♱Daily Synaxarium ♱Tuesday, June 30, 2026translated

On this day, the Holy Church commemorates:

*The twelve glorious saints and apostles. *Martyr Militoun. *Martyr Boutros Sinopi. *What is new about the martyrs is Michael Al-Bustani of Athens. *Saint George III of Georgia. *Saint Gelasius Transylvania. *Saint Martial, Bishop of Limoges, France.

✤ A comprehensive feast for the twelve glorious saints and apostles ✤

It is pointed out, first of all, that the Church’s heritage, whether in terms of saints or icons, used to count among the twelve the Evangelical Saints Paul, Mark, and Luke, replacing the Apostles Judas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Matthias, while preserving their full dignity as apostles. Today's Synaxarium also mentions the other apostles who are among the Seventy, although these have a special feast on January 4. They also include James, the brother of the Lord, the saintly myrrh-bearers, and all the other apostles, whose names are unknown, who gathered in the upper room, and were among the hundred and twenty who, on the day of Pentecost, received the full grace of the Holy Spirit.

The twelve apostles are the foundations and pillars of the church, and they are the angels charged with guarding the twelve gates leading to the upper Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9).

Twelve were the number of the sons of Jacob who were at the origin of the people of Israel, and twelve were the disciples whom the Lord chose and made them witnesses of His teaching and wonders and sent them to preach...