Twelve Apostles' Church, Eastleigh

25/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ into the Heavens, we commemorate the Third Finding of the Honourable Head of the Holy Prophet and Forerunner John https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/05/third-finding-of-head-of-st-john.html

Also St Aldhelm, bishop of Sherborne (709). St Dunchadh, abbot of Iona (717).

Second Corinthians 4:6–15; Matthew 11:2–15
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4564

John did not ask as if he himself did not know Christ. How could this be when he had borne witness to Him, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God"? But because his disciples were jealous of Christ, John sent them to acquire more evidence, so that by seeing the miracles they might believe that Christ is greater than John. This is why he himself pretends to ask, "Art Thou He that cometh?" that is, He Whose coming in the flesh is awaited in the Scriptures. Some believe that by saying, "He that cometh," he was asking about the descent into hades, as if, not knowing the answer, John were questioning, "Art Thou He that goeth even into Hades, or should we look for another?" But this is foolishness, for how could John, who was greater than the prophets, not know of the crucifixion of Christ and the descent into Hades, when he had called Christ the Lamb Who would be sacrificed for us?

John knew, therefore, that the Lord would also go down into Hades in the soul so that even there, as St Gregory the Theologian says, He might save those who would have believed if He had become incarnate in their day. John did not ask this because he did not know the answer, but rather because he wanted to provide his disciples with the evidence of Christ’s miracles. …

Christ did not say, "Declare unto John that I am He that cometh." But knowing that John had sent his disciples to see the miracles, He said, "Tell John what you see, and certainly he will use that opportunity to bear witness more fully to you concerning Me." By the words "the poor have the good tidings" understand either those preaching the Gospel, that is, the apostles, who were poor fishermen and despised as common lowly people, or those listening to the Gospel and hearing of the eternal good things. And to show John’s disciples that the thoughts they were thinking did not escape His notice, He said, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me," for they had many doubts about Him.

— St Theophylact of Ohrid

24/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ into the Heavens, we commemorate the Three hundred and Eighteen Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council held in Nicea https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/06/synaxarion-for-sunday-of-holy-fathers.html ; the same day we commemorate our Venerable Father Symeon the Wonderworker of the Wondrous Mountain https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/05/synaxarion-of-saint-symeon-of-wondrous.html ; the same day we commemorate our Venerable Father Vincent of Lerins https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/05/saint-vincent-of-lerins-445.html

Acts 20:16–18, 28–36; John 17:1–13
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4563

Do you mark? He enjoins them two things. Neither success in bringing others right of itself is any gain—for, I fear, he says, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away (First Corinthians 9:27); nor the being diligent for one's self alone. For such an one is selfish, and seeks his own good only, and is like to him who buried his talent.

Take heed to yourselves: this he says, not because our own salvation is more precious than that of the flock, but because, when we take heed to ourselves, then the flock also is a gainer. In which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God. See, it is from the Spirit you have your ordination. This is one constraint: then he says, To feed the Church of the Lord. Lo! Another obligation: the Church is the Lord's. And a third: which He has purchased with His own blood.

It shows how precious the concern is; that the peril is about no small matters, seeing that even His own blood He spared not. He indeed, that he might reconcile those who were enemies, poured out even His blood: but thou, even when they have become your friends, are not able to retain them. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

— St John Chrysostom

23/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ into the Heavens, we commemorate the Holy Hierarch Michael, Bishop of Synnada https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/05/saint-michael-confessor-bishop-of.html ; the same day we commemorate our Venerable Father Eumenios the New https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2022/05/synaxarion-of-our-venerable-and-god.html https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2020/12/elder-eumenios-saridakis-saint-who-had.html

Also St Goban Gobhnena, abbot (6th C).

Acts 20:7–12; John 14:10–21
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4562

At the very time of breaking bread, the discourse having taken its commencement, extended: as representing that they were hungry, and it was not unseasonable: for the principal object which brought them together was not teaching, but they came together to break bread; discourse however having come up, he prolonged the teaching.

See how all partook also at Paul's table. It seems to me, that he discoursed while even sitting at table, teaching us to consider all other things as subordinate to this. Picture to yourselves, I beseech you, that house with its lights, with its crowd, with Paul in the midst, discoursing, with even the windows occupied by many: what a thing it was to see, and to hear that trumpet, and behold that gracious countenance! But why did he discourse during night time? Since he was about to depart, it says, and was to see them no more: though this indeed he does not tell them, they being too weak to bear it, but he did tell it to the others.

At the same time too the miracle which took place would make them evermore to remember that evening; so that the fall turned out to the advantage of the teacher. Great was the delight of the hearers, and even when interrupted, it was the more increased. That young man was to rebuke all that are careless of the word, he whose death was caused by nothing else than this, that he wished to hear Paul.

— St John Chrysostom

22/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ into the Heavens, we commemorate the Holy Martyr Basilikos of Comana

Also St Conall, abbot of Inniscoel (7th C).

Acts 19:1–8; John 14:1–11
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4561

From the baptism itself he John prophesies: and he leads them to see that this is the meaning of John's baptism. That they should believe in Him that was to come: on what kind of Person? I indeed baptise you with water, but He that comes after me, shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11) And when Paul, it says, had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.

— St John Chrysostom

21/05/2026

Today we celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ into the Heavens https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/06/synaxarion-for-thursday-of-ascension.html

Acts 1:1–12; Luke 24:36–53
https://www.antiochian.org/liturgicday/4560

If there had not been many dwelling places in the house of God the Father, our Lord would have told us that he was going on ahead to prepare the dwelling places of the saints. He knew, however, that many such dwelling places already prepared were awaiting the arrival of those who love God. Therefore he did not give this as the reason for his departure, but rather his desire to open the way for our ascent to those heavenly places and to prepare a safe passage for us by making smooth the road that had previously been impassible. For heaven was then completely inaccessible to us — human foot had never trodden that pure and holy country of the angels. It was Christ who first prepared the way for our ascent there. By offering himself to God the Father as the first fruits of all who are dead and buried, he gave us a way of entry into heaven and was himself the first human being the inhabitants of heaven ever saw. The angels in heaven, knowing nothing of the sacred and profound mystery of the incarnation, were astonished at his coming and almost thrown into confusion by an event so strange and unheard of. "Who is this coming from Edom?" they asked; that is, from the earth. But the Spirit did not leave the heavenly throng ignorant of the wonderful wisdom of God the Father. Commanding them to open the gates of heaven in honor of the King and Master of the universe, he cried out: "Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in."

And so our Lord Jesus Christ has opened up for us a new and living way, as Paul says, "not by entering a sanctuary made with hands, but by entering heaven itself to appear before God on our behalf." For Christ has not ascended in order to make his own appearance before God the Father. He was, is, and ever will be in the Father and in the sight of him from whom he receives his being, for he is his Father's unfailing joy. But now the Word, who had never before been clothed in human nature, has ascended as a man to show himself in a strange and unfamiliar fashion. And he has done this on our account and in our name, so that being like us, though with his power as the Son, and hearing the command, "Sit at my right hand," as a member of our race, he might transmit to all of us the glory of being children of God. For since he became man it is as one of us that he sits at the right hand of God the Father, even though he is above all creation and one in substance with his Father, having truly come forth from him as God from God and Light from Light.

As man then he appeared before the Father on our behalf, to enable us whom the ancient transgression had excluded from his presence once more to see the Father's face. As the Son he took his seat to enable us as sons and daughters through him to be called children of God. So Paul, who claims to speak for Christ, teaching that the whole human race has a share in the events of Christ's life, says that "God has raised us up with him and enthroned us with him in heaven." To Christ as the Son by nature belongs the prerogative of sitting at the Father's side; this honor can rightly and truly be ascribed to him alone. Yet because his having become man means that he sits there as one who is in all respects like ourselves, as well as being as we believe God from God, in some mysterious way he passes this honor on to us.

— St Cyril of Alexandria

20/05/2026

Today, the Apodosis (Leavetaking) of the Holy and Great of Pascha, we celebrate and offer back to God the Feast of feasts and the Festival of festivals, the life-bearing Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2021/06/the-forty-days-after-resurrection-of.html Christ is risen!

Acts 18:22–28; John 12:36–47
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4559

These things spake Jesus, and He departed and hid Himself from them. After teaching them in few words what was profitable, once again by God-befitting power He betakes Himself from their midst, concealing Himself; and not permitting them to be roused to anger, but giving them opportunity to change their mind, with intent that they might do what was better. And He withdraws with a set purpose, His Passion being nigh; shewing that it was not His will to be put to death by the Jews, notwithstanding that He willingly yielded Himself up to suffer, giving Himself a Ransom for our life; and accepted death, which men naturally liken unto sorrow, and changed the sorrow into gladness.

— St Cyril of Alexandria

19/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate Great and Holy Pascha, we commemorate the Holy Hieromartyr Patrick, Bishop of Prusa, and his companions https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2018/05/hieromartyr-patrick-of-prussa-bishop.html ; the same day we commemorate the Holy Hierarch Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury https://orthodoxwiki.org/Dunstan_of_Canterbury Christ is risen!

Acts 17:19–28; John 12:19–36
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4558

On which was inscribed, To an Unknown God. The Athenians, namely, as on many occasions they had received gods from foreign parts also — for instance, the temple of Minerva, Pan, and others from different countries — being afraid that there might be some other god not yet known to them, but worshipped elsewhere, for more assurance, forsooth, erected an altar to that god also: and as the god was not known, it was inscribed, To an Unknown God. This God then, he tells them, is Christ; or rather, the God of all.

Him declare I unto you. Observe how he shows that they had already received Him, and it is nothing strange, says he, nothing new that I introduce to you. All along, this was what they had been saying: What is this new doctrine spoken of by you? For you bring certain strange matters to our ears. Immediately therefore he removes this surmise of theirs: and then says, God that made the world and all things therein, He being Lord of heaven and earth — for, that they may not imagine Him to be one of many, he presently sets them right on this point; adding, dwells not in temples made with hands.

— St John Chrysostom

18/05/2026

Today, as we continue to celebrate Great and Holy Pascha, we commemorate the Holy Martyrs Peter, Dionysios, Andrew, Paul, Christina, Herakleios, Paulinos and Venedimos https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/05/holy-martyrs-peter-dionysios-andrew.html Christ is risen!

Acts 17:1–9; John 11:47–54
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4557

Christ is risen!

Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke the Truth, though he did not understand Him, “You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” (John 11:49–50)

The tragedy of human life is that we are born to live, yet we die. Christ Who is Life, though, was born to die. But His death was unlike any before, death could not hold Him and the grave could not withstand His power. Indeed, through the death of Christ, the cycle of death has been broken and the whole nation is preserved and renewed in Him. And while we still must face dying, unless the Lord come first, death is a defeated foe.

Come and let us together grow in faith and love for our risen Christ Who has defeated the tyrannical demonic powers which seek to destroy us. Come and let us grow in faith and in faithfulness that we may all become true persons in the image and likeness of God. Come and let us, together, transform our lives that we may be Christians in deed as well as in name. Come and see!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

17/05/2026

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.

Christ is risen!

One of the great blessings we have in our society is the willingness of many—whether Christian or otherwise—to give to, and to raise money for, the suffering. Whether in this country or abroad, our nation helps and supports those in need. And while there is always more that could be done, this attitude is to be commended. We see on advertisements, we hear on the streets and among friends, calls to raise money for those who are in need of help and support.

Yet this is not absolute. Causes for which we see children suffering, the innocent affected and the undeserving mistreated stand at the forefront of our attempts to appear compassionate. For former prisoners struggling on release, for addicts trying to get clean, for gamblers who have lost everything, for these and more we might be less inclined to help and support. If the public perceive the beneficiaries of charity as being at least in part to blame for their misfortunes, those charities often struggle for support. “You’re getting the results of your own stupidity,” we sneer from our ivory towers, “you might get help but only once we’ve supported the more deserving.”

And when I see someone suffering, before anything else, I think to myself, “who sinned, this man or someone else, that he suffers like this?” And if someone else then he might deserve my help whereas if it is he himself then I probably will hold back. I am the arbiter, I am the judge, I am the one who will ascribe blame; I think of myself as in charge of my life, the one who can stand above the everyday—judging motives and arbitrating over dissent—while all others may witness my own magnificence. Given every advantage I fail to see my own sin and my own iniquities, and despite many benefits in my life I fail to see in others ones who need to be served and honoured.
…

Christ is risen! One of the great blessings we have in our society is the willingness of many—whether Christian or otherwise—to give to, and to raise money for, the suffering. …

17/05/2026

On this day, the sixth Sunday of Pascha, we commemorate the miracle wrought by our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ upon the man who was blind from his birth https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/05/synaxarion-for-sunday-of-blind-man.html ; the same day we commemorate the Holy Apostles Andronikos and Junia of the Seventy https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/05/holy-apostles-andronikos-and-junia-of.html Christ is risen!

Also St Madern, hermit in Cornwall (545). St Cathan, bishop of Bute (6th C). St Mailduf, abbot of Malmesbury (673).

Acts 16:16–34; John 9:1–38
https://www.antiochian.org/epistleliturgicday/4556

"But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers,
and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, 'These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city.'
— Acts 16:19–20

So then Paul did all, both miracles and teaching, but of the dangers Silas also is partaker. And why says it, But Paul being grieved? It means, he saw through the malice of the demon, as he says, For we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains had gone. Everywhere money the cause of evils.

O that heathen cruelty! They wished the girl to be still a demoniac, that they might make money by her. They caught Paul and Silas, it says, and dragged them into the marketplace unto the rulers, and brought them unto the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city!

Why did they not say, Because they cast out the demon, they were guilty of impiety against God? For this was a defeat to them: but instead of that, they have recourse to a charge of treason: like the Jews when they said, We have no king but Cæsar: whoso makes himself a king speaks against Cæsar. (John 19:14) And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

— St John Chrysostom