Eleven Pipers Piping
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping.
Jesus chose twelve men who would become his apostles. Eleven of those were faithful. St. John was the only one to stand by him at the crucifixion, but ten others would return and remain faithful even to martyrdom. It is only Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and placed no hope in God’s forgiveness who is not listed among the faithful of those whom Jesus chose to be his closest friends.
On this eleventh day of Christmas let us turn to these faithful eleven and their witness.
1. Peter. Peter was appointed head of the apostles by Jesus. He denied Jesus three times at the time of his arrest. Peter went on to become bishop in Antioch and later in Rome. His two epistles are found in the canon of the New Testament. He was martyred in Rome by being crucified upside down.
2. James, son of Zebedee. James, along with his brother John, was one of the first disciples to join Jesus. He and his brother were known as the “Sons of Thunder”. James is said to have preached the Gospel in Spain and his relics can be found at the church of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. James was the first of the apostles to be martyred, being executed by order of Herod by the sword. (Acts 12: 1-2)
3. John. John, along with his brother James, was among Jesus’ closest disciples and is known as the beloved disciple. He is the only apostle who was not martyred, but died instead in Ephesus. John was given the care of Christ’s mother, Mary, and is the author of the Gospel of John, three New Testament epistles and the book of Revelation.
4. Andrew. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. He was a disciple of John the Baptist and according to John’s Gospel, brought his brother Peter to Christ. He was the founder and first bishop of the church in Byzantium. Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross in the city of Patras.
5. Philip. Philip was the disciple who introduced Bartholomew (sometimes called Nathaniel) to Jesus. He preached the Gospel to Greece, Syria and Phrygia. He was martyred in the city of Hierapolis by being crucified upside down.
6. Bartholomew. Bartholomew is often also called Nathaniel. He is described by Jesus as “having no guile”. He is often mentioned together with Philip and is said to have been martyred in Albanopolis in Armenia. According to one account, he was beheaded, but to another he was flayed alive and crucified upside down.
7. Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector who left his post to follow Jesus. He is the author of the Gospel of Matthew and spent 15 years of his life preaching the Gospel to the Jewish community of Judea. Matthew died as a martyr in Ethiopia where he also preached. The means of his martyrdom is disputed, with sources claiming he was burned, stoned or beheaded.
8. Thomas. Thomas, also known as Didymus (the twin) is probably best known as “Doubting Thomas” for his disbelief in Christ’s resurrection until seeing it with his own eyes. He is also known for one of the greatest statements of faith upon seeing Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20: 24-29). Thomas preached the Gospel in India, the only apostle to preach outside the Roman Empire. He was martyred by the spear in the city of Masdai.
9. James, son of Alphaeus. James the lesser has often been identified as the person referred to in the New Testament as James, the brother of the Lord. He was the first bishop in Jerusalem and possibly the step brother or cousin of Jesus. James was martyred by being thrown from the temple and then stoned.
10. Thaddeus. Thaddeus is also known as Jude and is said to have been the brother of James, son of Alphaeus. He is often mentioned together with the apostle Simon. He preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia and died as a martyr along with Simon in Persia. He is the patron saint of hopeless causes.
11. Simon the Zealot. Little is known of Simon. He is said to have preached in Egypt before joining Jude to preach in Lebanon and Persia where he suffered martyrdom. He is often pictured with a saw as legend relates he was put to death with one.
May this Christmas season fill our hearts with the same love and zeal that led these men to bring the good news to others.
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