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St. Philip, One of the Seven Deacons
On The
Fourteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Babah, St. Philip, one of the Seven
Deacons, departed. He was from Caesara, Palestine. when the Lord Christ, to Him
is the glory, went through this area; this saint heard Him teaching and
followed Him immediately. when the Lord chose the 70 Disciples and sent them
forth to preach and heal the sick, this disciple was one of them. The Twelve
Apostles chose him as one of the Seven Deacons appointed to serve.
This
Apostle preached in the cities of Samaria and baptized its people. He also
baptized Simon the magician who perished when he tried to buy the gift of the
Holy Spirit with money.
One
day the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Arise and go toward the
south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." He rose and went
and behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the
Queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury and had come to
Jerusalem to worship. As he was returning and sitting in his chariot, he was
reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the spirit said to Philip, "Come near and join
this chariot." So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah
and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
And he
said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and
sit with him. The place in the scripture, which he read, was this, "He was led
as a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb before its sheerer is silent, So He
opened not his mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away. And who
will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."
So the
eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this,
of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning
at this scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they
came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water; what hinders me
from being baptized?" Then Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you
may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God."
So he
commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down
into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more;
and he went on his way rejoicing.
But
Philip was found at Azotus and passing through he preached in all the cities,
till he came to Cesarea. (Acts 8:2640)
He went around the countries of Asia and preached
the living Gospel there. He had four daughters who preached the word of God
with him. He brought many of the Jews, the Samaritans and others to the faith,
and departed in peace.
His
prayers be with us and Glory be to Our God, forever. Amen.
Philip with the Ethiopian Eunuch
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