23 November 2024 (MIA)

Macedonian Orthodox Church Calendar

St. Erastus, Herodion and others, Apostles

St. Erastus

A bishop and martyr, one of St. Paul’s associates. He was treasurer for the city of Corinth, Greece. Converted by St. Paul, he was sent with St. Timothy to Macedonia. Tradition states that he became the bishop of Philippi Peneas, in Palestine or of Philippi, Macedonia, where he was martyred.

St. Herodion

Martyred bishop, the successor of St. Ignatius at Antioch, Turkey, where he served for two decades.

Catholic Calendar

St. Clement I

Little is known of this apostolic father beyond a few facts. He was a disciple of St. Peter, and perhaps of St. Paul. It is thought that the Clement whom St. Paul praises as a faithful fellow worker, whose name is written in the Book of Life [Philippians 4:3], was Clement, afterward bishop of Rome. According to Tertullian, Clement succeeded St. Peter immediately in the episcopal government of the Church at Rome. But in the list of bishops given us by Irenaeus and Eusebius he occupies the third place after the apostle, that is, after Linus and Cletus (Anacletus). It is, however, probable that the Church at Rome had at first two successions, one Petrine, the other Pauline, but that they speedily merged into one; and this will account for the confusion in the lists of the first bishops of Rome. Clement probably was Petrine, and Cletus Pauline bishop, the former ruling the converted Jews, the latter the Gentile converts. We know nothing of the events of his pontificate, except that there was a schism at Corinth, which drew forth a letter from him, which is preserved. St. Jerome and St. Irenaeus do not say that he died a martyr’s death, but Rufinus and Zosimus give him the title of martyr; but this title by no means implies that he had died for the faith; it had anciently more extended signification than at present, and included all who had witnessed a good confession, and suffered in any way for their faith.