Every March 22 we remember San Epafrodito de Philipos, a disciple of the apostles of Christ and close collaborator of St. Paul, who mentions it in the letter to the Philippians (FLP 2.25-30).
On the orders of the apostle Peter, head of the Church, Epafrodito became the first bishop of Philippi and Tarracina, as well as Andriaca. The Roman martyrology points out about this saint: “Then he was a bishop of Terracina, sent by San Pedro when he was in Rome, and where he baptized a good number of converts, leaving there as bishop to Lino and left Terracina.”
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Friends in the Lord
According to tradition, Epafrodito was born in Philippie, in ancient Macedonia (Greece). History points out as the one who traveled from his homeland towards Rome to attend St. Paul during his captivity between the 60s and 62 AD on that occasion, Epafrodito brought with him the collection made by the Church in Philipo to attend the apostle. There is, however, a controversy over the date of said trip. Some date it a little earlier, around 57, when San Pablo was captive in Ephesus – and not in Rome – during his third missionary trip.
“Brother, collaborator and gun partner” (FLP 2,25)
What there is no doubt is the encounter between both characters and, of course, of the friendship they professed. As Epafrodito fell ill, San Pablo decided to send him back to Philip with a letter for the Christians of the city, in which he refers to him as “his brother, collaborator and companion of arms.” In the letter he begged his beloved neophytes to receive his compatriot with “joy in the Lord”, since Epofrodito had risk everything for the mission entrusted to him, even being on the edge of death:
“I have judged it necessary to return to Epafrodito, my brother, collaborator and arms partner, sent by you with the order to serve my need, because he is longing for you all and is distressed because he knows that he has reached you the news of his illness. It is true that he was already sick. Well, I hurry to send him to see him again filled with joy and I am relieved in my sadness.
If you want to deepen the importance of Epafrodito for the formation of the Church, we suggest this article of the Catholic Encyclopedia on the letter to the Philippians: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/epistola_a_los_filipenses
More information in the following link:
Central writing
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