the vocation and ministry of apostleship…

Igor Mashkov-Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess St Olga Enters the Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople

All Christians participate in the vocation and ministry of apostleship and thus in its gift.  All
those anointed by the Spirit make up the people of God, the royal priesthood; all of them are
called to apostleship.  This is attested, first of all, by the rank ‘equal to the apostles,’ which of
course signifies a ministry that is similar to that of the apostles.  And this rank is bestowed by the
Church irrespective of whether or not the individual found worthy of it bears an ecclesiastical
title.  This rank includes both men and women; it includes the Emperor Constantine and the
Great Prince Vladimir, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius as well as Empress Elena and the Great
Princes Olga, the bearer of spices Mary Magdalene, the first martyr Thekla, and Saint Nina.
Being of different ranks and classes, all of them took upon themselves the exploit and labor of
apostleship, not of course with regard to that which constitutes the apostolic dignity but with
regard to that which is accessible to and therefore obligatory for all Christians: namely the
confession and thus the preaching of the faith in Christ.

~Sergius Bulgakov, “The Call of Apostleship

hat tip: Daily Dynamis