Among the great host of Christian saints, Equal-to-the-Apostles occupy a special place. These people are known for their preaching of the gospel within the framework of a particular state or entire empires.
In the ranks of holiness of Christian ascetics of piety, the holy equal to the apostles are especially distinguished. These are the persons who, like the apostles, labored in the preaching of the Christian faith. That is why the Church gave such a name to these people. It is worth noting that the lives of these people were a clear example of Christian holiness and piety after these people came to believe in Christ.
Many Equal-to-the-Apostles were kings and emperors of various states and empires. For example, Constantine the Great (4th century) was the emperor of the Roman Empire. It was he who, in 312, issued the Edict of Milan, thanks to which the persecution of Christians ended. Equal to the Apostles Constantine the Great made Christianity the main religion of the Roman and then the Byzantine Empire. His mother, the Holy Queen Helen, is also called Equal to the Apostles. She found the cross on which Christ was crucified in Jerusalem.
Some Equal-to-the-Apostles people are known for enlightening the Christian faith of various states. Thus, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina is an enlightener of Georgia. In Russia, Christianity came thanks to the works of the saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius.
Prince Vladimir of Kiev, who baptized Russia, is also revered by the Orthodox Church as equal to the apostles saints.
Equal to the apostles saints can be not only kings or saints. Some women who do not have position and dignity are revered by Christians as equal to the apostles. Among them, one can especially highlight St. Mary Magdalene. She was the Savior's assistant and disciple. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, she preached the gospel teaching in Rome to the emperor Tiberius himself.
The Church devotes certain prayers to all Equal-to-the-Apostles people. In the hierarchy of the ranks of holiness, the Equal-to-the-Apostles go right after the closest disciples of Jesus Christ - the holy apostles.
