I want to begin a series of short stories about the apostles, since this Sunday (the second Sunday after Pentecost) focuses on the calling of the first apostles.

Today we start with a general introduction to the Twelve. In the following weeks, on the extra bulletin inserts, you’ll find a brief life of one apostle each Sunday – so that, step by step, we can get to know these very real, very human friends of Jesus more closely – Fr. Eugene

Crowds followed Jesus, especially after they had seen His miracles. Out of these hundreds or even thousands, He chose only twelve men who were not remarkable in any obvious way: not by education, not by profession, not by some special spiritual insight. The evangelists frankly show how much they failed to understand and how often they were absorbed in their own concerns rather than in what Jesus was telling them.

And yet it was precisely these men who were later sent to carry the Gospel to the whole world. Today we know them as the apostles of Christ.

The Greek word apostolos means “messenger” or “envoy.” It could be used for a courier sent with news to another city, or even for an ambassador representing a king. The astonishing thing is that this honorable title was given to very simple people, most of them fishermen from Galilee. And yet they fulfilled the mission entrusted to them – and the world has never been the same since.

Another ancient tradition tells how the apostle Andrew visited Byzantium, the city on whose site Constantinople would later rise. There he is said to have founded a Christian community and ordained as its bishop Stachys, one of the Seventy disciples (cf. Romans 16:9, RSV-2CE). His Life recounts many remarkable healings and even resurrections worked through his prayers in various cities, as well as the fierce persecutions he endured.

After his journey around the Black Sea, Andrew is said to have gone to the capital of the empire, Rome, where his brother Peter was. At that time Rome was ruled by the emperor Nero, and a time of persecution was beginning in which both brothers would meet their deaths. For his preaching, Andrew was crucified in the city of Patras, on the Peloponnese in Greece. According to tradition, he was executed on a cross in the shape of the letter X – hence the “St. Andrew’s cross.” The Life of the saint puts these words on his lips as he approaches his cross:

“O good cross, made beautiful by the body of my Lord upon you, long have I desired and sought you; now you are prepared for my eager soul. Receive me from among men, and restore me to my Master, that He who redeemed me through you may receive me through you.”

For the Christian imagination of the lands of Kyivan Rus’, the figure of St. Andrew also became very dear. The legend of his blessing the hills of Kyiv helped shape a special reverence for him in our region. Not by chance one of the most famous churches in the capital is the baroque St. Andrew’s Church on Andriivskyi Descent, and many parishes in Ukraine – both Orthodox and Greek Catholic – are dedicated to him. In modern Ukraine, the naval ensign also uses the blue St. Andrew’s cross on a white field: the same diagonal cross on which, according to tradition, the apostle was martyred becomes a visible reminder that service and sacrifice belong at the heart of Christian life.

It is interesting to compare this “Andrew’s cross” – a simple X-shaped cross – with the so‑called Byzantine cross, often used by Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, especially in North America. The Byzantine cross usually has three horizontal bars: the upper one for the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” the middle one where Christ’s hands were nailed, and the lower slanted bar symbolizing the footrest – tilted toward the repentant thief and away from the unrepentant one.

So the Andrew’s cross and the Byzantine cross speak different “visual languages,” but about the same mystery. The X‑shaped cross of Andrew emphasizes discipleship carried to the point of following Christ even in the manner of death; the multi‑barred Byzantine cross emphasizes the kingship of Christ, the reality of the Crucifixion, and the judgment and mercy shown even in His dying. Both remind us that the Cross is not just a symbol, but the place where an apostle, a Church, and each believer finds the meaning of his or her life.

The evangelist Luke tells us:

“And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Luke 6:13–16, RSV-2CE)

Who were these men – and why them?

Jesus had crowds. After the miracles, everyone wanted to be near Him. And yet, out of hundreds or even thousands, He chose just twelve very ordinary men. No famous rabbis, no scholars, no spiritual “influencers” of their time. Fishermen, a tax collector, a former zealot. The Gospels honestly show how much they misunderstood, how often they argued, thought of themselves, or simply didn’t “get” Jesus.

And still, there is something different about them.

John shows a turning point. After a hard teaching – with no miracles, no “wow effect” – people start walking away. Jesus then turns to the Twelve:

“Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67–69, RSV-2CE)

Maybe this is what Jesus saw in them: not perfection, but a stubborn hunger for Truth, and a readiness to stay when the show is over. Even Judas was given that chance – his terrible decision came later.

The very word apostolos means “messenger, envoy.” The title you’d give to a royal courier or ambassador. And yet it is pinned, almost shockingly, on Galilean fishermen. Jesus sends them out to preach even before His death and resurrection, when they are clearly not “ready.” They learn on the way. They fail on the way. But they go.

Twelve is no accident either: twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles – a sign of a new fullness, a renewed people of God.

When Judas falls away, they replace him by lot with Matthias (cf. Acts 1:15–26). Later, the Lord sends out seventy others (cf. Luke 10:1). Not all of them knew Jesus during His earthly life, but they live and preach in continuity with the first Twelve. Scripture itself tells us little about most of them. For the rest we lean on Tradition and the Lives of the saints. But there is one book that really lets us watch them in action: the Acts of the Apostles.

What were they actually told to do?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, RSV-2CE)

That is the “mission statement.” But the how comes a bit later:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, RSV-2CE)

Key points: They act – but the power is not theirs. The mission spreads in circles: Jerusalem → Judea → Samaria → “the end of the earth”. And one key word: witnesses. Not just “teachers,” not just “preachers.” Witnesses. People whose whole life becomes evidence that Christ is real. The Greek word martys (witness) will soon come to mean “martyr” – someone who would rather die than deny what he has seen.

The apostles preached something the world had never heard before, on a blank page of history. We don’t have that blank page anymore. Christianity is “old news,” wrapped in centuries of art, history, and culture. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about the culture than about Christ. The apostles didn’t have the museum – they only had the message. And a completely new way of living.

They begin not with strategy, but with community. They pray together and actually live together. Then Pentecost happens (cf. Acts 2:1–11). The Spirit comes, and suddenly everyone in Jerusalem hears them speaking in their own languages. Some are moved, some mock them as drunk – but no one can ignore them. Something is happening.

Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2) is short and laser-focused. He starts with prophecy (cf. Acts 2:16–21), then goes straight to Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Acts 2:22–36). He does not start with rules, customs, or even “how to join our group.” The apostles are like a clear window: you see through them to Christ.

The result? “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:41–42, RSV-2CE)

And then this: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44, RSV-2CE)

No one had seen a community like this: shared prayer, shared table, shared possessions, daily care for the poor (cf. Acts 2:45; 4:32–35; 6:1–6). Deacons are created not as “mini-priests,” but as men dedicated to this concrete service (cf. Acts 6:1–6).

Words alone would not have been enough. The apostles back up every word with a new kind of life. That is what makes the authorities nervous. They try to silence them: “Believe what you want, just stop talking about Jesus” (cf. Acts 4:17–18; 5:27–28). The answer is simple:

“We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29, RSV-2CE)

Persecution follows: arrests, floggings, executions (cf. Acts 8:1–4; 12:1–5). The apostles are scattered – and with them, the Gospel spreads. One of their fiercest enemies, Saul, becomes Paul, the tireless missionary (cf. Acts 9:1–22; 13:9).

So who were they, really? Not heroes who had it all together from the start. Not saints carved in stone. They were flawed, stubborn, often slow to understand – but willing to stay, to be taught, to be sent, and finally, to witness with their lives.

The real question that remains is not just who they were, but: Am I willing to let Christ do with me what He did with them?

Andrew the First-Called

Andrew and Simon (better known to us as Peter) were brothers and Galilean fishermen. Simon was probably the older one, but Andrew was the first to meet Jesus – not only between the two of them, but among all the Twelve. That is why he is called “the First-Called.” It is striking that, unlike his brother, he had a Greek name, which means “manly” or “brave.” That was typical of Galilee: the native Jewish culture there was heavily mixed with pagan Hellenistic influence, and for that reason the strict religious leaders in Jerusalem tended to look down on Galileans with suspicion.

Beyond this, the Gospels tell us very little about Andrew, as about most of the Twelve. It is Andrew who points out to Christ the boy with five loaves and two fish, which are then miraculously multiplied to feed the crowd (cf. John 6:8–9, RSV-2CE). Together with Philip he brings some Greeks to Jesus – and this is the only such episode we know of (cf. John 12:20–22, RSV-2CE).

For his missionary work Andrew was entrusted, according to tradition, with the lands along the shore of the Pontus Euxinus – the Black Sea. Its coasts (including what is now Crimea) then formed part of the “civilized world,” that is, the Roman Empire, while farther north, in the steppe regions, lived the “barbarians” known as Scythians. How far north the apostle actually travelled we do not know for certain. A relatively late tradition says that he sailed up the Dnipro River, blessed the place where the city of Kyiv would later be founded, and even reached as far as the lands around Novgorod, where he was astonished by the local bathhouses. Most likely this is a pious legend: early sources say nothing about such a northern journey, it left no clear traces, and it is hard to imagine such a trip in the first century. Yet we can still say that Andrew was the first to carry the Gospel “in our direction.” It is quite plausible that he visited Chersonesus – the site of modern-day Sevastopol.

How to Overcome Depression?

Depression is one of the major problems of our time. What is worst is that each year more and more people fall into this painful condition. Some suffer from depression from time to time, while others live in a depressed state constantly. No one is immune — not even the saints. One illustrative example is Elijah.

Elijah was a great prophet of God. For three years he proclaimed God’s will to the Israelites, performed miracles, and tried to turn the people back to the true God. For this the queen Jezebel, an idolater, hated him. The last straw for her was the miracle on Mount Carmel when fire came down. When Jezebel was told that Elijah had performed this miracle and her prophets were dead, she became so enraged that she sent a messenger to Elijah saying, “May the gods do so to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by tomorrow at this time” (1 Kings 19:2). In other words, she was ready to die herself rather than leave Elijah alive.

Elijah, who had preached fearlessly for three years despite persecution, was frightened by these threats and fled to the wilderness. He was so depressed that he wished for death: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life; for I am not better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:3–5).

Do you recognize this kind of depression?

Elijah certainly had all the preconditions for depression — he was physically exhausted and experienced the whole palette of depressive feelings: fear, hurt, guilt, anger, loneliness, and anxiety. But God says, “Elijah was a man with like passions as we are” (James 5:17). He had the same problems, including depression.

The Bible says Elijah was so downcast that life was bitter to him. Why do we bring ourselves to such a state? Sometimes because of hard life circumstances, but more often because of the wrong way of thinking. Scientists have shown that our emotions depend on our thoughts.

If you are set to think negatively, you will feel depressed. Your emotions depend on how you perceive life. If your outlook is negative, you will constantly be in a bad mood.

If you want to get rid of negative emotions, you must change your way of thinking. The Bible says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). To overcome depression, you must change your approach to life. Jesus says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If you view things from the right perspective, depression will not threaten you. So, to get rid of a bad mood you must change your thinking. Here are some practical ways to do that.

Stay on the right path

Focus on facts, not feelings Why did Elijah fall into depression? Because he departed from the right path and yielded to certain temptations. The first is seen in 1 Kings 19:3–4: “When he saw this, he arose and ran for his life… and he went in and sat under a broom tree, and prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life; for I am not better than my fathers.’”

What was his first mistake? We all make it: fixating on our feelings instead of analyzing the facts. In depression we lose the ability to think clearly and begin to be governed by our emotions. Under the influence of his feelings Elijah began to think he was a complete failure — “not better than my fathers.” He concluded he was a failure based on a moment of weakness: fear.

If you take your feelings as the measure of truth — if you rely only on emotions — it leads to nowhere good. Performers, musicians, and athletes often notice that after a show they feel it was a disaster. They understand that this is only how it seems to them; feelings are not facts and can be deceptive.

For example, weeks after our wedding, I once woke and told my wife, “I don’t feel like a married man.” She replied, “So what — that doesn’t change the fact that you are!” Likewise, I may not always feel God’s presence, but that does not mean He has left me. I may not always feel like a Christian, though I remain one. Since our feelings can be deceptive, do not rely on them. Instead seek the truth that sets you free (John 8:32).

Do not compare yourself with others The second mistake Elijah made is in his prayer: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life; for I am not better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4). Another cause of depression is comparing yourself with others. Many of us think that if we were like someone else, we would already be happy.

When we compare ourselves with others, we set ourselves up for trouble. The Bible calls this unwise and harmful (see 2 Corinthians 10:12). First, you cannot fairly compare yourself with others because every person is unique. If you consider yourself worse than others, depression is not far off. Second, our comparisons are biased — we do not know others completely. We tend to compare our weaknesses with others’ strengths, forgetting they also have failings. When comparisons go against us we begin to blame ourselves and suffer. Self-criticism can be useful, but only in measure. Acknowledge your imperfections and be yourself — that is what God asks of you.

Do not carry the world’s sins on your shoulders The third mistake Elijah made was blaming himself for what was not his fault. He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword” (1 Kings 19:10). In other words: “I worked hard for three years, but they did not repent. I tried so much, and they didn’t change.”

By taking responsibility for an entire nation, Elijah burdened himself too heavily. He created an unnecessary problem. If you do the same, you will always be depressed. You bring it upon yourself when you blame yourself for others’ sins and take on responsibility God never intended for you.

If you habitually help others, you will eventually discover people who do not always appreciate it. You cannot predict how your children, friends, spouse, or coworkers will react. People are different, so you cannot take responsibility for their choices. You can influence them, but you cannot decide for them. Such an unbearable burden only depresses you. Accept that you cannot make decisions for others. You may help, but the final choice is theirs. Do not be distressed by what you cannot change.

Do not make a mountain out of a molehill The fourth mistake Elijah made was exaggerating the negative. He said, “I alone am left; and they seek my life to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10). Under Jezebel’s threats he began to think everyone was against him. In fact, this was not true — had Elijah thought clearly instead of dwelling on his feelings, he would have seen that no one intended to kill him. If Jezebel really wanted him dead, she would have acted without warning!

It was not in Jezebel’s interest to kill Elijah. She knew his influence over the people; killing him would have made him a martyr and might have provoked uprising. She also likely feared God’s judgment for killing His prophet. Therefore, she allowed Elijah to flee into the wilderness; she did not truly intend to kill him. She wanted to make him look like a coward before the people.

But Elijah did not think this through. He simply ran away. He believed he was alone, though the Bible says seven thousand in Israel had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). When we are depressed, we behave like Elijah. We magnify our difficulties and think all is lost.

When everything seems so bad we begin to humiliate ourselves. When we fail, we call ourselves losers; when we stumble, we call ourselves clumsy; when we overeat, we call ourselves pigs. By demeaning ourselves we worsen the problem and lose the desire to correct things. Do not do this.

How frequently should I go to CONFESSION?