On June 30, the Synaxis of the holy and glorious Twelve Apostles is celebrated, let’s see who they were and how they martyred for Christ.
On June 30, the Synaxis of the holy and glorious Twelve Apostles is celebrated, let’s see who they were and how they martyred for Christ.
Originally, the Twelve Apostles were as follows:
• Peter († June 29)
• Andreas († November 30)
• James of Zebedee († April 30)
• James of Alphaeus († October 9)
• John the Evangelist († September 26)
• Philip († November 14)
• Bartholomew († June 11)
• Thomas († October 6)
• Matthew the Evangelist († November 16)
• Judas or Thaddeus († June 19)
• Judas Iscariot
• Simon the Zealot († May 10)
After the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and his suicide, Matthias († August 9) completed the twelve Apostles.
The number Twelve Apostles is not accidental. Just as the twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs, are considered the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, i.e. all of Judaism, so the Twelve Apostles, the first disciples of the Lord, became the spiritual leaders of the new Israel, i.e. Christianity.
How they witnessed for Christ.
• The first leaders Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome, the first by death on a cross, with his head to the ground, and the second by beheading.
• St. Andrew the Protocletos was martyred in Patras, by death on a cross, on an X-shaped cross.
• Saint James, the brother of Saint John, was killed, first of all the Apostles, by Herod Agrippa by beheading in Jerusalem.
• Saint John the Evangelist was exiled to Patmos and finally died in Ephesus.
• Saint Philip was crucified in Hierapolis, Syria.
• St. Thomas was pierced with javelins and lances in the country of the Indians and gave up his soul there.
• Saint Bartholomew was crucified in Urbanopolis, India.
• Saint Matthew was martyred by stoning and fire in Hierapolis, Syria.
• Saint James of Alphaeus was hanged on a cross.
• Saint Simon the Zealot and Canaanite gave up his spirit nailed to a cross in Mauritania, Africa.
• Saint Judas Thaddeus was killed with bows in Mesopotamia while hanging from a tree.
• St. Matthias gave up his soul with horrible tortures in Ethiopia.
