Holy and Glorious Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

On November the 16th, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist.

This Apostle, who was also called Levi, was the son of Alphaeus and had Galilee as his homeland. A publican before being called by Christ, he became one of the Twelve Apostles, and an Evangelist. While still in Palestine, he wrote his Gospel first in Hebrew, being also the first of all to write the Gospel. When he is depicted in icons, there is portrayed next to him the likeness of a man, one of the symbolic living creatures mentioned by Ezekiel (1.10), which, as Saint Irenaeus writes, is a symbol of our Saviour's Incarnation.

Troparion:

With zeal, you followed Christ the Master,

who in His goodness, appeared on earth to mankind.

Summoning you from the custom house,

He revealed you as a chosen apostle:

the proclaimer of the Gospel to the whole world!

Therefore, divinely eloquent Matthew,

we honor your precious memory!

Entreat merciful God that He may grant our souls remission of transgressions.

Kontakion:

Casting aside the bonds of the custom house for the yoke of justice,

you were revealed as an excellent merchant, rich in wisdom from on high.

You proclaimed the word of truth

and roused the souls of the slothful

by writing of the hour of Judgment.

The Holy Apostle & Evangelist St. Luke

Today, October 18th, we commemorate one of the Twelve Apostle's of Jesus Christ, St. Luke.  The Apostle was an Antiochian, a physician by trade, and a disciple and companion of St. Paul.  He wrote his Gospel in Greek after Matthew and Mark, after which he wrote the Acts of the Apostles, and dedicated both works to Theophilus, who, according to some, was Governor of Achaia.  He lived some eighty-six years and died in Achaia, perhaps in Patras, the capital of the district.  His emblem is the calf, the third symbolical beast mentioned by Ezekiel (1:10), which is a symbol of Christ's sacrificial and priestly office, as St. Irenaeus says.  As mentioned earlier he was the first individual to write a holy Icon, which was of the Theotokos and Christ child.  

His relics were transported to Constantinople in the 4th century.  His holy relics laid there in peace until the papists crusaders sacked Constantinople and stole the holy relics and took them to Italy.  In 1992 a demand was made to the heretics to return the Saints relics to it's rightful place at a tomb in Thebes.  A servant of the Roman throne delivered a rib, which was said to be located closest to the Saints heart.

Apolytikion:

O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, intercede to our merciful God, that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

Kontakion:

As a disciple of the Word of God, with Paul you illuminated all the earth and dispelled the gloom in writing Christ's divine Gospel.