The Apostle Thaddeus was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen by the Lord to preach the Gospel. He was baptized by John the Forerunner and followed Jesus Christ, witnessing His miracles and His teaching.
After the Ascension of the Lord, the saint was sent to Edessa. At that time, Prince Abgar was suffering from leprosy. Having heard about the miracles of the Lord, he believed in Him and began to pray for help. The Lord sent him an image of His face together with the promise that one of His disciples would heal him.
When Saint Thaddeus arrived in Edessa, he stayed in the house of a Jew and began performing many miracles. The news spread quickly and Prince Abgar wanted to meet him. When he saw the apostle, he bowed before him and got illumined by the divine grace that accompanied him.
The saint baptized him as a Christian. Immediately he was healed of his illness and freed from the wounds that afflicted his body. As a result, many inhabitants of Edessa believed in Christ and were also baptized.
After Christianity was established in the city, Saint Thaddeus went to Mesopotamia, where he continued to preach and to build churches.
He completed his life in Beirut, leaving behind a great number of faithful Christians.
His memory is celebrated on August 21.
