Immediately after the celebration of Saints Peter and Paul (July 12), the church remembers all the close apostles of Christ. Each of them has its own holiday in the calendar, but already in ancient times (4th century) one day was allocated when the memory of all 12 was honored.
The Holy Emperor Constantine built the first temple in Constantinople in honor of the 12 disciples of Jesus.
The apostles experienced many hardships on the path of enlightening the pagans. But they did not retreat, did not renounce Christ. All, with the exception of John, ended their earthly journey with martyrdom.
The Bible says that on the Day of Judgment, the apostles will judge the living and the dead together with Christ.
Why did Jesus choose these, mostly simple, poorly educated people? Because he saw in them love for the Lord, and not for earthly wealth.
When the crowd, after Christ’s preaching, began to disperse, these disciples remained. When Jesus asked why they did not leave, Peter answered: “Where should we go? We have believed and known that You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
And on this statement they stood firmly, despite persecution, torture and martyrdom. With their whole lives and even their deaths, the apostles showed what it means to accept Christ as the Savior and follow His teaching no matter what.
The Patriarchal Church in the Kremlin is dedicated to the 12 apostles. It was built in the 17th century, by order of Patriarch Nikon. There were many shrines and miraculous icons in the temple.
Some of them were lost after the revolution, some were transferred to anti-religious museums.
For a long time in Russia there was no patriarch, services were not held in the patriarchal church.
Only in the 90s of the last century, the church returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
DATE
July 13
Charity FundndHoly Land
Investment in the Soul!
