forever and ever. Amen
 105

Saint Luke Evangelist

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Luke the Evangelist (Hebrew: ‫לוקא‬, transliterated Lyka or Liká, Syriac: ‫ ;ܠ ܘܩ ܐ‬Greek:
Λοσκάς, Loukás) is considered by the Christian tradition as the author of the Gospel
according to Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles. He was a disciple of Paul of Tarsus.
The Holy Evangelist Luke is not counted among the first twelve apostles; Luke was
born in the Syrian city of Antioch. His parents were not members of the Hebrew race,
at the same time the name —Luke— reveals in part that it is an abbreviated form of the
Latin name —Lucanus.— Likewise, in a passage from his Epistle to the Colossians,
the Holy Apostle Paul makes a clear distinction between Luke and —those who are of
the circumcision,— that is, the Jews (Col. 4: 10-15). In his own writings, however, Luke
demonstrates a profound knowledge of the Law of Moses and of the customs of the
Jewish people. From this we can conclude that Luke had already adopted the Jewish
religion before becoming Christ. In addition, in his native country, which was known for
his flourishing activity in the arts and sciences, Luke had developed his intellect with
numerous scholarly studies. From the Epistle to the Colossians of St. Paul, we deduce
that Luke studied medicine (Col. 4:14). Tradition also points out that he was a painter.
He undoubtedly received an excellent education in general, because of the quality of
the Greek used in his writings, which is much purer and more correct than that of the
other writers of the New Testament.

Is believed that Luke was a physician who was born in the ancient city of Antioch in
Turkey, although some experts and theologians think that Luke was a Jew of the
Diaspora. Luke is mentioned in the epistles of Paul, besides being a man of good
Greek education and of medical profession. Probably related to the deacon Nicholas (a
22
proselyte of Antioch). According to tradition, he was a member of the seventy-two
first apostles sent by Christ. In the writing of his Gospel Luke, he did an intense
investigation interviewing people, including the Apostles, and surely Mary, the mother
of Jesus, who witnessed these events, listed in the prologue of his Gospel, and that
the Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of it. His gospel is the longest and lucidly
written with the purified and balanced use of the Greek, only of a learned and learned
person could expect exact dates. Lucanus (Luke) became a Christian much later and
according to tradition he met Mary, the mother of Jesus, during a visit he made with
Paul.

Luke, revealing to us the intimate secrets of the Annunciation, the Visitation, and
Christmas, Luke makes us understand that he personally knew Mary, the mother of
Jesus that is why Luke cites the events of Jesus— childhood, and Luke Feelings of
Mary. —Mary, for her part, carefully kept all these things, meditating them in her heart,

The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples, known in the Roman and

the Eastern Christian traditions as the Seventy Apostles, Were early emissaries
of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1–24.
 106

— says Luke when the shepherds come to the manger to worship the newborn Jesus.
No doubt the exegetes agree on the hypothesis that it was the Virgin Mary herself who
transcribed the hymn of the —Magnificat—, which she raised to God in a moment of
mystical exultation and wisdom infused by the Holy Spirit in the encounter with his
cousin Isabel. Even a very old painting of Mary in the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome is
attributed according to tradition, to the apostle. Luke was a follower of Paul, —the
beloved physician.— Luke made many trips together with Saul of Tarsus on his way to
evangelization, so Paul was not a healthy man and perhaps he needed Luke—s help
for his travels.

Luke is a physician and a disciple of Paul. Perhaps he converted to the Christian faith
when Christians persecuted from Jerusalem and Caesarea sought refuge outside
Palestine, carrying the message. From the year 50 he accompanied Paul in his
missions. Perhaps it was in Greece that he wrote his gospel and the book of Acts. For
him they were the two halves of the same work, and in all likelihood both were
completed before the year 64 or 65. By that time Luke was in Rome where he had
arrived two years before accompanying Paul missionary. Luke points out that he went
to investigate the testimony of the first servants of the Word, that is, of the apostles.
More than once he went with Paul to Jerusalem and to Caesarea, where the first
communities kept the documents on which the first three Gospels were inspired. Luke
preserved, like Mark, the two great blocks on which this primitive catechesis was
based: Jesus— activity in Galilee and his last days in Jerusalem, but he inserted
among them the content of another document containing many words of Jesus.

Other documents of the first communities of Palestine provided the content of his first
two chapters devoted to the childhood of Jesus. Here is the testimony of the primitive
community of which Mary was part. These chapters give Luke—s gospel its own
character its starting point; If it were to be characterized by a word, it would have to be
said that it is the most human of the four Gospels. That profoundly human meaning of
Luke, we see for example in the care that he put to remember the attitude of Jesus
with regard to women. But then, since Luke had left his family to follow Paul
missionary, living in insecurity, he emphasized more than others the incompatibility
between the Gospel and possessions. Luke, a disciple of Paul, emphasized the words
of Jesus that remember that salvation is first of all, not the reward for our merits, but a
gift of God.

That is why he wanted to save the parables that illustrate the very amazing mercy of
23
God. Luke died at age 84 in Boeotia, according to a —fairly early and widespread
tradition—. According to Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos (Ecclesiastical History
14th century., Migne P.G. 145, 876) and others, Luke—s tomb was located in Thebes,
whence his relics were transferred to Constantinople in the year 357

St. Irenaeus confirms the authorship of the Gospel of Luke, —Matthew published his
own Gospel among the Hebrews in his own language, when Peter and Paul were
preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the church there. After his departure,

Michael Walsh, ed. —Butler—s Lives of the Saints. — (HarperCollins Publishers:

New York, 1991), pp. 342.
 107

Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself left us in writing the essence of
Peter—s preaching. Luke, follower of Paul, set in a book the gospel preached by his
teacher. Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also lay on his breast, produced his
Gospel while living in Ephesus in Asia. (Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 3, 3, 4)
 108

Saint Peter
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Saint Peter (Syriac/Aramaic: ‫ܐܦܐ‬ ݂ܵ ‫ܡܥܘ ܹ݁ܢܟ‬

ܿ ‫ܫ‬, ShemayonKeppa, Hebrew: ‫שמעון בר‬
ܸ
‫ יונה‬Shim—on bar Yona, Greek: Πέηρος Petros, Latin: Petrus; r. AD 30, between AD
64 and 68, also known as Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simōn pronunciation, according
to the New Testament, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, leaders of
the early Christian Great Church. Hippolytus of Rome, a 3rd-century theologian, gave
him the title of —Apostle of the Apostles—.
According to Catholic teaching. The Syriac or Aramaic word for —rock— is kepa,
which in Greek became Πέηρος, also meaning —rock—. He is also known as Simon
Peter, Cephas (Greek: Κηθᾶς).and Kepha (Hebrew: ‫)כיפא‬.Both Cephas and Kepha als
o mean rock. Catholic theologian Rudolf Pesch argues that the Aramaic cepha means
—stone, ball, clump, and clew— and that —rock— is only a connotation; that in the
Attic Greek petra denotes —grown rock, rocky range, cliff, grotto—; and
that petros means —small stone, firestone, sling stone, moving boulder—After the
death of Jesus, the figure of Peter is less precise. While several of the gospels, both
canonical and apocryphal - suggest that Jesus had been specially heeded (—in Luke
24:34— they said: —The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon—).
Resurrected to Peter), the testimonies are not always coherent. The Gospel of
Matthew does not re-name Peter after he denied knowing Jesus.
The author of Acts of the Apostles, however, presents Peter as a crucial figure of
Paleochristian communities; It is he who presides over the selection of the
replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1: 15-26) and who is publicly examined by the
Sanhedrin (Acts 4: 7-22, Acts 5: 18-42), after invoking the name of Jesus
Miraculously heals a man at the gates of the temple of Jerusalem, as well as
undertaking missions to Lydia, Jaffa and Caesarea and to be present at the Council
of Jerusalem, when Paul maintains that the message of Jesus extends also to the
Gentiles. Of Peter, however, was generally limited to the Jewish people unlike Paul
who preached to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) even though it was he who
baptized the first non-Jewish Christian at Caesarea because of a view held in
Joppa, The Centurion Cornelius and his people (Acts 9:31).

The author of the Acts, however, then focuses on the works of Paul; so much of
what is unknown in later years. According to the Epistle to the Galatians, he moved
to Antioch where Paul later found him (Galatians 2:11). The first Epistle to the
Corinthians suggests that Peter may have visited the city in his missions (1
Corinthians 1:12). Peter would have moved to Rome while Paul stayed in
Jerusalem. There he would have participated in groups of Christians already
established in Rome, however there is no evidence in the evangelical accounts.
According to other traditions such as those mentioned by Origen or Eusebius of
Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History (III, 36) Peter would have been the one who
founded the Church of Antioch, but there is no other evidence to verify it. Tradition
tells us that Peter ended his days in Rome, where he would have been bishop, and
that he died there martyred under the command of Nero in the Vatican Circus,
 109

buried a short distance from the place of his martyrdom and that at the beginning of
the fourth century the Emperor Constantine Ordered to build the great basilica
Vatican. Clement Romano, in his letter to the Corinthians, dates his death at the
time of the persecutions of Nero. The Gospel of John suggests, in his characteristic
allegorical style, that Peter was crucified. Since this was probably not written until
the second century, the testimony is less relevant. Peter of Alexandria, who was
bishop of that city and died about 311, wrote a treatise called Penance, in which he
says: —Peter, the first of the apostles, having been often taken and thrown into
prison and treated with Ignominy, was finally crucified in Rome. — Origen in his
Commentary on the Book of Genesis III, quoted by Eusebius of Caesarea, says
that Peter asked to be crucified upside down for not considering himself worthy to
die in the same way as Jesus.

Flavius Josephus relates that the practice of crucifying criminals in different

positions was common among soldiers. The text of 1 Peter 5:13, which sends
greetings from —the Church in Babylon— has been understood by some in the
figurative sense, as a sign that Peter wrote from Rome because of the fact that
ancient Babylon on the Euphrates was in ruins And the term —Babylon— would
have been used by the ancient Christian community to refer to the Rome of the
emperors (Revelation 17: 5). However, other scholars argue that there was no
reason to use cryptic terms to refer to Rome in a simple salutation and assume that
Babylon was indeed referring to a Christian community based in the ruins of that
otherwise densely populated city. In any case, it is conclusive evidence that when
Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans, Peter was not in Rome.

Peter was ordained by Jesus in the —Rock of My Church— dialogue in

Matthew 16:18. He is traditionally counted as the first Bishop of Rome—or pope—and
also by Eastern Christian tradition as the first Patriarch of Antioch. The ancient
Christian churches all venerate Peter as a major saint and as the founder of
the Church of Antioch and the Roman Church, but differ in their attitudes regarding the
authority of his present-day successors. The Orthodox Church of Antioch considers it
the first of its bishops in the apostolic succession. He played a leadership role and
was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few apostles, such as
the Transfiguration.

According to the gospels, Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, was part of Jesus—s
inner circle, thrice denied Jesus and wept bitterly once he realized his deed, and
preached on the day of Pentecost. His remains are said to be those contained in the
underground Confessio of St. Peter—s Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced in
1968 the excavated discovery of a first-century Roman cemetery. Every 29 June since
1736, a statue of Saint Peter in St. Peter—s Basilica is adorned with papal tiara, ring of
the fisherman, and papal vestments, as part of the celebration of the Feast of Saints
Peter and Paul. According to Catholic doctrine, the direct papal successor to Saint
Peter is the incumbent pope, currently Pope Francis.

Peter is Brother of Andrew, the first Apostle called by Jesus, the holy Apostle Peter,
whom the Lord first named as Simon, was the son of Jonah, a Jew of the tribe of
Simeon, and was born in Bethsaida, a small, little-known town of Galilee In Palestine.
He took the daughter of Aristobulus, who was the brother of the holy Apostle
 110

Barnabas, with whom he had a son and a daughter. Simon was simple and
uneducated; but impregnated with the fear of God; he observed all his
commandments, acting before him blamelessly in all his works. Simon was a
fisherman by trade; And as a poor man, he supported his family with his manual labor,
feeding his wife, his children, his mother-in-law and his old father Jonah.

Simon—s brother, Andrew, scorning the vanity of this tumultuous world, chose to
remain single; He went to St. John the Baptist in the Jordan, who preached repentance
(Matthew 3) and became his disciple. When he heard the testimony of his teacher
concerning Christ the Messiah and especially the words he uttered when he said to the
Lord, —Behold the Lamb of God, — Andrew left John, and with another of the
disciples of the Lord Baptist, followed the Lord by asking him, —Rabbi, where do you
live? — The Lord answered them, —Come and see, — and they went and saw where
he dwelt and stayed with him that day (John 1: 38-39).

The next morning, Andrew went to his brother Peter and said, —We have found the
Messiah, the Christ—; And brought him to him. When Jesus looked at him, he said to
him, —you are Simon the son of Jonah; you shall be called Cephas, which means a
stone— (John 1: 41-42). Immediately, Peter was filled with love for the Lord,
considering him to be the true Christ sent by God for the salvation of the world. In spite
of this, Simon did not leave his home, he did not forget his occupations, but he kept his
family giving him everything necessary for his sustenance; His brother Andrew also
helped him sometimes because of his old father. Thus they lived until the Lord called
them to the apostolic ministry.

One day, after the imprisonment of John the Baptist in Herod—s dungeon, the Lord
walked on the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Tiberias or Lake Gennesaret)
and watching Peter and Andrew throw their nets into the water. Said: —Follow me, and
I will make you fishers of men! — I teach the kind of fishermen I wanted to make them
through a miraculous representation of fish. When he stepped on Simon—s boat,
Christ commanded him to cast his nets, but Peter replied, —Master, having worked all
night, we have taken nothing, but at your word I will cast the net. — And having done
so, they enclosed a great multitude of fish, so much that the net began to break, which
was an omen of the spiritual condition of the Apostles; Because they would bring
salvation to many nations with the web of the Word of God. Seeing this miracle, Simon
Peter fell on his knees before Jesus, saying, —Depart from me, Lord, for I am a
sinner!— Fear seized him and all those who were at his side, because of the fishing
they had obtained. In answer to Peter who had asked him to go away, the Savior, on
the contrary, asked him to follow him, saying, —Come into me, and I will make you
fishers of men.— From that day, the Holy Apostle Peter followed Christ, as did his
brother Andrew and the other disciples who were called.

The Lord loved Peter because of his simplicity of heart. Once he went to his humble
house where his mother-in-law was prostrate with fever and whom he healed by
touching her. In the morning, when the Lord rose and went away to a solitary place to
pray, Peter and those who accompanied him, unable to separate themselves from the
Lord even for an hour, went after Him, searching anxiously for his beloved Master and
finding him , They said to him, —All seek you— (Mark 1: 30-37). The Holy Apostle
Peter did not turn away from the Lord, but remained at his side, delighting in the
contemplation of his face and his words, which were sweeter than honey. He
 111

witnessed the many and great miracles of the Lord, which clearly showed that Christ
was the Son of God, in whom he believed without a doubt. And just as he believed in
the truth with his heart, he also confessed salvation with his lips.

When the Lord went to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, —Who
do men say that the Son of Man is?— And they said, —Some say that you are John
the Baptist, some Elijah, and some Jeremiah, or some of the prophets.— And He said
to them, —But who do you say that I am?— And answering Simon Peter, said: —Thou
art Christ, the Son of the living God.— Considering that this true confession deserved
a blessing and a promise, the Lord said to Peter: —Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my father who is in heaven. I
say unto thee, that thou art Peter: and upon this rock I will build my church: and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it: and I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou bindest on earth shall be bound in The heavens, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven — (Matthew 16: 13-19).

Inflamed with an ardent love for the Lord, the holy Apostle did not want any harm to
happen to him; Therefore, when the Lord prophesied his own passion, he contradicted
him, saying in his ignorance, —Lord, have pity on you: in no way can this befall you. —
Although the words of the Apostle did not please Jesus, who had come to earth to
redeem the human race through His own suffering, they were nevertheless inspired by
an ardent love for the Lord. In them one realizes one of the innocence of the Apostle.
Hearing the reproach of the Lord: —Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art a stumbling
block, — his disciple was not angry or irritated; Nor did he forsake Christ the Savior,
but accepting repulsion with love, followed the Lord with even greater dedication
(verses 20-23).

One day many of the disciples, unable to grasp the meaning of the words of their
Master, said, —this is a hard word: who can hear it? — And then they forsook Him and
did not walk again with Him. Then the Lord Jesus said to the twelve, —do you want to
go also? — And Simon Peter answered him, —Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the word of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son of
the living God— (John 6: 53-69).

Possessed by so much faith and ardor for the Lord, the Holy Apostle Peter dared to
ask him to let him come with him over the water. The Lord did not forbid it. Then out of
the boat, the Apostle Peter began to walk in the water, going to Jesus. But as he had
not yet received the Holy Spirit, he lacked a firm faith, and he was afraid to see the
wind agitated, and when he began to sink, he cried out, —Lord, save me.— Jesus
immediately stretched out his hand and took it, saying, —Man of little faith, why did you
doubt?— (Matthew 14: 22-33). The Lord, who, in addition to saving him from drowning,
saved him from his lack of faith when he said: —But I have prayed for you, that your
faith may not fail— (Luke 22:32).

Together with two other Apostles, James and John, the Apostle Peter had the honor of
being chosen to witness the glory of the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, which was
revealed to them; and there they heard with their own ears the voice of God the Father
who descended upon the Lord Jesus from on high. The Holy Apostle mentions this in
his epistle: —For we have not made known unto you the power and the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, following fables by composite art: but as having seen with his own
 112

eyes his majesty: for he had received of God the Father Honor and glory, when such a
voice came to Him sent from the glorious glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased. —And we heard this voice sent from heaven, when we were with Him on
the Holy Mount— (II Peter 1: 16-18).

When the Lord approached his voluntary passion and his death on the cross, the
Apostle Peter demonstrated his zeal not only in words, when he said: —Lord, I am
willing to go with you to prison and to death— (Luke 22:33); But also with deeds, when
he drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malch, the high priest—s servant (John
18:10). Although God, in His providence, let Peter fall into sin three times, when he
denied knowing our Lord the Savior, He raised him up and set him on the right path of
repentance, united with a bitter lamentation (Matthew 26 : 69-75). St. Peter was the
first of the disciples who had the honor of witnessing the resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ, according to the Holy Evangelist Luke: —The Lord has truly risen and appeared
to Simon— (Luke 24:34); While the Apostle Paul writes the same: —He rose again on
the third day, according to the Scriptures, and appeared to Cephas, and then to the
twelve— (1 Corinthians 15: 4-5). Seeing the Lord, St. Peter was filled with
indescribable joy and received from him the merciful pardon of his sin. The three times
he denied the Lord were completely erased by the three confessions of love that he
made to the Savior, when he answered his three questions: —Son of Jonah, do you
love me? — With the answer: —Lord, You know all things, you know that I love you—
(John 21: 15-17). Then Christ elevated Peter to apostolic dignity, making him a
shepherd of reasoned flocks and symbolically entrusting the keys of the kingdom of
heaven.

After the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter, as pre-eminent among the
Apostles, was the teacher and preacher of the word of God, gaining for the Church in
one hour more than three thousand souls (Acts 2: 14-41) Manifesting even the great
power to perform miracles. When he went to the temple to pray, accompanied by St.
John, Peter saw a man who was a cripple by birth who was sitting at the entrance to
the temple, known as the Beautiful Gate; and when he saw them he asked for alms.
But both of them stared at him, saying, —Look at us.— He looked directly at them,
expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said to him, —I have neither
silver nor gold, but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
arise and walk.— He took his right hand and raised it; Immediately his feet and ankles
gained strength and leapt, he stood and walked, and entered with them into the
temple, walking and leaping, and praising God (Acts 3: 1-8). Thanks to this miracle and
to the preaching of the Apostle, about five thousand people began to believe in Christ
(Acts 4: 4).

Ananias and Sapphira his wife, who lived in Jerusalem, fell dead at the very word of
Peter, because they had lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: 1-10). In Lidda, a paralytic
named Aeneas, who had been lying in his bed for eight years, was healed by Peter,
saying to him: —Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you— (Acts 9: 32-34). In Joppa, he raised
a maiden named Tabitha (Acts 9: 36-42). And not only did his hands and words work
miracles, but also his own shadow: —so much that the sick were cast into the streets
and put them in beds and beds, so that Peter, at least his shadow touched some of
them —(Acts 5:15).
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After witnessing a vision of a canvas descending from the sky, full of quadrupeds and
reptiles, a voice commanded Peter to kill and eat them and not to consider as unclean
what God had purified. This vision was a sign of the conversion of the Gentiles to
Christ (Acts 10). The pre-eminent Apostle Peter was thus the first to open the door of
faith to the Gentiles, baptizing Cornelius, the Roman centurion at Caesarea.

The Holy Apostle once rejected a Samaritan sorcerer named Simon, who had
hypocritically received baptism and wanted to buy with money the gift of the Holy Spirit.
—Your money perishes with you, — he told the sorcerer, —that you think that the gift
of God will be won for money. — You have neither part nor lot in this business, for your
heart is not right before God. And pray to God, if perhaps the thought of your heart will
be forgiven you, for in the gall of bitterness and in the imprisonment of wickedness I
see that you are —(Acts 8: 20-23).

And at that same time King Herod—s hand was to mistreat some of the Church, and
he killed with the sword James, John—s brother. And when he saw that he had
pleased the Jews, he went forth to arrest Peter also. And the days of the unleavened
bread were, and he was taken prisoner; Handing over four quaternion soldiers to guard
him; Wanting to get the people out after Easter. So, Peter was kept in jail; and the
Church prayed to God without ceasing for him. But in the night, the angel of the Lord
freed him from his chains and brought him out of prison (Acts 12: 1-10).

The facts of the holy Apostle Peter which are mentioned here appear in detail in the
Holy Gospel and the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles, which are read in the churches
for the faithful to hear. In view of the lack of space, it is not necessary to take from the
books of the Holy Scriptures all that has been written about the Holy Apostle; Every
Orthodox Christian must know these books well. Concerning the evangelical work and
the struggles of the Apostle, which are generally not well known, St. Symeon
Metafrastes reads as follows:

From Jerusalem, St. Peter traveled to Caesarea of Palestine, where he consecrated a

bishop among the priests who followed him. After healing many in Sidon and
consecrating a bishop there, he went to Beirut where he also consecrated another
bishop. He then went to Byblos and from there to Tripoli from Phenicia, where he
passed by a certain scholar named Marcón, whom he also consecrated as a bishop for
the faithful of that city. From Tripoli he went to Ortosia, then to Antrada and to the
island of Aratos; and then to Balanea, Paltos, Gavalla and Laodicea. In this last place
he healed many sick people, expelled demons from the possessed and gathered the
faithful people in a church, where he consecrated a bishop for them. From Laodicea,
St. Peter went to Antioch, the most important city in Syria, where the three-time
accursed Samaritan sorcerer Simon Magus was hiding from the soldiers that Emperor
Claudius had sent to arrest him. Upon learning of the arrival of the Apostle, Simon
Magus retired to the region of Judea.

In Antioch, the Apostle healed many sick and, after preaching on the Triune God,
consecrated several bishops; among them, Marciano to Siracusa, in Sicily, and to
Pancracio to Taormina. The Holy One then left Antioch and went to Tiana of
Cappadocia, from where he departed to Galatian—s Ancira, where he raised a man
and built a church, after having catechized and baptized many, and appointed a
bishop. After Ancira, he left for Sinope de Pontus. It was here that his brother, the
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Apostle Andrew, met him; And together they taught the people. Then Peter visited
Amastris, in the middle of the province of Pontus. After remaining in Gangra of
Paflagonia, Claudiopolis of Ponto and Bitinia, and Nicomedia, the holy Apostle rested
for a time in Nicaea. In order to return to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, he returned
through Pesach, Cappadocia, and Syria. After having visited Antioch again, he finally
arrived in Jerusalem. During his stay in that city, the Holy Apostle Paul went to see
Peter, whom he had not seen for three years since his conversion to Christ, as he
mentions in his epistle to the Galatians: —Then after three years , I went to Jerusalem
to see Peter and there I stayed with him for a fortnight —(Galatians 1:18).

On that occasion, both Apostles also met with the other Saints and renowned
Apostles; and together they wrote the 85 canons of the ecclesiastical rules. After this,
St. Paul dedicated himself to the task for which he had been called and St. Peter again
visited Antioch, where he consecrated as a bishop Evodius, one of the seventy. He
then moved to the Phrygian town of Sinada and from there, again to Nicomedia, where
he consecrated as a bishop to Procoro, who, after receiving the episcopal rank,
followed St. John the Theologian. Being in llio, city that is near to Hellelesponto, after
arriving from Nicomedia, the Holy Apostle consecrated as bishop for that place to
Cornelio the Centurión, before returning to Jerusalem. There the Lord Jesus Christ
appeared to him in a vision, saying, —Arise, Peter, and go to the west: the time has
come for this to be illuminated by your preaching: I will always be by your side.—

Meanwhile, Simon Magus had been arrested by the soldiers who were sent to take
him, and took him to Rome to be punished for his actions. However, he deceived them
by confusing many with his magical art; and not only could he avoid punishment, but
he even began to be venerated by many who took him as deity. This precursor of the
antichrist so impressed with his witchcraft that even the Emperor Claudius himself
ordered the founding of a statue of the magician, which read the inscription —To
Simon the Holy God,— a work that was placed between the two bridges of the Tiber.
Justin the Philosopher and Irenaeus of Lyons write in detail about this. But let us return
to our history.

After telling the brothers about the vision he had had and visiting the church he had
established, the great Apostle said goodbye to them and returned to Antioch, where he
met with the Apostle Paul. There he consecrated the bishops Urbano to Tarsus;
Epaphrodite for Laucas: on the Adriatic; Apollo, Brother of Polycarp, to Smyrna; And
Figelo for Ephesus (of the latter is said to have entered into communion with Simon
Magus, after having deviated from the right way). From Antioch, St. Peter moved to
Macedonia, where he also consecrated as bishops to Olympus to Philip; Jason for
Thessalonica; And to Silas for Corinth, the last of whom he met with the Apostle Paul.
After consecrating Herodius, as bishop of Patras, he sailed for Sicily; and in Taormina,
spent a brief time with Pancracio, who was a very eloquent person. There, after
catechizing and baptizing a certain Maximus and consecrating him as bishop, he left
for Rome.

Once there, the holy Apostle preached in the squares and homes to God, the Father
Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the true God of the true God, and the
Holy Spirit, the Lord and Creator of Life. Many converted to the Christian faith, getting
rid of the deception of idolatry thanks to sacred baptism. Seeing this, Simon Magus
could not remain calm or conceal his malice towards the Apostle; and began to think
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how to humiliate the preaching of the Apostle by which the glory of the sorcerer was
reduced to nothing. He began by openly impeding the true teaching of the Apostle with
his false words and deeds. Shamelessly, he declared his opposition to San Pedro in
the middle of the city.

He deceived the people, inducing in them strange fantasies; Evoked apparitions that
seemed to precede and follow him, believing people to be dealing with the souls of the
dead; In the same way, he showed people who had risen, those who worshiped him as
god; Healed the lame, giving them back the ability to walk and jump. But none of this
was real, but rather an illusion, like the mythical Proteus, who was said to be capable
of taking various forms: sometimes he appeared with two faces, then he became a
goat, a snake, a bird , Or turned into fire; In a word, took any form to deceive the
credulous. However, the great Apostle of the Lord was forced to witness the events of
Simon, but his illusions vanished immediately.

When St. Peter learned that Simon called himself the Christ and performed great
miracles in the presence of the people, full of zeal for the true God, he went to the
sorcerer—s house; there he found at the entrance a large crowd that prevented the
Apostle from entering. Then Peter said, —Why do you keep me from entering the
sorcerer?— —He is no sorcerer,— some answered him, —but a mighty god, and he
has at his entrance his own guard who knows the thoughts of others.— Then they
pointed the Apostle to a black dog who was thrown to the door and said to him, —This
dog kills all those who think evil of Simon.— —I say what is true of him,— replied
Peter, —Simon is on the side of the devil.— And approaching the dog, the Apostle
said: —Go and tell Simon that Peter, the Apostle of Christ, wants to come and see
him.— The dog entered and, using human language, transmitted to Simon what the
Apostle had commanded him to say. All who heard the dog speak were amazed; But
Simon, for his part, sent with the dog the message indicating that Pedro had passed.
As soon as the Holy Apostle had entered the house, Simon tried to use his witchcraft
before the eyes of Peter and before the people.

But the Holy Apostle, with the help of the power of Christ, performed even greater
miracles. Of the many miracles he did, the ancient ecclesiastical historian Hegésippus,
who lived not long after the apostolic age, mentions one in particular. There was in
Rome a noble lady of the imperial dynasty, whose young son had died. The mother
lamented and cried inconsolably at her death; In that, those who comforted her
remembered the men who had appeared in those days in Rome - Peter and Simon
Magus - and how they were able to resurrect the dead. So they sent for Peter from the
house of Simon and Simon.

The boy—s funeral was attended by many important people and also a large crowd of
people from the village. Then the Holy Apostle took the opportunity to tell Simon
Magus, who was venerated by the people by his powers, that any of them that raised
the young, the doctrine of each would be recognized as the true. The people approved
the proposal of the Apostle. Trusting in his magical art, Simon addressed the crowd,
saying, —If I raise the boy, will Peter be put to death?— We will burn him alive before
your very eyes, —the people shouted, and then, approaching the coffin, the sorcerer
began with his Magic and, with the aid of the demons, made him appear as if the
young man was shaking his head.—Immediately the people started shouting that the
young man had risen and that he was alive and they went to the holy Apostle to burn
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him alive. He said, —If the young man is really alive, stop, talk and walk until there is
no doubt that Simon is deceiving them with his witchcraft.— The magician stood for a
long time at the side of the coffin invoking the power of the demons, but without
success, then he tried to flee from embarrassment, but the multitude prevented him
from doing so. He began to pray, saying: —O Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us
to raise the dead in your name, I beseech you to return the life To this boy, so that all
here present know that you are the true God and that apart from you there is no one
else, you who live and reign eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. —
Then he called the young man, saying,— Get up, boy! My Lord Jesus Christ has
healed you and brought you out of the dead. —The young man opened his eyes, came
out of the coffin and began to walk and talk.

This story of Hegésippus is enlarged by Marcellus the Roman, who at the beginning
was a disciple of Simon Magus, but later was illuminated by the Apostle Peter with the
sacred faith and the Holy Baptism. In his epistle to the martyrs Nero and Arquilius,
Marcelo refers to the young man who raised the Holy Apostle: —The young man,
falling at the feet of St. Peter, exclaimed:— I consider the Lord Jesus Christ, who sent
his angels to return me to the Life, thanks to your supplication, for my widowed mother.
—Then the whole crowd began to shout, — There is only one God and there is none
other than the one revealed by Peter. —Seeing this, Simon Magus tried to flee, His
head on that of a dog by the power of the demons, yet the people apprehended him,
some wanted to kill him by stoning him, while others thought to burn him alive. But the
Holy Apostle objected to this, saying: —Our Lord and Master Commands us not to pay
evil with evil; Let him go wherever he wants. The impotence of his sorcery is already
enough shame, offense and punishment for him. —Once free, - as Marcelo relates, -
Simon Magus came to me, assuming I knew nothing of the miraculous event. To a
huge dog and said to me: Watch if Pedro comes to you, as is his custom. An hour
later, the holy Apostle arrived at the house and released the dog, saying: —Go and tell
Simon Magus to stop fooling with His demonic power to the people for whom Christ
shed his blood.—the dog went and, as if it were a person, transmitted to him the words
of the Apostle. — When I heard this, —Marcelo points out, — I hastened to meet the
saint Peter and with honor I received him in my house, but I threw Simon and the
animal in. The dog, without damaging anyone else, threw it out and, picking it up with
his teeth, rolled it in the dirt. Window, St. Peter prevented the dog, in the name of
Christ, Touching the magician—s body, but the dog, although it did not touch the
magician—s body, tore all his clothes, leaving him completely naked. When the people
saw him, he began to shout at him, making fun of him and beating him, after which he
was expelled from the city with his dog. Of shame and humiliation, Simon disappeared
in Rome for a whole year, until Nero, who succeeded Claudius and was an atheist
ruler, heard some evil people worship the wicked sorcerer. Then Nero sent for him,
with whom his affection grew, and they became great friends.

It is said that Simon once commanded himself to be beheaded, with the promise that
on the third day he would rise from the dead; but instead of putting his head on the
scaffold, he put the one of a sheep, which had turned into human form; so the lamb
was beheaded instead of the sorcerer. But San Pedro was responsible for dissipating
this demonic illusion and exposing the deception of Simon; so all saw that it was not
the head of the sorcerer, but that of a sheep that had been cut. All the ancient writings
speak of Peter—s last victory over the sorcerer, in whom he died. Unable to defeat the
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Apostle by any means and unable to endure any more shame and humiliation, the
sorcerer announced that he would ascend to heaven. To do this, he gathered all the
demons who served him, and putting on a laurel wreath on his head, went to the
center of the city of Rome, to a high building. When he was angry, he addressed the
crowd from above, saying: —Romans, since you have remained in your ignorance until
now and have abandoned me to follow Peter, I will leave you, I will no longer protect
this city; I will command my angels to lift me up into their arms, as you will see, and I
will send upon you terrible punishments for not hearing my words, and not having
believed in my works.—

After saying this, he closed his hands and threw himself into the air; as it was held by
the demons, at first it was able to fly back through the air. The people, who were totally
amazed, said: —Flying with your own body in the air is something divine.— But the
Apostle began to pray to God in a loud voice, so that all would hear him: —O Lord
Jesus Christ, my God, reduces to nothing the deceit of this sorcerer, that those who
believe in you may not fall into temptation.— And then he exclaimed, —In the name of
my God, O demons, I command you not to hold it any longer, but to leave it where it is
now, in the midst of the air.— The demons immediately obeyed the Apostle—s
command and released Simon into the air. The miserable sorcerer fell heavily to the
ground, as did the demon when he was expelled once from the heights of heaven, and
his bones were shattered. The people who witnessed this then exclaimed: —great is
the God preached by Peter! Actually, there is no god but Him!— Despite his body
being destroyed, the sorcerer, according to divine providence, remained alive long
enough to realize the impotence of the unhappy demons and their own lack of power,
as well as to fill themselves with shame and understand the supremacy of Almighty
God. Simon lay on the ground with his broken limbs, enduring a permanent suffering,
but the next morning, he vomited his impure soul with pain and gave himself to the
hands of demons to drag him to where his father, Satan, in Hades. After this event, the
Apostle went up to an elevated part and, after asking for silence, began to teach the
people so that it recognized the true God; Thanks to his extensive preaching, turned
many to the Christian faith.

Upon learning of the humiliating end of his friend, Emperor Nero became very angry
with the Holy Apostle and wanted to have him killed. However, as Simeon Metafrastes
relates, the choleric emperor did not immediately perform his vile intentions towards
the saint, but waited several years. After the death of Simon Magus, St. Peter did not
stay for long in Rome. In this city, he converted and baptized many, established the
Church on a firm foundation and consecrated Lino as bishop, after which he left for
Tarraco in Spain, where he consecrated as bishop to Epaphrodites (not mentioned
above). Within Spain, he traveled to Sermio, where he consecrated as bishop for that
city to Epeneto, after which he moved to Cártago, in Africa, where he ordained
Crescensio as bishop. In Egypt, he also consecrated Rufus to Thebes. After
witnessing the revelation, she went to Jerusalem to be present in the Dormition of the
Most Holy Mother of God Mary, a fact that occurred eleven years after the Ascension
of the Lord. After returning to Egypt and traveling through Africa, he moved to Rome
and Milan, and finally to Fotia, where he ordained priests and bishops. When he
traveled to Brittany, where he remained for some time, he led many to the Christian
faith. There, the Apostle had a vision of an angel, who said to him, —O Peter, Apostle
of Christ, the time has come for you to depart from this life: you must go to Rome
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where you will receive the grace of Christ the Lord after Your crucifixion. — Giving
thanks to God, St. Peter remained in Britain a few more days after this revelation; and
there he strengthened the faith of the churches and ordained bishops, priests, and
deacons.

He also came to Rome for the third time, in the twelfth year of Nero—s reign. There he
consecrated Clement as bishop (whose memory is remembered on November 24).
This was Roman by birth and had royal blood. In his youth, his mother and two
brothers were caught in a storm at sea and lost their course. His father went on his
quest, but he also disappeared. Then Clement, who was twenty-four years old,
departed to seek his family. When he arrived in Alexandria, he met the Apostle
Barnabas and became a friend of the apostle Peter. This fact led him to discover his
two lost brothers, Faustino and Faustiniano, who were followers of Peter. Thanks to
divine providence, the Apostle managed to find both the father and the old mother of
Clement, who lived as a beggar. After reuniting, the family returned to Rome. As we
pointed out, Clement was consecrated as a bishop to assist in the administration,
although he could have refused, not wanting to carry that burden upon himself.
However, when he heard the admonitions of the holy Apostle, as an obedient son, he
bowed his head to receive the yoke of Christ, and with his teacher and other saints he
threw the chariot of the word of God. Many nobles and important people of Rome were
also enlightened with faith and sacred baptism.

In the house of Nero were two women who stood out for their beauty and whom he
loved more than all his other concubines. But they accepted the holy faith and resolved
to lead a chaste life, so that they no longer wanted to submit to the lustful desires of
the emperor. However, this shameless and insatiable fornicator was infuriated against
the Church by this, and especially with the Apostle Peter, who was responsible for the
conversion to women—s Christianity. Also recalling the emperor the death of his dear
friend Simon Magus, he began a persecution after St. Peter, trying to kill him. The
mentioned ecclesiastical historian Hegésipo indicates that when they looked for Peter
to execute it, the faithful prayed to this one, by reason of their common good, so that it
was hidden and left of Rome. The Apostle did not consent in any way to this, wishing
rather to suffer and die for Christ; But the faithful, with tears in their eyes, begged for
him to save his life, which was so necessary to the holy Church, being overwhelmed by
the waves of the tempest of tribulations caused by the unbelievers. Seeing the
imploring plea of his rightful herd, St. Peter promised to hide outside the city. On the
following night, after praying with his spiritual sons, the Apostle, said goodbye and left
alone. But when he had crossed the gates of the city, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ
coming toward him. Kneeling before the Lord, Peter said to him, —Where are you
going, Lord? —I go to Rome to be crucified again, — answered the Lord and then
disappeared. (Quo Vadis Domine)

Amazed, the Apostle understood that Christ, who suffers in his servants as in his own
members, also wanted to suffer in his body. El Salvador prophesied of the crucifixion
that would happen to Peter, when he said to him, —When you were younger, you
clothed and went wherever you wanted, but when you were old, you would stretch out
your hands, and another will cling to you and take you where you do not want to. — He
said this by saying what death he was to glorify God (John 21: 18-19). He says in his
second epistle to all Christians: —for it is my righteousness, while I am in this
tabernacle, to urge you with admonition: knowing that I briefly have to leave my
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tabernacle, as our Lord Jesus Christ hath declared me— (II Peter 1: 13-14). Therefore,
he returned to the faithful and was arrested by the soldiers and then was killed. St.
Simeon Metaphastes says that St. Peter was not taken alone, but with a large number
of faithful, among whom were Clement, Herodion and Olympus. The tyrant condemned
them to beheading, but he ordered the crucifixion of St. Peter. Taking care of the
condemned, the soldiers took them to the place of execution. As Clement was a
relative of the emperor, they took pity on him and set him free; But Herodion and
Olympus, who had come to Rome together with the Apostle Peter, were beheaded,
along with the multitude of the faithful. The Apostle asked that he be crucified with his
head down, saying: —I do not deserve to be crucified as my Christ did above, so was
crucified to see the earth, where I would descend to Hades to save the souls there.
Head down to see the sky, where I will go. — This was how the great saint of the Lord,
the Apostle Peter, rested, glorifying God with his death on the cross; Enduring the
terrible torment of nails in his hands and feet, delivered his immaculate soul into the
hands of God, June 29, 67 AD.

His disciple, the Apostle Clement, after requesting the body of St. Peter, took him
down from the cross, washed him, and after calling the remaining faithful and
clergymen, buried him with honor; Likewise, they also gave a decent burial to the
bodies of Herodion, Olympus and the others who suffered with him by glorifying Christ
the God who is forever glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Road to Rome: Antioch and Corinth

According to the epistle to the Galatians 2:11, Peter went to Antioch where Paul
rebuked him for treating Gentile converts as inferior to Jewish Christians (see
the Incident at Antioch). Galatians is accepted as authentic by almost all scholars.
These may be the earliest mentions of Peter to be written. Later accounts expand on
the brief biblical mention of his visit to Antioch.
The Liber Pontificalis (9th century) mentions Peter as having served as bishop of
Antioch for seven years and having potentially left his family in the Greek city before
24
his journey to Rome . Claims of direct blood lineage from Simon Peter among the old
population of Antioch existed in the 1st century and continue to exist today, notably by
certain Semaan families of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. Historians have furnished
25
other evidence of Peter—s sojourn in Antioch . Subsequent tradition held that Peter
26.
had been the first Patriarch of Antioch. According to the writings of Origen and
Eusebius in his Church History (III, 36) Peter would have been the founder of the
27.
Church of Antioch And —after having first founded the church at Antioch, went away
to Rome preaching the Gospel, and he also, after [presiding over] the church in
Antioch, presided over that of Rome until his death—

Louise Ropes Loomis, the Book of Popes (Liber Pontificalis). Merchantville, NJ:
Evolution Publishing. ISBN 1-889758-86-8 (Reprint of the 1916 edition).
This is provided in Downey, A History of Antioch, pp. 583–586. This evidence is
accepted by M. Lapidge, among others; see Bischoff and Lapidge, Biblical
Commentaries from the Canterbury School (Cambridge, 1994) p. 16. Lastly, see
Finegan, The Archaeology of the New Testament, pp. 63–71.
26
Origen—s homilies on Luke VI, 4. Patrologia Graeca13:1814
27
Eusebius. —Church History Book III, Chapter 36—. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
 120

After presiding over the church in Antioch by a while, Peter would have been
28
succeeded by Evodius , and after by Ignatius, who was a student of John the Apostle-
Eusebius of Caesarea, in his —Historia Ecclesiastica (I,12:2)— while naming some of
the Seventy Disciples of Jesus, says: This is the account of Clement, in the fifth book
of Hypotyposes (A.D. 190); in which he also says that Cephas was one of the seventy
disciples, a man who bore the same name as the apostle Peter, and the one
concerning whom Paul says, [When Cephas came to Antioch I withstood him to his
face.]— Galatians 2:11
The Clementine literature, a group of related works written in the fourth century but
believed to contain materials from earlier centuries; relate information about Peter that
may come from earlier traditions. One is that Peter had a group of 12 to 16 followers,
29
whom the Clementine writings name Another is that it provides an itinerary of Peter—
s route from Caesarea Maritima to Antioch, where he debated his adversary Simon
Magus; during this journey he ordained Zacchaeus as the first bishop of Caesarea and
Maro as the first bishop of Tripolis. Fred Lapham suggests the route recorded in the
Clementine writings may have been taken from an earlier document mentioned
30
by Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion called —The Itinerary of Peter— Eusebius
of Caesarea relates that when Peter confronts Simon Magus at Judea (mentioned in
Acts 8), Simon flees to Rome where the Romans got to regard him as a god.
According to Eusebius, his luck did not last long since God sent Peter to Rome and
31
Simon was quenched and immediately destroyed
An apocryphal work, the Actus Vercellenses (7th century), a Latin text preserved in
only one manuscript copy published widely in translation under the title Acts of Peter,
32
sets Peter—s confrontation with Simon Magus in Rome Peter might have
visited Corinth and maybe would have existed a party of —Cephas—.First
Corinthians suggests that perhaps Peter visited the city of Corinth, located at Greece,
during their missions. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, in his Epistle to the Roman Church
under Pope Soter (A.D. 165–174) declares that Peter and Paul founded the Church of
Rome and the Church of Corinth, and they have lived in Corinth for some time and
finally in Italy where they found death: You have thus by such an admonition bound
together the planting of Peter and of Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of them
planted and likewise taught us in our Corinth. And they taught together in like manner
33
in Italy, and suffered martyrdom at the same time .

Eusebius. —Church History Book III Chapter 36:2—. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
29
Homilies, 2.1; Recognitions, 2.1
30
Lapham, An Introduction to the New Testament Apocrypha (London: T&T Clark
International, 2003), p. 76
Eusebius. —Church History Book II, Chapter 14–15—. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
32
Lapham, Introduction, p. 72
33
Of Corinth, Dionysius. —Fragments from a Letter to the Roman Church Chapter
III—.
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Death of Saint Peter

According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero
Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own
request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.
34
Tradition holds that he was crucified at the site of the Clementine Chapel . His
remains are said to be those contained in the underground Confessio of St. Peter—s
Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced in 1968 the excavated discovery of a first-
century Roman cemetery. Every 29 June since 1736, a statue of Saint Peter in St.
Peter—s Basilica is adorned with papal tiara, ring of the fisherman, and papal
vestments, as part of the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, According
to Catholic doctrine.
In the epilogue of the Gospel of John, Jesus hints at the death by which Peter would
glorify God, saying —when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will
dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.— This is interpreted by some as
a reference to Peter—s crucifixion. Theologians Donald Fay Robinson and Warren M.
Smaltz have suggested that the incident in Acts 12:1–17, where Peter is —released by
an angel— and goes to —another place—, really represents an idealized account of
his death, which may have occurred in a Jerusalem prison in as early as 44 AD.

The Clementine Chapel, also known as La Clementina, is a particular Roman

Catholic chapel located within the underground necropolitan grottoes of Saint Peter—s
Basilica in Vatican City. It is the area where the relics of St. Peter were venerated in
early medieval times, before his skull was removed to be housed at the Archbasilica of
St. John Lateran. Open today for pilgrims, the site venerates the original pavonazzo
marble monument placed there by Emperor Constantine, and was used in early
medieval times to house the skull of St. Peter. Before the Clementine chapel was
constructed, the skull of St. Peter was housed in its original resting place in the graffiti
wall below the large tomb-like structure commissioned by Emperor Constantine. The
structure is visible behind the altar of the chapel.

The Clementine chapel was constructed by the order of Pope Gregory, due to the
original Constantinian monument not having a high altar, thus a new structure was
constructed around the Constantinian monument, and a more traditional high altar was
constructed above it in order to celebrate Divine Liturgy, and the Clementine chapel
was constructed at the back to be used as a place for the veneration of the skull of St.
Peter. The chapel is named in honor of Pope Clement VIII, who used the chapel as
his burial place and donated funds to install various religious mosaics that have been
preserved to this day. It is one of the two main untouched areas of Old St. Peter—s
Basilica, along with the chapel of the Niche of the Pallia. A notable feature of the
chapel are the ornate bronze sculptures located in the chapel commemorating certain
biblical scenes, along with its gilded cage in the central altar. According to a direct tour
and interview granted to History Channel by the Archpriest of the Basilica,
Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the chapel is the holiest site in the archaeological basilica.
The chapel itself is directly behind the present niche which is above the relics of St.
Peter, thereby the site correlates to the present high altar of Basilica today. The place
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where the recently discovered Bones of St. Peter are presently housed is not in
the niche of the pallia, nor the Clementine chapel but in their original resting place in
the graffiti wall. The skull of St. Peter which was first venerated in the Clementine
chapel. (After being moved there by Pope Gregory during its construction). Is now
housed in the golden reliquary above the high altar of the Archbasilica of St. John
Lateran, after being moved there in late medieval times.

35
The Muratorian fragment , dated to the second century A.D., notes that the primary
eyewitness to Acts, Luke, was not present at Peter—s death. However, early Church
Tradition says that Peter probably died by crucifixion (with arms outstretched) at the
time of the Great Fire of Rome in the year 64. The writings of the 1st century Church
Father Ignatius of Antioch refer to Peter and Paul giving admonitions to the Romans,
36
indicating Peter—s presence in Rome.Margherita Guarducci , who led the research
leading to the rediscovery of Peter—s reputed tomb in its last stages (1963–1968),
concludes Peter died on 13 October AD 64 during the festivities on the occasion of the
—dies imperii— of Emperor Nero.This took place three months after the disastrous fire
that destroyed Rome for which the emperor (Nero) wished to blame the Christians.
This —dies imperii— (regnal day anniversary) was an important one, exactly ten years
after Nero ascended to the throne and it was —as usual— accompanied by much
bloodshed. Traditionally, Roman authorities sentenced him to death by crucifixion.
According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, he was crucified head down. Tradition also
locates his burial place where the Basilica of Saint Peter was later built, directly
beneath the Basilica—s high altar.

The Muratorian fragment is a copy of perhaps the oldest known list of most of
the books of the New Testament. The fragment, consisting of 85 lines, is a 7th-
century Latin manuscript bound in a 7th or 8th century codex from the library
of Columban—s monastery at Bobbio; it contains features suggesting it is a
translation from a Greek original written about 170 or as late as the 4th century.
Both the degraded condition of the manuscript and the poor Latin in which it was
written have made it difficult to translate. The beginning of the fragment is missing,
and it ends abruptly. The fragment consists of all that remains of a section of a list
of all the works that were accepted as canonical by the churches known to its
original compiler. It was discovered in the Ambrosian Library in Milan by
Father Ludovico Antonio Muratori (1672–1750), the most famous Italian historian of
his generation, and published in 1740.

Margherita Guarducci (20 December 1902, in Florence – 2 September 1999, in

Rome) was an Italian archaeologist, classical scholar and epigrapher. She was a
major figure in several crucial moments of the 20th century academic community. A
student of Federico Halbherr, she edited his works after his death. She was the first
woman to lead archaeological excavations at the Vatican, succeeding Ludwig Kaas,
and completed the excavations on Saint Peter—s tomb, discovering relics she
asserted were those of Saint Peter. She has asserted that the inscription on
the Praeneste fibula is a forgery.
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Clement of Rome, in his Letter to the Corinthians (Chapter 5), written c. 80–98, speaks
of Peter—s martyrdom in the following terms: —Let us take the noble examples of our
own generation. Through jealousy and envy the greatest and most just pillars of the
Church were persecuted, and came even unto death. … Peter, through unjust envy,
endured not one or two but many labours, and at last, having delivered his testimony,
departed unto the place of glory due to him.
The death of Peter is attested to by Tertullian at the end of the 2nd century, in
his Prescription Against Heretics, noting that Peter endured a passion like his Lord—s:
In his work Scorpiace 15, he also speaks of Peter—s crucifixion: —The budding faith
Nero first made bloody in Rome. There Peter was girded by another, since he was
bound to the cross—Origen in his Commentary on the Book of Genesis III, quoted by
Eusebius of Caesaria in his Ecclesiastical History (III, 1), said: —Peter was crucified at
Rome with his head downwards, as he himself had desired to suffer.— The Cross of
St. Peter inverts the Latin crossbased on this refusal, and his claim of being unworthy
to die the same way as his Saviour. Peter of Alexandria, who was bishop
of Alexandria and died around A.D. 311, wrote an epistle on Penance, in which he
says: —Peter, the first of the apostles, having been often apprehended, and thrown
into prison, and treated with ignominy, was last of all crucified at Rome—.
The apocryphal Acts of Peter is also thought to be the source for the tradition about the
famous phrase —Quo vadis, Domine?— (In Greek: Κύριε, ποῦὑπάγεις —Kyrie,
pouhypageis?—), which means —Where are you going, Lord?— According to the
story, Peter, fleeing Rome to avoid execution, asked the question of a vision of Jesus,
to which Jesus allegedly responded that he was —going to Rome to be crucified
again.— On hearing this, Peter decided to return to the city to accept martyrdom. This
story is commemorated in an Annibale Carracci painting. The Church of Quo Vadis,
near the Catacombs of Saint Callistus, contains a stone in which Jesus— footprints
from this event are supposedly preserved, though this was apparently an ex-voto from
a pilgrim, and indeed a copy of the original, housed in the Basilica of St Sebastian.
The ancient historian Josephus describes how Roman soldiers would amuse
themselves by crucifying criminals in different positions, and it is likely that this would
have been known to the author of the Acts of Peter. The position attributed to Peter—s
crucifixion is thus plausible, either as having happened historically or as being an
invention by the author of the Acts of Peter. Death, after crucifixion head down, is
unlikely to be caused by suffocation, the usual —cause of death in ordinary
crucifixion—.
The Western and Eastern Orthodox Church regard Apostle Peter, together with
Apostle Paul, as —Preeminent Apostles—. Another title used for Peter is Coryphaeus,
which could be translated as —Choir-director—, or lead singer. The church recognizes
Apostle Peter—s leadership role in the early church, especially in the very early days
at Jerusalem, but does not consider him to have had any —princely— role over his
fellow Apostles. The New Testament is not seen by the Orthodox as supporting any
extraordinary authority for Peter with regard to faith or morals. The Orthodox also holds
that Peter did not act as leader at the Council of Jerusalem, but as merely one of a
number who spoke. The final decision regarding the non-necessity
of circumcision (and certain prohibitions) was spelled out by James, the Brother of the
Lord (though Catholics hold James merely reiterated and fleshed out what Peter had
said, regarding the latter—s earlier divine revelation regarding the inclusion of
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Gentiles).Eastern and Oriental Orthodox do not recognize the Bishop of Rome as the
successor of St. Peter but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople sends a
delegation each year to Rome to participate in the celebration of the feast of Sts. Peter
and Paul. In the Ravenna Document of 13 October 2007, the representatives of
the Eastern Orthodox Church agreed that —Rome, as the Church that —presides in
love— according to the phrase of St. Ignatius of Antioch (To the Romans, Prologue),
occupied the first place in the taxis, and that the bishop of Rome was therefore
the protos among the patriarchs, if the Papacy unites with the Orthodox Church. They
disagree, however, on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era
regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as protos, a matter that was already
understood in different ways in the first millennium.—With regard to Jesus— words to
Peter, —Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church—, the Orthodox hold
Christ is referring to the confession of faith, not the person of Peter as that upon which
he will build the church. This is allegedly shown by the fact that the original Greek uses
the feminine demonstrative pronoun when he says —upon this rock— (ηαύηῃηῇπέηρᾳ);
whereas, grammatically, if he had been referring to Peter, he would allegedly have
used the masculine. This —gender distinction— argument is also held by some
Protestants.

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