The Synaxis of the Seventy Holy Apostles

Besides the Twelve Great Apostles, the Lord chose seventy lesser apostles and sent them to preach the Gospel: "Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves." (Lk. 10:3) But just as Judas, one of the Twelves, fell away from the Lord, so some among the Seventy abandoned the Lord - not with the intention of betrayal, but because of human weakness and faintheartedness. (Jn. 6:66)

As Judas' place was filled by another apostle, so also were the places of these lesser apostles filled by others were chosen. These seventy lesser apostles labored at the same work as did the Twelve Great Apostles; they were co-workers with the Twelve in spreading and establishing the Church of God in the world. They endured many sufferings and malevolent acts from men and demos, but their strong faith and fervent love for the resurrected Lord made them victors over the world and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Homily
On the citizens of the other world

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (Jn. 17:16)

Christ the Lord is not of this world, but rather is only in the vesture of this world. This is the Commander clad in the clothing of a slave in order to save the captive enslaved by sin, matter and Satan. As is the Commander, so are His soldiers. Even they, according to the spirit, are not of this world: they are not captives but free; they are not slaves but masters; they are not corruptible but immortal; they are not fallen but are saved.

Such are all those whom Christ recruited and who, having tasted immortal life, willingly rejected the world and united themselves with Him, remaining faithful to Him until the end of their lives on earth. Abba Moses said: "No one can enter the army of Christ if he is not totally as fire, if he does not abhor honors and comfort, if he does not sever all bodily desires, and if he does not keep all of God's commandments."

Judas was recruited, but he fell away and loved prison more than the royal court, slavery more than freedom, corruption more than immorality, and destruction more than salvation. But the other apostolic recruits, greater and lesser, remained faithful to Him to the end and achieved victory - that is why they are glorified both on earth among men and in heaven among the angels. All who are glorified by the world perish with the world, but those who are glorified by Christ are saved by Christ. The glory of the world is death, but the glory of Christ is life - life eternal and without death.

O Immortal Lord, even though we are of the world according to the body and sin, recruit us into Thine army - the army which, by Thy Spirit, power, wisdom and love, is not of this world. Do this so that, even when we die in this world, we may live in Thine Immortal Kingdom with the angels, apostles and saints, because of the love and prayers of Thy holy apostles. 

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

The Synaxis of the Seventy Holy Apostles
The Prologue of Ohrid, Vol. I
4 January, Homily