Ginbot 22 — May 30

Andronicus, the Brave Apostle

Today we remember Andronicus, a holy apostle, one of Jesus' closest helpers sent out to teach people about God. Jesus Himself chose him. Andronicus was one of seventy-two helpers Jesus sent out, even before the cross, to tell everyone the good news that God is King.

When the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus' friends in a special room in the city of Zion, the Spirit came to Andronicus too. It filled him with courage and joy. He went out and taught about Jesus from city to city, right beside the other apostles.

The apostles placed their hands on Andronicus and made him a bishop, a leader who cares for many churches. He went to a city called Niwebyas and taught the people there. Many of them had never heard about God, and now they came to love Jesus.

Andronicus did not travel alone. He brought his friend, an apostle named Julianus, and the two went together through many cities. They taught the good news and baptized so many people that no one could count them all. God worked through their hands. They made sick people well again, and they freed people who were troubled by evil spirits, for God is always stronger than anything evil. They built churches where people could pray together.

When their work was finished, God brought His two tired friends to a peaceful home with Him. Andronicus grew sick and fell asleep in the Lord on this day. His dear friend Julianus laid him gently to rest, and the very next day Julianus went home to God too. The two friends who had served side by side were together again, this time in heaven.

They taught the good news and baptized so many people that no one could count them all.

Jacob Sharakawi

Today we also remember a holy man named Jacob Sharakawi. The Church keeps his name in its book of saints so that we will not forget him. He loved God and lived a good and faithful life.

Even when we do not know every story about a saint, we can still thank God for them. We can ask Jacob Sharakawi to pray for us, and we can try to love God the way he did, every single day.