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UNKNOWN FACTS OF
THE 12 APOSTLES
THE ANCIENT
TRADITION OF THE
EARLY CHURCH

++ Luis Carlos Ospina

Romero
2018
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Printed by UZETHI, first edition 2016, World-wide rights reserved.

© Luis Carlos Ospina Romero

Cover Design Architect Sibil Cairel Carla Ospina Castillo

[email protected], 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.
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Jerusalem 33 D.c
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Places of Jerusalem see above the city

1. Golgotha Possible place of the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27:
33-37)
Matthew 27:33-37. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which
means —the place of the skull—). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to
drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When
they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And
sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 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
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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)
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 palace, summoned Jesus and
asked him, —Are you the king of the Jews?—34 —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.
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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 finds 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).

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
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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 (Matthew 27:51)1.

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
1
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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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 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 Jews tried to stone him (John 10: 22-39)2. Peter

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 believe. The
works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you
do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear
my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal
life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my
hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no
one is able to snatch them out of the Father—s hand. 30 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
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preached repentance after having healed a man who was lame

from birth (Acts 3: 11-26)3.

answered them, —Is it not written in your Law, —I said, you are gods—
? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and
Scripture cannot be broken—36 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 God—? 37 If I am not doing the works
of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 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 Jacob, 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 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,
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7. Beautiful Door Where Peter and John healed a man who was
lame from birth (Acts 3: 1-10)4.

8. Temple pinnacle Jesus was tempted there by Satan (Matthew 4:

5-7)5.

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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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: 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 arrested in this place (Matthew 26: 36-466, Luke 22: 39-
547).

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 you men keep watch with me for one
hour? — he asked Peter. 41 —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,
and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us
go! Here comes my betrayer!—

7
Luke 22:39-54. The Garden of Gethsemane
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11. Mount of Olives where Jesus predicted there the destruction of

Jerusalem and the temple. He also spoke of the Second Coming
(Matthew 24: 3-25: 46)8 . Jesus ascended to heaven in this place (Acts
1: 9-12)9.

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 robber?
53
While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on me;
but this 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
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12. Spring of Gihon Where Solomon was anointed king (1 Kings 1: 38-
3910). Hezekiah had a tunnel excavated to lead the water from the
spring to the city (2 Chron. 32:3011).

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

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 bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which
the LORD had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the
Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear
with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then
he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water
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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).

Gate 1 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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Roman Provinces visited by the 12 apostles

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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. Andres is known to be known as the First Called
because he was the first follower and disciple of Jesus before any of the
apostles.

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, Andres 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
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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.
Andres, 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.
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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 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.
 26

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 convinced by both the words and the miracles of the
saint and they all repented and received the baptism, until the rhectors13
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).

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

conviction, much practiced by the Roman lawyers.
 27

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. Andres, 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 apostle
consecrated as a bishop to Estaquio, one of the seventy 14 apostles,
whom St. Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans (see Romans 16:
9). Later it traveled to the nearby Heráclea ofThrace 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 to Divine Providence, he came to the
Dnieper River in the land of Russia15; Stopping at the bank of it, under

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.
 28

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 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.

After visiting the Russian cities that were to the north, where Novgórod 16
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 apostle, desiring only the repentance of the
people of Achaia17 and Patras, rejected the money and any other

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
 29

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 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 Andres 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.

and, after the reforms of imperator Diocletian, happened to comprise of

the diocese of Macedonia.
 30

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 Andres, 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.

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
 31

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
 32

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 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
 33

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. —Andres 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?— Andres
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 Andres 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 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
 34

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,
 35

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.

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
 36

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.

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
 37

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.
 38

The Holy Apostle Bartholomew18

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.

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.
 39

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.

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.
 40

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 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
 41

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.
 42

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,
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
 43

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. —

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
 44

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
 45

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 some calendars, on the 4th). For all this, glory
be to Christ our Savior, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever 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).
46
 47

Saint Philip19

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

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 Jacob the Less), and in the Greek
Church on November 14.
 48

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 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.
 49

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).

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
 50

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 Andres 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
 51

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)

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
 52

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 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).
 53

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.
 54

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 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
 55

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
exarhca—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 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
 56

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, would
 57

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.
 58

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, 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
 59

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 saint—s arms was preserved in Constantinople, in the church of the
DeparaPammacaristos.
 60

Saint Jacob Brother of the Lord

According to legend, after Pentecost (AD 33), when the apostles were
sent to preaching, Jacob 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 Jacob 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 Jacob 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 Jacob 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
 61

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 Jacob 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 Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern
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.

Jacob, 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
Jacob 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. Jacob, 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
 62

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.

Jacob 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: —Jacob, 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 — (Jacob 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 —(Jacob 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— (Jacob 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 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? — (Jacob 2:20). He also taught men to restrain words,
and not to utter lies, babblings, insults or judgments, but especially to
 63

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 Jacob, the hierarch and brother of our Lord, which are
found in his epistle.

All the Apostles venerated Jacob 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, Jacob 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 Jacob, 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 Jacob, 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 Jacob 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 Jacob 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 Jacob, 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 Jacob and said unto him,
We beseech thee, O Just, to teach The people, because they have
 64

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
Jacob shared their beliefs, made him stand on the parapet of the temple
and for all present to hear, they shouted aloud: —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, Jacob 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 Jacob 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 Jacob, 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 Jacobo strongly on the head, to which the
 65

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 Jacob, 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 Jacob, the son of Alphaeus

The Holy Apostle Jacob 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 Jacob and
included him in the choir of the Apostles as worthy of it. Jacob became
one of the twelve Apostles, witness and minister of Christ, preacher of
his mysteries and his follower.

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
 66

this —Divine Seed, — the Holy Apostle, was gathered in the heavenly
barn with the fruits he produced a hundred times more.
 67

Saint Judas

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 Jacob 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, Jacob 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 Jacob 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.
68
 69

St. Jacob, Son of Zebedee

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Jacob, son of Zebedee (Hebrew: ‫ ַיעֲקֹ 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 Jacob the Greater or Jacob the Great to distinguish him
from Jacob, son of Alphaeusand Jacob the brother of Jesus (Jacob
the Just). Jacob the son of Zebedee is the patron saint of Spaniards,
and as such is often identified as Jacob.

Saint Jacob, 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, Jacob, 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 Jacob 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, Jacob 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, Jacob, 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 Jacob 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
 70

(Mark 3:17), because he boldly and openly announced Jesus Christ,

proclaiming him as the true Messiah, the Savior of the world. Jacob
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 Jacob 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 Jacob, who even confirmed his words with
miracles. In addition, Fileto advised his teacher to abandon his
knowledge of witchcraft and become a disciple of Jacob. But the proud
Hermogenes called by his spells the 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 Jacob 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. Jacob 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 Jacob and Fileto tied
to him. But when the demons approached the abode where St. Jacob
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: —Jacob, Christ—s Apostle, have mercy on us,
for we came to catch you and Philetus by Hermogenes, and now we are
 71

strong Tied and suffered cruelty.— The Holy One Jacob 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.
Jacob 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 Jacob 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 Jacob the 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 Jacob, 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. Jacob and acknowledging his innocence And
 72

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 Jacob. 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. Jacob 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 Jacob 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, With the Father and the Holy Spirit, is forever glorified by
all creation. Amen.
 73

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
 74

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.

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), an 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.
 75

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 Jacob 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.
 76

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 Jacob, 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
 77

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 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
 78

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 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
 79

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 the most famous of the writings of the Nag Hammadi20 library, which
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
 80

claims to offer —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.

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 —
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, Jacob, 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, Jacob 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, Jacob 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, Jacob and John. Likewise, when he wished to show the glory of his
divinity on Mount Tabor, he also brought only Peter, Jacob, 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
 82

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, 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 Jacob, 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
 83

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 Jacob, 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
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
 84

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
 85

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

—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
 86

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 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
 87

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
 88

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 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, —
 89

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 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
 90

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 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.
 91

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
 92

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 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.
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—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 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
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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
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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 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 Dosit 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
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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 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
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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
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Johns face. But he embraced him with paternal love and kissed him,
and then carried him back to the 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
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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 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
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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 Jacob the Just, the first hierarch of the Church of
Jerusalem. The Holy Apostle was better known as Judas of Jacob, ie
brother of the Apostle Jacob.

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. Jacob, 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 Jacob, as he himself writes in his epistle: —Judas,
servant of Jesus Christ and brother of Jacob —(Jude 1: 1).
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Apart from being called this Apostle Judas of Jacob, 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 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 Jacob (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
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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.

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.
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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 the death of his Master, and doubting
that he was resurrected, what Mirofora21 had informed him, Luke

Mirófora, as —carriers of myron, Orthodox 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 Jacob 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 Jacob 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
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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

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 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.
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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.

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).
 107

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; since then, Saint Luke worked for several
years spreading Christianity in all those places.
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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,
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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, 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
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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.
 111

Saint Mark the Evangelist is not counted among the first twelve
apostles but 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).
 112

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 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
 113

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 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,
 114

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 Jacob, 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.
 115

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
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
 116

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 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).
 117

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 leave her. Taking care to establish
an order for the divine services of the Church, St. Mark codified the ritual
 118

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.
 119

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.

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
 120

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 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.
 121

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.
 122

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.

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 —
paxtibiMarce— 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.
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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
 124

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 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
 125

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 Jacob, 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.—

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
 126

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
 127

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 Jacob, 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.—

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 Jacob, to bring forth a man from his
seed, through whom all the tribes of the earth would be blessed, about
 128

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.

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. —
 129

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.
 130

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.
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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, 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)
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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 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.
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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
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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.

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
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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.

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
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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 release the
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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
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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 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
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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 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,
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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 Jacob, the brother of the
Lord, And for the whole congregation of the faithful people.
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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 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
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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 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
 143

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 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.
 144

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
 145

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.

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
 146

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. 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
 147

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,
 148

the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God, whom all honor, glorify,
worship and thank, now and forever, forever and ever. Amen
 149

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 proselyte of
Antioch). According to tradition, he was a member of the seventy-two22

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.
 150

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, — 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
 151

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 God. Luke23 died at age 84
in Boeotia, according to a —fairly early and widespread tradition—
. According to Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos (Ecclesiastical
History 14th century AD., 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, 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,
AdversusHaereses 3, 3, 4)

Michael Walsh, ed. —Butler—s Lives of the Saints. —

(HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 1991), pp. 342.
 152

San Irenaeus

(He was born in Smyrna, Anatolia (present-day Turkey), Irenaeus was

one of the disciples of the bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, disciple of the
Apostle John.) Confirms the authorship of the Gospel of Luke, —
Matthew published his own Gospel among The Hebrews in their own
language, when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel in Rome and
founding the church there. After his departure, 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)
 153

Saint Peter
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Saint Peter (Syriac/Aramaic:

݂ܵ ܹ݁ ܿ
‫ܸܫܡܥܘܢܟܐܦܐ‬ , 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 Ke
pha also 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).
 154

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, 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
 155

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 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
 156

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 Andres 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.
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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 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).
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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, Jacob 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 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
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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 Jacob, 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
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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
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
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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 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.
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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.
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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 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
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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 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.—
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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
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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 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
 168

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 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.
 169

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 his journey to Rome24. 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 other evidence of Peter—s sojourn in
25
Antioch . Subsequent tradition held that Peter had been the
first Patriarch of Antioch. According to the writings of Origen26. and
Eusebius in his Church History (III, 36) Peter would have been the
founder of the Church of Antioch27. 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.
 170

After presiding over the church in Antioch by a while, Peter would have
been succeeded by Evodius28, and after by Ignatius, who was a student
of John the Apostle- Eusebius of Caesarea, in his —
HistoriaEcclesiastica (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, whom the Clementine
writings name29 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 by Epiphanius of
Salamis in his Panarion called —The Itinerary of Peter—30 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 Simon was quenched and
immediately destroyed31
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, sets Peter—s confrontation with Simon
Magus in Rome32 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

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
 171

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 in Italy, and suffered martyrdom at the same time33.

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. Tradition holds that
he was crucified at the site of the Clementine Chapel34. 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

33
Of Corinth, Dionysius. —Fragments from a Letter to the Roman
Church Chapter III—.
 172

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 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.
 173

The Muratorian fragment35, 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, indicating Peter—s presence in Rome.Margherita
Guarducci36, 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)

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.
 174

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.

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
 175

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 Jacob, the
Brother of the Lord (though Catholics hold Jacob merely reiterated and
fleshed out what Peter had said, regarding the latter—s earlier divine
revelation regarding the inclusion of 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
 176

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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