Though each of the Twelve Apostles has his own Feast day, on this day they are commemorated together. Of the Twelve, only St John the Theologian died in peace; the rest met a martyr's end. Following are their individual feast days and the manner of their end. Roman citizens could not be crucified: crucifixion was considered a shameful death unworthy of a citizen. For this reason the Apostle Paul was 'privileged' to be beheaded.  Peter: June 29, January 16. Crucified upside down.  Andrew: November 30. Crucified.  James the Son of Zebedee: April 30. Beheaded.  John the Theologian: September 26, May 8. Died in peace in a wondrous way.  Philip: November 14. Crucified.  Bartholomew: June 11, August 25. Crucified, then flayed and beheaded.  Thomas: October 6. Pierced with five spears.  Matthew the Evangelist: November 16. Burned to death.  James the Son of Aphaeos: October 9. Crucified.  Thaddeus (or Jude the brother of James): June 19. Crucified.  Simon the Zealot: May 10. Crucified.  Matthias: August 9. Stoned, then beheaded with an axe when dead.  Paul: June 29. Beheaded.

Much of his story is told in the first chapter of Luke's Gospel. The Synaxarion continues:   'After the birth of Christ, Zacharias plainly declared the virginity of Mary and showed her truly to be the Mother of God; for he appointed her a place in that part of the Temple reserved for the virgins and so brought upon himself the hatred of the priests and levites.   'When John was six months old, Zacharias hid him and his mother in a cave beyond the Jordan because King Herod, hearing of the birth in Bethlehem of the king of the Jews and fearing a rival of his own worldly power, sent soldiers to kill all the male children of Bethlehem. His enemies seized this opportunity to denounce Zacharias to Herod, who had him pursued and put to death within the precinct of the Temple, at the very place the Mother of God abode for a witnes to her virginity. As the Prophet's blood flowed within the sanctuary, it signified the withdrawing of the divine Presence. Priests came to take up his body and they buried him with his fathers. From that moment signs and prodigies occurred in the Temple, indicating that the rites of the Law would soon be abolished. No longer would the priests behold the angels of God, or have the grace of prophecy; no longer would they be able to deliver oracles or enlighten the people upon the dark places of holy Scripture, as they had been wont to do.'

This is the Cornelius who received St Peter into his household in Caesarea (Acts ch.10). He was then instructed in the Faith and baptised by St Peter, though he had been a pagan and a Gentile: a great turning point in the growth of the Church, for before this time many (including St Peter) had believed that the Church was meant only for the Jews. Tradition holds that St Cornelius later became a bishop and died a martyr.

He was born in Palestine to pagan parents who sent him to Alexandria to be educated. There he learned of the Christian faith and was baptized. Hearing of the fame of St Anthony the Great, he met the great "Father of monks," and determined to devote himself to the ascetical life. For the rest of his life he traveled from place to place, engaging in the most austere life of solitude, prayer and fasting. But wherever he went, his holiness shone like a beacon, and he became known to the people, who flocked to him for counsel, nurture and healing. He would then flee to another place and begin again. His travels took him to Egypt, Libya, Sicily, and finally Cyprus, where he reposed at a great age. As he lay on his deathbed, he cried out 'Go forth, O my soul. What do you fear? Go forth! Why are you disquieted within me? You have served Jesus Christ for almost seventy years and do you fear death?' Speaking these words, he died.   The Synaxarion gives an excruciatingly thorough description of his ascetical labors, which may be instructive:   "From his sixteenth to his twentieth year, Hilarion's shelter was a simple cabin made of bulrushes and marsh grasses. Afterwards, he built a little, low cell that looked more like a tomb than a house. He lay on the hard ground, and washed and cut his hair only once a year, on Easter day. He never washed the coat of skin that Saint Anthony gave him, and wore the same tunic until it fell to pieces. He knew all of Holy Scripture by heart and recited it aloud, standing with fear, as though God were visibly present. From his twenty-first to his twenty-seventh year, a few lentils soaked in cold water was, for three years, his daily food, and for the next three he took nothing but bread, sprinkled with salt. From his twenty-seventh to his thirtieth year, he lived on wild plants; from the age of thirty to thirty-five, on six ounces of barley bread and a few vegetables, cooked without oil. Then, falling ill and with failing eyesight, he added a little oil to his food but did not increase his allowance of bread, even though he saw his body grow weaker, and believed his death was near. At an age when others tend to decrease their austerities, he kept to this diet with redoubled fervor, like a young novice, until his death. He never ate until after sunset and relinquished his fast neither for the greatest feasts nor the gravest illnesses."

He was a native of Thessalonica, born of noble parents. His wisdom and distinction in battle earned him rapid advancement in the service of the Empire: in time he was appointed commander of all the Roman forces in Thessaly, and Proconsul of Hellas. Despite these worldly honors, Demetrius put his Christian faith before all, and by his words and example brought many pagans to faith in Christ.   When the Emperor Maximian, a persecutor of Christians, came to Thessalonica he appointed games and public sacrifices to celebrate his recent victory over the Scythians. Some jealous pagans used the visit to denounce Demetrius to the Emperor. Maximian had Demetrius cast into a fetid cell in the basement of some nearby baths. Maximian had brought with him a huge barbarian of tremendous strength named Lyaios, who fought many men in the arena and defeated them all, to the entertainment of the Emperor and the crowds. A young Christian named Nestor determined to show the people that the only true strength is in Christ: he visited Demetrius in his cell and asked for his blessing to challenge Lyaios to combat. The Martyr made the sign of the Cross over Nestor and sent him to the arena with his blessing. Nestor, a young boy, cried out before the Emperor 'God of Demetrius, help me!' and quickly killed the mighty Lyaios, to the astonishment of the crowd. The infuriated Emperor had Nestor slain with his own sword, and sent soldiers to Demetrius' cell, where they killed him with their spears. Demetrius' servant, a believer named Lupus, retrieved the body of Demetrius and buried it with honor. He kept the Saint's ring and blood-stained tunic, and through them worked several miracles and healings. When the Emperor heard of this, he had Lupus, too, beheaded.   As a sign of the grace that rested on the holy Demetrius, a fragrant myrrh flowed copiously from the Martyr's body after his death, healing many of the sick. For many centuries, St Demetrius has been a patron Saint of Thessalonica.

Fr. John Oliver tells the story of the unsung hero of the Apollo 13 mission.

Fr. Joseph speaks in Belleville, Ontario, at a seminar hosted by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Lovely folks, lovely place. But like many of us, they have their work cut out for them—keeping Orthodox Christianity ALIVE in that little place. Here follows a few snippets from our time together.

The words: soteriology, hesychasm, and vlachos were spoken recently in Beaumont, Texas—not to mention so-dzo, so-dzentai, huneycutt, and so-dzenestitai. (Most holy Theotokos, save us!)

Elissa shares the wisdom of the newly canonized St. Porphyrios with regard to raising up children.

In the name of freedom, we easily enslave ourselves to our own desires and passions in ways that make it very hard to set things right once again.

Though it was commonly overlooked at the time, God’s promises to Abraham were for the blessing of all the nations. They have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ such that all with faith in Him are now rightful heirs. (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:8-9)

Our Lord’s ministry violated many of the religious and cultural sensibilities of first-century Palestine in shocking ways. Contrary to all expectations for the Jewish Messiah, He asked for a drink of water from a Samaritan woman with a broken personal history, engaged in an extended spiritual conversation with her, and then spent two days in a Samaritan village. He invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus, a corrupt tax-collector for the Roman army of occupation. And as we read today, He not only healed the servant of a Roman centurion, but said of this man, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” This encounter is truly astounding because the Jews expected a Messiah to defeat the Romans by military force, not to praise the faith of their officers.

In this episode, Father John continues his discussion of developments that led to the Protestant Reformation, emphasizing doctrines and practices related to human salvation.

Today we read the fourth of the six Psalms recited by the priest at the beginning of Matins, Psalm 86 LXX/87 MT. With help from Joshua 2, John 4:14 and 7: 37-39, and Galatians 4:26-7, we unpack this psalm that celebrates the glory of Zion—a city founded by the LORD in the Old Testament, and that points towards an even more glorious heavenly city, to which we are called as citizens.

The Edge of Mysterion, a note on the world of Mysterion, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Lethes 1, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter One Lethes, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Two, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Three, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Four, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Five, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Six, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Seven, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Eight, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Nine, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Ten, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Eleven, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Lethes II, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twelve, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Thirteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Fourteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Fifteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Sixteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Seventeen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Eighteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Nineteen, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty One, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty Two, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty Three, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty Four and Conclusion, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

"Healing of the Centurion's Servant," from Feasts of Christ and the Theotokos and Miracles of the Lord by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012)

Welcoming the Christ Child: Family Readings for the Nativity Lent, "The Chariot of Fire and The Prophet Elisha," by Elissa Bjeletich, illustrated by Jelena Jeftic (Sebastian Press, 2017).

52. Book 1: Let's Go to School Together with Christ by Boris Seleznyov (The Publishing House of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, 2001) (2:44) Book 2: O God of Demetrios part one, by Angeline Eliakopoulos (Destro Publishers, Chicago, Illinois. 2002. For orders Tel: 773-561-2332) (22:50)

53. Book 1: Baby Moses by Mother Melania (Conciliar Press, 2008) (4:04 mins) Book 2: O God of Demetrios part two, by Angeline Eliakopoulos (Destro Publishers, Chicago, Illinois. 2002. For orders Tel: 773-561-2332) (23:06 mins) Book 2 begins at 4:50

80. Book 1: "The Temptations of Jesus and His Return to Galilee" from The Bible for Young People by Zoe Kanavas (Narthex Press, 2005) (6.01 mins) Book 2: "Saint Theodora," "Saint Demetrios," and "Saint Catherine" from Studying Byzantine Icons by Marisa Decastro (Akritas Young Readers, 1995) (13.42 mins)

Fr. Ted reminds us to use this Nativity Fast as a time to redefine our priorities.

Fr. Ted discusses the period in the Church's calendar year called the Triodion. In her wisdom, Fr. Ted explains, the Church strategically places these lessons for us immediately preceding Lent.

Fr. Ted tells the story of Fanourios, the patron saint of lost things.

Fr. Ted reflects upon the call to "seek first the Kingdom of God," particularly as we raise our children.