April: Day 8: Teaching 2:
Holy Apostles Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon and Hermes
(The Labors of the Holy Apostles)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Holy Apostles Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon and Hermes
(The Labors of the Holy Apostles)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Today the Holy Church remembers the Holy Apostles from among the Seventy: Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, and Hermes. The Holy Apostle Herodion, a native of Tarsus of Cilicia, a relative of the Holy Apostle Paul, was Bishop of Patras and suffered much for the faith from the Jews and pagans. They tortured him half to death, but by the grace of God the Apostle recovered and in Rome preached the gospel with Saint Peter. After the martyrdom of Peter, he was beheaded with the sword. The Apostle Paul mentions him in his epistle to the Romans (16:11).
The Holy Apostle Agabus, filled with the spirit of prophecy, preached in the countries surrounding Judea. He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: “In those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them, named Agabus, stood up and announced by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the whole world, which occurred in the time of Claudius Caesar” (11:27–28). The same Agabus foretold that the Apostle Paul would be bound in Jerusalem.
The Apostle Paul mentions the Apostle Rufus, who was a Bishop in the Greek city of Thebes, in his letter to the Romans: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine” (16:13).
Here he also mentions the Apostle Asyncritus who was Bishop in Hyrcania, the Apostle Phlegon who was Bishop of Marathon, and the Apostle Hermes who was Bishop of Dalmatia.
II. All these Holy Apostles zealously preached the word of God throughout the inhabited world and suffered torment for the faith of Christ. On the day dedicated to their memory it is not useless to say something about the labors endured by the Apostles.
a) Fulfilling the testament of their Teacher and Lord, the Holy Apostles immediately after His ascension to heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them entered into the great ministry of worldwide preachers of the gospel. And Saint Peter, on the very day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, converted three thousand souls to Christ by his preaching, and some time later, by healing a man lame from birth at the Temple in Jerusalem and preaching about Christ, he acquired five thousand people for the Church of Christ. From that time, both he and the other Apostles did not cease to preach Christ, the Savior of the world, to the Jews and pagans scattered throughout all the countries then known. Thus was fulfilled the command of Christ given to the Apostles: "Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Indeed, from the lips of the Apostles all parts of the then world heard the preaching of the gospel: Asia, Africa, and Europe; and it could be said without exaggeration that “their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Rom. 10:18). Thus the Holy Apostles established and expanded the grace-filled Church of God, founded on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ, placed pastors in it – bishops, presbyters and deacons, established the order of performing the Mysteries, showed examples of public worship and taught the saving teaching of faith and Christian life forever in their God-inspired writings.
b) What was the end of the Apostles' labors? How did the world reward the preachers of the Kingdom of Heaven? They all suffered torture, imprisonment, wounds, torment, death. Only Saint John the Theologian, who outlived all the Apostles and endured torture and imprisonment, died a natural death. For this God loved them and glorified them in this life with many signs and wonders. For this they now rejoice and triumph in the glory of God in heaven together with the holy angels. And what will happen when the universal Kingdom of God is revealed? The Lord Himself said to them: "When the Son of man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on the twelve thrones, judging the ten tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28). This is the honor and glory prepared in eternity for the holy, glorious and all-praiseworthy Apostles!
III. Let us also, brethren, honor the Holy Apostles, who called us, unworthy as we are, into the Holy Church of God and made us partakers of the grace of Christ. Let us glorify them in prayers of gratitude and resort to them with a tender request for our deliverance from all troubles and evils. The Holy Church teaches us to cry out to them thus: “Pray for us, Holy Apostles, that we may be delivered from troubles and sorrows; for we have acquired you as fervent intercessors to the Savior” (Apolytikion). Glory to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
