† Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles
The Lord loves mankind but He sends affliction that we may perceive our weakness and humble ourselves, and for this humility receive the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit all things are good, all things are joyful, all things are well. St. Silouan the Athonite
'. . . freely ye have received, freely give.'
Saint Matthew 10:8
Saint Andrew was crucified
Saint James, the son of Zebedee was beheaded
Saint John the Theologian died in a miraculous manner
Saint Philip was crucified
Saint Bartholomew was crucified and beheaded
Saint Thomas was pierced with five spears
Saint Matthew the Evangelist was burned alive
Saint James, the son of Alphaeus was crucified
Saint Thaddeus or Jude, the Brother of James was crucified
Saint Simon the Zealot was crucified
Saint Matthias was stoned and then was beheaded after death
Saint Paul was beheaded
1 Corinthians 4:9-16 KJV
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;
12 And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Saint Matthew 9:36-10:8 KJV
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
10 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Saint Palladius
The Sayings of the Holy Desert Fathers
They say that Abba Macarius the Egyptian on one occasion went up from Skete (monastery) to the Nitrian mountain, and as he drew near to a certain place, he said to his disciple, 'Pass on a little in front of me'; and when he had done so there met him a certain heathen priest, who was running along and carrying some wood about the time of noon. And that brother cried out to him and said, 'O minister to devils, where run thou?' And the priest turned round and smote him with many severe blows, and he left him with but very little breath remaining in him, and he took up his wood and went on his way; and when he had gone on a little further the blessed Macarius met him on his journey, and said to him, 'May you be helped, O man of labors?' And the priest was astonished, and came to him and said, 'What fair thing have you seen in me that you should salute me [in this gracious fashion] ?' And the old man said to him, 'I see that you toil, and that you do not know that you are toiling for naught'; then he said to the old man, 'At your salutation I also was very sorry, and I learned that you did belong to the Great God. But a wicked monk met me just before you didst, and he cursed me, and I smote him even to death.' And the old man knew that it was his disciple [of whom he spake], and the priest laid hold upon the feet of Macarius, and said to him, '1 will not let you [go] until you make me a monk'; and they came to the place where the brother was lying, and they carried him and brought him to the church of the mountain. Now when the fathers saw the heathen priest with him, they marveled that he had been converted from the error which he had held; and Macarius took him and made him a monk, and through him many of the heathen became Christians. And Abba Macarius said, 'An evil word makes wicked even those who are good, and a good word makes good even those who are wicked,' as it is written.'
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