Apostle Carpus of the Seventy
Καρπούς ενεγκών, Κάρπε, δεκτοὺς Κυρίῳ,
Φέρεις καθ’ ώραν την τελευτήν ως τρύγην.
Εικάδι έκτῃ Κάρπος απὸ χθονός ίπτατο μακρής.
Seventy Apostles according to the Eastern Orthodox Church, or Seventy Disciples according to the Western Church are brought to the Christian Religion and tradition in addition to the Twelve Apostles, seventy disciples - Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ himself, as reported by the Evangelist Luke (Chapter 1 -16).
The Apostle Karpos lived in the years of King Nero (52 AD), and you are numbered among the seventy disciples of the Lord. Also, he was a collaborator of the Apostle Paul and from what we learn from his second letter to Timothy (v. 13), he worked for the spread of the Gospel in Troas. Then, he became a bishop in Varna in Thrace (and S. Efstratiadis mentions Verroia in Thrace), where with his holy life and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, he became a spiritual star of the first magnitude and illuminated with his divine teachings the entire territory of his diocese.
In his work, Karpos suffered many temptations and sorrows, which he faced with great bravery and patience. He was not afraid of pains and sufferings, but entered the battle vigorously, not counting the anger and rage of the tyrants. The word of the Lord had settled in him: "Grieve the world" (Gospel of John, st' 33.). That is, as long as you are in the world, you will have sorrow. The road to union with the Lord is not paved with rose petals, but with trials, which we must face with constant struggle, according to His holy will.
Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, in his letter to the monk Demophilos, tells him the following incident that shows God's charity towards sinners. The apostle Karpos, one of the Seventy (O) Apostles, was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, "a man more capable than any other in theology, because of the great purity of his mind". Karpos had reached such high spiritual standards that he "never attempted the performance of the holy Mysteries, if before, during the preparatory prayers, some favorable divine vision was not presented to him".
Once he was very sad because a pagan had seduced a Christian. Karpos was bitter and very sad. And while he had this bitterness, he did not pray, as he should have done, for these two people and ask for God's help, so that he would be able to bring the one who had been seduced into unbelief back into the bosom of the Church, and the unbeliever to attract him in the faith of Christ• nor did he take the decision to admonish them continuously and for life, so as to lead them to divine knowledge. But, he told me, he had never experienced such a thing before, that is, that he fell and slept indignantly and with bitterness in his soul.
At midnight he got up to pray, as was his custom, but at that hour of his prayer he was distressed, without needing to, and resentful, thinking that it was not fair that godless men should live, who pervert the holy and upright ways of the Lord. Thinking of this, he asked God to send a thunderbolt and annihilate both apostates.
But while he was saying these things, he saw the following vision: The house was torn in two, from one roof to the bottom. Heaven opened and he saw Christ surrounded by infinite Angels. But at the same time, falling down, he saw a huge chasm open in the ground, deep and dark. At the edge of the chasm he saw those two people, for whom he had called for their immediate extermination. These people, frightened and pitiful, were in danger of falling into the chasm from moment to moment.
Meanwhile he saw snakes coming up from the chasm, biting those two people, hitting them with their tails and trying to throw them into the bottomless chasm. Carpos, from the other side, was sad and yearning and wished that those people would fall into the chasm as soon as possible. He even tried to push them to make them fall. But because he couldn't, that's why he started cursing them.
Raising his eyes to heaven again, he saw Christ rise from His Throne, descend to the mouth of the chasm, and stretch out His hand to the two men. The Angels did the same, some helping one and some helping the other.
_Then Karpos saw Christ stretching out his hand towards him and saying to him:
– Strike me, then, Carpe, for I am ready to die again, in order that men may be saved. And I would even gladly do it, if this second incarnation of mine would not become an occasion for people to sin again, crucifying Me. Think, however, if it is to your advantage to change partners and from the company of God and the good and philanthropic holy angels to have the eternal company of serpents and demons"
Agios Karpos died peacefully, enlightening many people with his example.
Absolute
Ἦhos c'.
Apostle Saint Carpe, pray to the merciful God, so that our sins may be forgiven, provide for our souls.
Heteron Apolytikion (Download)
Ἦhos c'. of Divine Faith.
By divine grace, in the communion, you communicated, ties to Paul, bless you, Carpe Apostle, and you showed communion of divine glory, those who received the light of your words. Whence he preached, Christ God, all praise, grant us the great mercy.
Kontakion
Ἦhos c'. The Virgin today.
A fruit-bearing cypress, in secret agriculture, as a secret Apostle, and a servant of the Word; from you, the fruit of the struggles, the divine, fruiting, terpnon was offered to the Omnipotent; whom he implored earnestly, Carpe theophron, have mercy on us.
Seat
Ἦhos c'. Of divine faith.
Divine radiance of the Paraclete, Carpe, all-wise, enlightened, enlightening those who are darkened by ignorance, and moving to the upper realms, you appear to the King of all, beseeching, Christ the God of each one, bestow upon us the great mercy.
Megalynarion
To Paul, the seer of ministers, minister of ὤphtis, of spiritual mysteries, through whom you communicate, to those who want grace, you pour out miracles, ὦ Karpe charitas.
Σχόλια