Holy Apostle Ananias, of the Seventy (I)

The holy Apostle Ananias, bishop of the city of Damascus, was one of the Saviour’s seventy closest disciples. At God’s command it was he who baptised Saul, the persecutor of the Christians, the future Apostle Paul (Acts 9:10–19). In spite of trials Ananias boldly and openly preached Christianity among Jews and Gentiles. From Damascus he went on to Eleutheropolis with the teaching of the Gospel and healed many sick people there. Lucian, the head of the city, tried to persuade the saint to offer sacrifice to the idols, but achieved nothing. Then at his command the executioners cruelly tortured the courageous confessor of Christ. They took him outside the city and stoned him. Ananias committed his soul to the Lord praying for his murderers (1st century). Later his holy relics were translated to Constantinople.