The Feast of the Holy, Glorious, and all-praised Twelve Apostles at the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem
On Sunday, 30 June / 13 July 2025, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Holy, Glorious, and All-Praised Apostles at the Patriarchal Holy Monastery dedicated to them. This monastery is located near the city of Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias, at the place where the Lord appeared to His disciples, as recorded by the Evangelist John and read in the 10th Matins Gospel: “After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing…” (John 21:1–3)
At this beautiful seaside Holy Monastery, His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrios Kyrios Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over Great Vespers on the eve of the feast and led the festive Patriarchal Divine Liturgy on the day itself. Concelebrating with Him were their Eminences Metropolitans Kyriakos of Nazareth and Makarios of Ptolemais, the Elder Chief Secretary Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, and the Secretary of the Holy Synod Archimandrite Christodoulos, together with priests from the surrounding areas, Archdeacon Mark, Hierodeacon Prodromos, and the faithful of the region.
To the pious congregation, His Beatitude preached the following Sermon:
“As eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word made flesh, ye all-blessed disciples are proclaimed blessed; for ye shone forth upon the world as lightnings, and as spiritual mountains ye poured forth sweetness; being as ever-flowing rivers of Paradise, ye water the Churches of the nations with divine streams…”
Beloved in Christ brethren,
Pious Christians and pilgrims,
The grace of the Holy Spirit hath gathered us all today in this sacred place, where, “after these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias,” (cf. John 21:1), that we might festively honour the Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious, and All-Praised Twelve Apostles, in the Monastery which bears their name.
According to the infallible testimony of the Evangelists, and especially of Saint Luke, it is written: “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles”(Luke 6:12–13). Likewise, the Evangelist Matthew records: “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”(Matthew 4:18–19).
These simple fishermen were on the one hand called by Jesus Christ to the apostolic rank and were sent forth unto the nations—to the peoples that worshipped idols—to proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel. On the other hand, after His Resurrection, the Lord gave unto them the Holy Spirit, according to the testimony of the Holy Evangelist John: “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:21–23).
It is worthy of note that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, “that Christ might be formed in them,” as Saint Cyril of Alexandria teaches, invoking the wise words of the Apostle Paul: “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you”(Galatians 4:19).
Commenting on this saying of Paul, Saint Cyril writes: “For in no other way,” he says, “shall Christ be formed in them, save by partaking of the Holy Spirit and by living according to the evangelical law.”…
This news was originally published on the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, click here to read.