Apostle Symeon
Hieromartyr
Commemorated January 4 · April 27
One of the Seventy, he was the son of Cleopas, and Cleopas was the brother of Joseph, the betrothed of the most holy Mother of God. Seeing the miracles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Simeon was converted and included among the Seventy apostles. With great zeal and courage, he preached the Gospel everywhere in Judo. And when the wicked Jews killed James, the Lord's brother and first bishop of the Church in Jerusalem, throwing him down from the top of the Temple and belabouring him round the head with a stick, then this Simeon, Joseph's nephew, was installed as bishop in Jerusalem. He, as the second Bishop of the Holy City, governed the Church of God with wisdom and strength to a great age. He was more than a hundred years old when he suffered, and his sufferings came about as follows: in the time of the Emperor Trajan there was a double persecution begun in Palestine, against the descendants of David and against the Christians. The wicked people condemned Simeon on both counts. St Simeon endured harsh torture and was finally crucified, as had been the Lord whom he had faithfully served on earth.
Troparion
O holy apostles
entreat the merciful God
that He grant to our souls remission of transgressions.
Kontakion
In hymns, O ye faithful,
let us in godly manner praise the choir of the seventy disciples of Christ;
for, through them have we all learned to honor the indivisible Trinity.
And they remain beacons of the divine Faith.
Source: Crkveni Kalendar
