Apostle Aquila

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The holy, glorious, all-laudable Apostle Aquila is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. A Jew living in Italy, he moved to Corinth with his wife Priscilla when Emperor Claudius drove the Jews from Italy. The Apostle Paul met him in Corinth, converted and baptized his household and then lived with him for a year and a half.

They traveled with St. Paul to Ephesus, where St. Paul wrote his first letter to the Church at Corinth in which he mentioned Sts. Aquila and Priscilla (I Corinthians 16:19). When Emperor Claudius died, the Jews were allowed to return to Rome, which Sts. Aquila and Priscilla did. Thus when St. Paul wrote to the Church at Rome he greeted his old friends in his letter (Romans 16:3-4). Later on these saints are found in Ephesus once again with the Apostle Timothy, and St. Paul mentions them again in his second epistle to St. Timothy (II Timothy 4:19)).

As Bishop, St. Aquila built many churches, destroyed many idols, ordained priests and preached the Gospel vigorously. He was martyred for the sake of Christ. The Church remembers St. Aquila on July 14.

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 3) [1]

Holy apostle Aquila of the Seventy;
Entreat the merciful;
To grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.

Kontakion (Tone 4)

The Church ever sees you as a shining star, O apostle Aquila,
Your miracles have manifested great enlightenment.
Therefore we cry out to Christ:
"Save those who with faith honor Your apostle, O Most Merciful One."

Source

St. Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue of Ohrid

External links