Founding of Christendom,--St. Jude, the King and the Shroud of Turin-- post 6

St. Jude, carrying the image of Christ

 St. Judas-Thaddaeus

Tradition has changed his name to Jude, if you remember there were two Judases in the Apostles, so as not to be confused with Judas who betrayed Jesus, it was thought better to make a distinction, thus Jude.  If you ever see an Icon or picture of St. Jude he is usually carrying a portrait of Jesus. We will answer here  why.


We begin St. Jude's story in  Edessa in Arminia Mesopotemia. The modern name of the city is Urfa and it is located in  the Southeast  Region of Turkey.




There is a strong tradition that King Abgar, king of Edessa sent a message to Jesus. Speaking Aramaic in Edessa, the stories of Jesus' miracles most likely reached him. He needed a miracle. This story traces back as far as the 3rd century when it was first written down.

King Abgar suffered from a severe illness, probably leprosy. Hoping for a cure he wrote to Jesus. Unfortunately we do not have this letter. Most likely the Apostles received this contact after the baptism of Cornelius---and the apostolate to the Gentiles. Seeing an opportunity to convert a king --a major figure; they sent St. Jude.

Not only Jude but a picture of Jesus--- most likely his shroud. Why the Shroud?

The Gospels of Matthew [27:59–60], Mark [15:46] and Luke [23:53] state that Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a piece of linen cloth and placed it in a new tomb.  After the resurrection, the Gospel of John [20:6]

        Aramaic Bible in Plain English

    "Then Shimeon [Peter] came after him [John] and entered the tomb, gazing at the linens where they were lying,"

Founding of Christendom,--St. Thomas First Mission to India-- post 5

St. Thomas.



St. Thomas, is famous for his "doubting."  But he was a realist. He knew how things work and wanted proof.

It is ironic he was sent to India, whose land was dominated by a religion that denied objective reality-Hinduism claims that reality is an illusion.


Many of the Apostles went beyond the borders of the Roman Empire. So it appears that the Apostles took Christ at his word and went to all the world they were capable of going to.

Though the evidence for all this speculation is murky, we can reconstruct evidence to get a picture.

Particularly St. Judus-Thaddaeus (also known as, St. Jude, not to be confused, with Judas the traitor) and St. Thomas are the best documented, after St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John.

Let's piece together first, the travels of St. Thomas.


Thomas met a merchant from India, possibly a Christian, named Habban, who told him that King Gundofarr of Taxila, in India, needed a carpenter. It appears that St. Thomas had some skill as a carpenter, like our Lord.

Thomas most likely traveled by land there, because there is a strong tradition that he founded Churches in the Mesopotamia region.

Iran, claims he preached and founded their Church, on his way to India.

India was a trading partner with the Roman Empire at this time. Taxila had strong connections with the Persion Empire too, so they probably spoke Aramaic, the official language of Persia.

So St. Thomas  could communicate since he spoke Judean Aramaic, which is closely related.

More than likely India had a Jewish community where he could preach, and give him time to learn some of the local Indian language, and prepare to go to the Gentiles of India.

King Gundofarr was not Indian; he was Parthian, that is Iranian, and seemed open to allowing the preaching of the Gospel. St. Thomas managed some converts and a small community.

He left  it to the care of a man named Gaurasva. Unfortunately, the kingdom of Gundofarr was wiped out. Kushan barbarians attacked and completely destroyed it, including the small Christian community.

Thomas traveled back to Israel, for the council of Jerusalem, but he would return. Thomas, was not finished in India.

continue to next chapter

faith formation: Understanding Fatherhood

 This is a very good video that explains how fatherhood is a reflection of God the Father. Scott's father had a tragic fathering but he didn't let that stop him. He sought out a true father figure. While all humans have flaws, even fathers, we need to seek out virtuous men we know to help us reflect on God as Father.

Founding of Christendom: The Dispersion of the Apostles -- post 4

Go to the whole world baptizing in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

 

With news of the son of Herod becoming the reigning king of Judea and Samaria, the handwriting was on the wall. Persecution was coming to the Holy Land. The first persecution in Judea was because of a political vacuum in Rome, it resulted with the Martyrdom of St. Stephan.  

But Roman order soon  returned-- though un-easy, until the appointment of Herod Agrippa, the first son of Herod-- his father was the one who  questioned Jesus. His grandfather was Herod the Great, who murdered the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem, at Christ’s birth.  Persecution was clearly coming.


Evangelization could still be done under Roman Law, before then.

Now that Herod Agrippa would be king, the Apostles needed to leave for all the world.

St. Mathew probably already had his Gospel written. Some speculate he had 2-- one in Aramaic and one in Greek. This would make sense in preparation for preaching in lands unknown, since the Persian Empire spoke a form of Aramaic and the Roman Empire, Greek. He was probably already keeping notes even while Jesus was alive. [Eusebius (Church History III.39.16)]

The Church celebrates the feast of the dispersion on July 15th. The time the apostles chose to leave Palestine. Peter was planning to go to Rome --to firm up the believers who were already there, as he had done in other places; and stop on route in Antioch.

Antioch was already under the able hands of St. Barnabas. The future traveling companion of St. Paul.

Herod, to please the Jews, started a persecution on the  Passover of 43 or 44 AD-- capturing St. James son of Zebedee, (the Greater)-- brother to St. John the Apostle. He was beheaded.


 St. James "the Greater" was the  first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom.

( Legend has it, that St. James son of Zebadee preach in Spain, before this persecution and was visiting Jerusalem at the time; and his converts who accompanied him back to Jerusalem, took his body back to Spain-- His burial spot becoming the famous Medieval  pilgrimage site ---Santiago de Compostela.)

Most of the Apostles had left Jerusalem by 44 AD, except  St. James "the Just" or  James, the younger or  the less...

Eusebius of Caesarea  reports the tradition that James the Just was the son of Joseph's brother Clopas and therefore was a cousin of Jesus, not a brother in a strict sense as described in the New Testament.

This is echoed by Jerome (c. 342 – 419) He  said James is  the son of another Mary, wife of Clopas. One of the Marys found at the foot of the Cross during Christ’s crucifixion.

Jesus and St. James the less, were “brothers” in the Arimaic expression, but really cousins in English.  In Jesus' native language, Aramaic, which, like Biblical Hebrew, does not contain a word for "cousin"; so "brother" or "sister '' is used instead.

St. Peter was arrested at this time and was miraculously freed from prison and found his way to St. Mark's home, where the Last Supper was held.

 It was decided the Christians of Jerusalem should  not be abandoned--- so, St. James --cousin to Jesus, known as "the Just" would stay in Jerusalem and be their Bishop.

He was so pious and good, that even the Jews admired him.


Our most reliable information is about the Apostles:  Peter, Paul, and John,  but sketchy about the others. We will attempt to piece together what we can.

St. Peter probably arrived in Rome in 43 or 45 AD, after visiting Antioch, on the way. Rome was a huge city, by ancient standards, maybe about a million people. With towering buildings sometimes 6 stories high--immense for the times. Quite an intimidating place for Peter--a Jewish Fisherman.

He  sought out the Jewish district to find some sense of security in the bustling city. Probably there were some Christian Jews already there. This area was called the 14th district, north western corner of the city across the river. The hills of which are now the  Vatican city of today. Most likely he followed the plan of St. Paul, and  preached in synagogue to Jews and then  turned to the Gentiles.

One of his possible converts was Pomponia Graecina, wife of Aulus Plautius--general of the army in Britannia. She was known to have turned to a new religion after losing a loved one. Most likely a convert of St. Peter's. It isn't conclusive, but she withdrew from the parties of Rome and became a virtuous woman, it was not one of the other mystery religions popular at the time. We can strongly  suspect it was Christianity.
(It is interesting that in a few hundred years Constantine, who would free the Christians by the Edict of Milan in February 313, would come from the Britannia army)

Where did the other Apostles go?