June 8 / May 26
The Holy Apostle Carpus
Carpus was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was a follower and companion of the Apostle Paul, by whom he was appointed Bishop of Varna in Thrace. He also preached the Gospel on Crete, where he received St. Dionysius the Areopagite in his home. St. Dionysius testifies that Carpus was a man with an exceptionally pure mind, meekness, and innocence; that the Lord Jesus, with His angels, appeared to him in a vision; and that he never began the Divine Liturgy without first receiving a heavenly vision. Enduring many assaults for the name of Christ, he finally suffered at the hands of the unbelieving Jews and was slain. His soul took up habitation in the Kingdom of God, there to delight eternally, gazing upon the Lord in glory.
The Holy Apostle Alphaeus of the Seventy
Alphaeus was the father of two apostles from among the Twelve: James the son of Alphaeus, and Matthew the Evangelist. He ended his earthly life peacefully.
The Venerable John the Confessor, of Psycha on the Bosphorus (ca. 825)
At an early age, he withdrew from the world to the Lavra of Psychaita in Constantinople. There he lived a life of asceticism for many years for the sake of the love of Christ. Because of his veneration of icons, he endured banishment in the eighth century.
The New Martyr Alexander of Thessalonica
This martyr of Christ was born in Thessalonica at the time of the great tyranny of the Turks over this city. As a young man, he was deceived by the Turks and became a Moslem. In the beginning, he did not have any pangs of conscience over such an act, and he went on pilgrimage with other Moslems and became a dervish. But, living as a dervish in Thessalonica, he began to repent bitterly. During his repentance, the thought came to him that he could in no way wash away the horrible sin of apostasy from Christ except through his own blood. Therefore, when he repented and decided in favor of martyrdom, he declared himself a Christian before the Turks. The Turks cast him into prison and subjected him to various tortures, but Alexander only cried out: “I was born a Christian, and I want to die a Christian.” Finally, the Turks condemned him to death, over which the repentant Alexander greatly rejoiced, recognizing from this condemnation that his sins were forgiven and that God accepted his sacrifice. Alexander was beheaded in Smyrna in the year 1794 and was glorified in both the heavenly and the earthly Church.
- Martyrs Abercius and Helen, children of Apostle Alphaeus (1st ).
- Augustine, archbishop of Canterbury, evangelizer of England (ca. 605).
- Uncovering of the relics (1521) of Macarius, founder of Kalyazin Monastery (Tver) (1483).
- New Martyr George the New, of Kratovo (Sofia) (1515).
- New Hieromartyrs Milan Banjacand Milan Golubovic, of Drvar, Serbia (1941-1945).
- Tabynsk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Holy Apostles
The holy apostles, a small company,
Illumined the world with heavenly light.
On the wings of the Spirit, they covered the world,
So that they could give these same wings to the world.
To palaces, huts, and mountains they went;
They sweated on the roads and crossed the seas.
For them, each day meant a new battle and new suffering.
Wrestling with the world,
they battled without moaning.
Each day was different, but their thoughts were the same:
Their thoughts were on Christ and their vision on Christ.
What sort of day it would be, was all the same—
To spend the night either in a palace or a prison—
They cared only to uphold Christ in themselves,
And with Him to quickly cover the earth.
Whatever dinner or supper they ate, was all the same;
They cared only that the Faith would shine throughout the world.
Honors or blows: to them, it was all the same;
They cared only that Christ would reign over the world.
Winged angels hovered over them,
And rejoiced in them as in their own brothers.
Holy Apostles, sons of God,
Pillars of the Church on the foundation of Christ—
Even now they labor and build up the Church,
Although as suns they shine in heaven.
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