On Saturday, June 30th / July 13th, 2024, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Council of the 12 Apostles.
By celebrating this feast as a "Council," the Church means the gathering of us, the faithful, to glorify the twelve Holy Apostles for their work, which they accomplished, enlightened by the Holy Spirit and sent by our Lord Jesus Christ to "make disciples of the nations." By them Christ "enchanted the whole world," as we sing in the Troparion of Pentecost.
The feast of the Council of the 12 Apostles was celebrated in the holy monastery of their name, located on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias, in the center of the modern city of Tiberias.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Divine Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, with the co-service of Their Eminences, Metropolitan Kyriac of Nazareth, Archbishops Aristarchus of Constantine, Aristovul of Madava, hieromonks of the Holy Sepulchres such as Artemios and Silouan, the first of whom was Archimandrite Meletios, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheus, priests from the local area and from Greece and other Orthodox countries. Singing on the right was the choir led by Mr. Vasilios Gotsopoulos, a guest of the monastery, in Greek and on the left the Accra choir in Arabic. Russian-speaking and Arabic-speaking believers from northern Israel and other regions prayed.
Before Holy Communion, His Beatitude preached the following sermon a divine word to the fullness of the Church of Russian-speaking and Arabic-speaking believers from northern Galilee, as follows:
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth: but come, teach all tongues, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."(Matthew 28:18-19).
Beloved brethren in Christ,
Devout Christians and pilgrims,
The grace of the Holy Spirit, who enlightened and taught the Holy Apostles to "observe all that Jesus commanded them" (Matthew 28:20) has gathered us all in this holy place where our Lord appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, that we might celebrate their council.
Our Lord's chosen disciples are those who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and Jesus said to them, "Unto Me is given all authority in heaven and on earth: go ye therefore and teach all tongues, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20).
In interpreting these words of Jesus, Zigavinus says that Christ received authority as a man: "The authority which I had as God was given to Me as a man." And Great Basil says, "It is a question of His incarnate presence, not of Deity." St. Cyril of Alexandria says: "(Jesus authority) is received when He became man, when He humbled Himself Himself for us, when the Lord became a servant, when the free Son arrived among the servants."
It is noteworthy that Jesus commands His disciples, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."(Matthew 28:20). This means that the source of the teaching and preaching of the Apostles is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why divine Paul says: "We are God's helpers" (1 Cor. 3:9) and "No one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 9:11)
.
In other words, the Holy Apostles became collaborators in the preaching of the truth of Christ and also of His power, as the Evangelist Matthew says: "And Jesus called (Jesus) His ten disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and heal every sickness and every disease."(Matthew 10:1).
Moreover, the Disciples were given power, i.e. authority, not only to observe what the Lord commanded them, but also to ordain priests and bishops in every Church, as the wise Paul says: "But they ordained elders for all the churches" (Acts 14:23) and also "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and of God, which He purchased with His own blood."(Acts 20:28).
The Holy Spirit who has set bishops to shepherd the Church of Christ is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who is the "Shepherdmaster" (1 Pet. 5:4) and at the same time "the cornerstone of the institution of the Church" (2 Pet. 2:20). That is why the God-bearing Paul says, "And all things shall be put under His feet, and Him He will give the head above all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulfillment of Him who fills all things in all."(Eph. 1:22-23). And Christ so loved the Church that He gave His life for her (cf. Eph. 5:25), the divine St. Paul preaches again. In the words of St. Chrysostom, "The Master, that is, Christ, did not even hesitate to give His blood for the Church."
St. Chrysostom says that the Church of Christ militant, visible and dwelling on earth consists of members baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, bearing the seal of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles received this commandment and mission to preach and baptize in the name of the Holy Trinity from our Lord Jesus Christ and, laying on their hands (cf. Acts 8:18) they imparted the Holy Spirit. In this way, says the wise Paul, men became "cohabitant with the saints and appropriated to God, being named on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, which is the cornerstone of Jesus Christ Himself."(Eph. 2:19-20).
Indeed, Christ is eternally the cornerstone and the Apostles are the foundation stones. As Zigavin interprets it, this is because "the Apostles were the first to believe, so they were placed first in the building of the Church, and their preaching became the foundation."
The faith of the Apostles and their preaching the gospel throughout the world have proven to all that they are spiritual foundation stones. They have also shown that they are the voice of the life and truth of Christ, our Savior and God. The great contribution of the Holy Apostles to the Church is the apostolic succession of the Bishops of the Church preserved and unchanged. This is why the Church is called "Apostolic" and why today the Holy Church of Christ honors and celebrates the Council of the Holy Glorious and All-Holy Twelve Apostles and together with them the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother of God.
We, my beloved brothers, will say together with the songwriter: "We praise Thee, O Mother of God, and to God we pray to Thee: stretch forth Thy holy hand and crush our enemies, send down to Thy servants help from the Holy One. And "unto the disciples of the two-fifty, who preached the Most Holy Trinity in the world, by the nature of the Most Holy God, the Church, truly walls and unshakable pillars, pray to the Lord of all to save us". Amen. Years of long life."
After the Divine Liturgy and reception, the hospitable warden of the monastery, Monk Vasily, arranged a festive meal for His Beatitude and His escort and many parishioners.
By celebrating this feast as a "Council," the Church means the gathering of us, the faithful, to glorify the twelve Holy Apostles for their work, which they accomplished, enlightened by the Holy Spirit and sent by our Lord Jesus Christ to "make disciples of the nations." By them Christ "enchanted the whole world," as we sing in the Troparion of Pentecost.
The feast of the Council of the 12 Apostles was celebrated in the holy monastery of their name, located on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias, in the center of the modern city of Tiberias.
The Divine Liturgy was presided over by His Divine Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, with the co-service of Their Eminences, Metropolitan Kyriac of Nazareth, Archbishops Aristarchus of Constantine, Aristovul of Madava, hieromonks of the Holy Sepulchres such as Artemios and Silouan, the first of whom was Archimandrite Meletios, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheus, priests from the local area and from Greece and other Orthodox countries. Singing on the right was the choir led by Mr. Vasilios Gotsopoulos, a guest of the monastery, in Greek and on the left the Accra choir in Arabic. Russian-speaking and Arabic-speaking believers from northern Israel and other regions prayed.
Before Holy Communion, His Beatitude preached the following sermon a divine word to the fullness of the Church of Russian-speaking and Arabic-speaking believers from northern Galilee, as follows:
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth: but come, teach all tongues, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."(Matthew 28:18-19).
Beloved brethren in Christ,
Devout Christians and pilgrims,
The grace of the Holy Spirit, who enlightened and taught the Holy Apostles to "observe all that Jesus commanded them" (Matthew 28:20) has gathered us all in this holy place where our Lord appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, that we might celebrate their council.
Our Lord's chosen disciples are those who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and Jesus said to them, "Unto Me is given all authority in heaven and on earth: go ye therefore and teach all tongues, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20).
In interpreting these words of Jesus, Zigavinus says that Christ received authority as a man: "The authority which I had as God was given to Me as a man." And Great Basil says, "It is a question of His incarnate presence, not of Deity." St. Cyril of Alexandria says: "(Jesus authority) is received when He became man, when He humbled Himself Himself for us, when the Lord became a servant, when the free Son arrived among the servants."
It is noteworthy that Jesus commands His disciples, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."(Matthew 28:20). This means that the source of the teaching and preaching of the Apostles is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why divine Paul says: "We are God's helpers" (1 Cor. 3:9) and "No one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 9:11)
.
In other words, the Holy Apostles became collaborators in the preaching of the truth of Christ and also of His power, as the Evangelist Matthew says: "And Jesus called (Jesus) His ten disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and heal every sickness and every disease."(Matthew 10:1).
Moreover, the Disciples were given power, i.e. authority, not only to observe what the Lord commanded them, but also to ordain priests and bishops in every Church, as the wise Paul says: "But they ordained elders for all the churches" (Acts 14:23) and also "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and of God, which He purchased with His own blood."(Acts 20:28).
The Holy Spirit who has set bishops to shepherd the Church of Christ is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who is the "Shepherdmaster" (1 Pet. 5:4) and at the same time "the cornerstone of the institution of the Church" (2 Pet. 2:20). That is why the God-bearing Paul says, "And all things shall be put under His feet, and Him He will give the head above all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulfillment of Him who fills all things in all."(Eph. 1:22-23). And Christ so loved the Church that He gave His life for her (cf. Eph. 5:25), the divine St. Paul preaches again. In the words of St. Chrysostom, "The Master, that is, Christ, did not even hesitate to give His blood for the Church."
St. Chrysostom says that the Church of Christ militant, visible and dwelling on earth consists of members baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, bearing the seal of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles received this commandment and mission to preach and baptize in the name of the Holy Trinity from our Lord Jesus Christ and, laying on their hands (cf. Acts 8:18) they imparted the Holy Spirit. In this way, says the wise Paul, men became "cohabitant with the saints and appropriated to God, being named on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, which is the cornerstone of Jesus Christ Himself."(Eph. 2:19-20).
Indeed, Christ is eternally the cornerstone and the Apostles are the foundation stones. As Zigavin interprets it, this is because "the Apostles were the first to believe, so they were placed first in the building of the Church, and their preaching became the foundation."
The faith of the Apostles and their preaching the gospel throughout the world have proven to all that they are spiritual foundation stones. They have also shown that they are the voice of the life and truth of Christ, our Savior and God. The great contribution of the Holy Apostles to the Church is the apostolic succession of the Bishops of the Church preserved and unchanged. This is why the Church is called "Apostolic" and why today the Holy Church of Christ honors and celebrates the Council of the Holy Glorious and All-Holy Twelve Apostles and together with them the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother of God.
We, my beloved brothers, will say together with the songwriter: "We praise Thee, O Mother of God, and to God we pray to Thee: stretch forth Thy holy hand and crush our enemies, send down to Thy servants help from the Holy One. And "unto the disciples of the two-fifty, who preached the Most Holy Trinity in the world, by the nature of the Most Holy God, the Church, truly walls and unshakable pillars, pray to the Lord of all to save us". Amen. Years of long life."
After the Divine Liturgy and reception, the hospitable warden of the monastery, Monk Vasily, arranged a festive meal for His Beatitude and His escort and many parishioners.
Share:
