ON SS. ANDRONICUS AND JUNIA,
MENTIONED BY S. PAUL.
CENTURY I
CommentaryAndronicus, mentioned by S. Paul (S.)
Junia, mentioned by S. Paul (S.)
G. H.
[1] The illustrious memory of these is found among the Greeks in all Ecclesiastical books, on this XVII of May: and especially in the Menology of Basil the Emperor Porphyrogenitus they are adorned with this elogy: Elogy from the Menol. of Basil the Emperor. On the seventeenth day of the same month of May; the memory of S. Andronicus the Apostle, one of the Seventy, and of Junia. Andronicus, Apostle of Christ, when he traversed the whole circle of lands, just as if he had wings by which he was borne up, everywhere proclaiming the faith of Christ, overthrew utterly every error of the Gentiles from the foundations: but planted every piety and orthodox religion, having as his companion and helper of the divine preaching the admirable woman Junia, dead to the world and the flesh, alive to God alone, and discharging her office. Together therefore they drew many of the unbelievers to the knowledge of God, and reconciled them to Christ, and made them sons of light and of day through holy baptism; and the temples of idols having been overthrown, they everywhere built churches of Christ. The great luminary of the world, the Apostle Paul, also makes mention of these Saints in his Epistles; saying, Salute Andronicus and Junia. These therefore when they had cast out impure spirits from many men, and had cured many incurable diseases, departed to Christ.
[2] These things there, which after the first volume of May can be read in Greek: and almost the same are had in the Greek MS. Synaxary: likewise everywhere in all Menaea written by hand and printed by type, in the Greek Menology published by Sirletus. In the new Anthology published by the authority of Pope Clement VIII, mention by Paul to the Romans and in the βίοι ἁγίων collected by Maximus Bishop of Cythera: everywhere however S. Junia is praised as an admirable woman. The words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans chapter 16 verse 7 are these: Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and fellow-prisoners, who are noble among the Apostles, who also were in Christ before me. He calls them kinsmen, perhaps because joined by the bond of proper blood, or fellow-tribesmen of S. Paul, that is of the tribe of Benjamin, or at least because they were Jews; as in the same epistle of the Jews in general he said in chapter 8, Who are my kinsmen according to the flesh. He also calls them his fellow-prisoners, because at some time they were together in chains: but where and on what occasion is not expressed. They are called noble among the Apostles, in Greek ἐπίσημοι, that is, illustrious and notable in the Apostolate, because they announced the Gospel of Christ to the unbelievers. Hence Theodoret admires the dignity of S. Junia, that a woman should obtain the name of Apostle. Bless me! he says, how great was the philosophy of this woman, that she should be held worthy of an Apostolic appellation. Finally Paul adds: Who also were in Christ before me. That is, who before me believed in Christ and were Christians: namely when Andronicus was taken among the Seventy disciples of Christ, as also Origen, Chrysostom and others have judged.
[3] The body of S. Andronicus seems to have been translated to one of the churches of Constantinople, and hence it has come about, that the whole Office of this day he alone occupies, the name of Junia being lightly and in passing only indicated in the titles, and once in the Canon, which S. Joseph the Hymnographer composed under this acrostic. Αἶνον προσοίω τῷ σοφῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ, ΙΩΣΗΦ, I will offer praise to the wise Andronicus. Miracles wont to occur in his church. Joseph. Likewise in the distich, prefixed to the lection of the Synaxary, alone is named Andronicus; and it is this: Ἔθνη διδάξας, Ἀπόστολε, μυρία, Πρὸς Χριστὸν ἦλθες, ὃς καλεῖ πρὸς φῶς ἔθνη. Having instructed many nations, O Apostle, You went to Christ who calls the nations to light. Moreover not only the body, but also a church under his name erected or at least an oratory at Constantinople or elsewhere existed, the Canon indicates: which after in the first Ode it had so applauded the Saint, You have received from the divine grace of the Deity to cleanse diseases, and to put to flight the worst spirits, O Andronicus wise in God; in the sixth Ode speaking more distinctly, Your house, he says, gushes forth fountains of cures to those resorting with faith, O Apostle, washing away spiritual infirmities; and again in the seventh; Grave diseases and whatever sicknesses, from the bodies equally and souls of those resorting to you in your house, you put to flight, O wise disciple of Christ. And with these is consonant the Antiphon, to be sung for the Psalms between the second and third Odes, thus conceived. The divine Andronicus, transformed into light, illumined hearts with the light of divine knowledge; and so he came to the Lord: and therefore even after death, to those approaching his venerable house with faith, he bestows cures, and obtains great mercy for all.
[4] In the Synopsis of the Apostles and disciples of Christ, which under the name of S. Dorotheus Bishop and Martyr is everywhere printed, The Synopsis of Dorotheus makes them Bishops, even Junias, and seems to be of some Roman Dorotheus and perhaps Abbot, these things are read about S. Andronicus the XVIII disciple: Andronicus, of whom also the Apostle in that which is to the Romans makes mention, was made Bishop of Pannonia: and afterwards Junias is placed as the LIV disciple in these words: Of whom also Paul makes mention: he was made Bishop of Apamea in Syria. Hence by some Junias is held to be a man, not Junia a woman, another reason being added, that Paul calls them both kinsmen and fellow-prisoners in the masculine gender, as the Grammarians speak, but in Greek συγγενεῖς καὶ συναιχμάλωτοι are of common gender. What whom others hold to be a woman. of the fact that when two substantives of different gender concur, the adjective is generally adapted to the more powerful gender, not only among the Greeks but also among the Latins; and so would be said father and mother dead masculine, not dead feminine. Otherwise whatever it be of that gender, the aforesaid Synopsis is not greatly esteemed, and therefore the said Episcopates of them are not at once admitted, without the testimony of other Greeks: which however in the case of S. Andronicus Galesinius did, and following him Canisius, or whoever augmented his German Martyrology; likewise Ferrarius, but on the following XVIII day of May.