Apostle Jason

Ss. Jason and Sosipater

The holy, glorious, all-laudable Apostle Jason is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. St. Jason's feast days are celebrated on April 28 (Slavic tradition) or 29 (Greek tradition), and on January 4 among the Seventy.

Born in Tarsus, he was appointed Bishop of Tarsus by the Apostle Paul. With the Apostle Sosipater he traveled to the island of Corfu where they built a church in honor of the Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr and converted many pagans to the Christian faith. Seeing this, the king of Corfu threw them into prison where they converted seven other prisoners to the Christian faith: Saturninus, Jakischolus, Faustianus, Januarius, Marsalius, Euphrasius and Mammius. The king had those seven put to death for their faith in boiling pitch.

The king's daughter, the virgin Cercyra, having watched these holy apostles being tortured and turned to the Christian faith, distributed all her jewels to the poor. The king became angry and put her in prison, yet she would not deny Christ. So he had the prison burned, but she remained unharmed. Many people were baptized upon seeing this miracle. He then had her killed with arrows while tied to a tree.

Many believers fled to a nearby island to get away from the enraged king, but as he chased them his boat sank. The new king embraced the Christian faith and in baptism received the name Sebastian. From then on Sts. Sosipater and Jason freely preached the Gospel and built up the Church in Corfu until a very old age, when they gave up their souls to God.

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 3) [1]

O holy Apostles Jason and Sosipater,

Pray to the merciful God,

That He may grant to our souls

Remission of our transgressions.

Kontakion (Tone 2)

O Jason, source of healing,

And Sosipater, glory of the martyrs of Christ:

You were enlightened by the preaching of Paul,

Both becoming a great consolation to the world through your miracles.

Thrice-holy and God-bearing Apostles and defenders of those who suffer,

Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.

Source

• St. Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue of Ohrid

External links

• Apostle Jason, of the Seventy and those with him, April 28 (OCA)
• Apostle Jason of the Seventy, January 4 (OCA)
• Jason & Sosipater the Apostles of the 70 & their Companions (GOARCH)