72 HOLY DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
Saturday, October 7, 2023
On Saturday, October 7, the Armenian Church commemorates the 72 Holy Disciples of Christ. The reference comes from the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10, Verse 1): “After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” (Some sources say 72 disciples, others say 70). These disciples remained true to the Lord and their calling and spread the Gospel. They were not random choices, but rather true disciples whose labors carried the message of the Lord throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. All of the saints are remembered individually in the liturgical calendar of the church, but this day is set aside to remember them collectively.
