St. Matthias – February 24

1st Reading: Isaiah 66:1-2 Epistle: Acts 1:15-26 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

Color: Red

Hymn of the Day: 831 "How shall they hear," who have not heard

St. Matthias, Apostle

Matthias was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and his suicide (Acts 1:21-26).

Soon after Matthias’ election, he received the Holy Spirit with the other Apostles (Acts 2:1-4). He is not mentioned again in the New Testament.

Tradition says that Matthias ministered in Judaea and then carried out missions to foreign places. Greek tradition states that he Christianized Cappadocia, a mountainous district now in central Turkey, later journeying to the region about the Caspian Sea, where he was martyred by crucifixion.

Valentine, Martyr – February 14th

Valentine, Martyr

A physician and priest living in Rome during the rule of the Emperor Claudius, Valentine become one of the noted martyrs of the third century. The commemoration of his death, which occurred in the year 270, became part of the calendar of remembrance in the early church of the West. Tradition suggests that on the day of his execution for his Christian faith, he left a note of encouragement for a child of his jailer written on an irregularly-shaped piece of paper. This greeting became a pattern for millions of written expressions of love and caring that now are the highlight of Valentine’s Day in many nations.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos; February 13th

Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos

Aquila and his wife Priscilla (Prisca), Jewish contemporaries of St. Paul, traveled widely. Because of persecution in Rome, they went to Corinth where they met the apostle Paul, who joined them in their trade of tentmaking (Acts 18:1-3). They, in turn, joined him in his mission of proclaiming the Christian Gospel. The couple later traveled with Paul from Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18), where the two of them established a home that served as hospitality headquarters for new converts to Christianity. Apollos was one of their numerous Jewish pupils in the faith. An eloquent man, Apollos "spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus" (Acts 18:25). He later traveled from Corinth to the province of Achaia, where he "showed by the Scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus" (Acts 18:28). Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos are all remembered and honored for their great missionary zeal.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies