By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
The Orthodox Church established the Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles, whom Jesus Christ appointed and sent out in pairs on a specific mission to the cities he would visit to preach.
Jesus Christ asked them to be constantly alert and to maintain modesty in their appearance in order to show on the one hand that they had denied themselves and on the other hand that they were accustomed to deprivation. The Seventy Apostles performed their mission properly with discipline, zeal, and devotion, not only when Jesus Christ was on earth, but also after His Ascension.
Although each of the Seventy Apostles is commemorated on a separate day, the Orthodox Church commemorates them on January 4 as well. It is a day devoted to all Apostles, who spread the Holy Gospel and contributed to the foundation of the Church in the world.
Source: Church of Cyprus