26 ВЕРЕСНЯ / SEP 26

The Holy, Glorious Apostle and Evangelist, Virgin, and Beloved Friend of Christ, John the Theologian was the son of Zebedee and Salome. Our Lord Jesus Christ called him and his elder brother James to be His Apostles at the Sea of Galilee. Leaving their father, they followed the Lord.

Saint John was especially loved by Christ for his purity and sacrificial love. He was one of the three Apostles who witnessed the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor.

At the Last Supper, John reclined next to Jesus and laid his head upon His breast. He followed Christ after His arrest and remained with Him on the way to Golgotha. At the foot of the Cross, he stood with the Mother of God and heard the Lord say, “Woman, behold thy son,” and to John, “Behold thy Mother” (John 19:26-27). From that moment, John cared for the Most Holy Virgin Mary until Her Dormition.

After the Dormition of the Mother of God, Saint John went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel. During his journey, his ship was caught in a terrible storm, and John was lost at sea. Fourteen days later, he was miraculously found alive and reunited with his disciple Prochorus. In Ephesus, he preached Christ, and many people came to believe through his preaching and miracles.

During the persecution under Emperor Nero, Saint John was taken to Rome and sentenced to death. He drank a cup of deadly poison but remained unharmed. He was also thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, but the Lord preserved him. After this, he was exiled to the island of Patmos.

On Patmos, Saint John continued to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and bring many pagans to Christ. After fasting and prayer, he received a revelation from God and wrote the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse, which speaks of the trials of the Church and the final victory of God.

After his exile, Saint John returned to Ephesus and continued to teach Christians to remain faithful to Christ. Around the year 95, he wrote his Gospel, calling all people to believe in Jesus Christ and to love God and one another. In his three Epistles, he repeatedly taught that true Christian life is revealed through love. For this reason, the Church calls him the “Apostle of Love.”

Even in his old age, Saint John continued to show this love. When he learned that a young Christian had fallen into sin and joined a band of robbers, the Apostle went into the wilderness to find him. He lovingly called the young man to repentance, and the young man returned to Christ.

Saint John lived to more than a hundred years of age, outliving the other Apostles and remaining for many years the last living eyewitness of Christ’s earthly life.

Before his death, Saint John asked his disciples to prepare a cross-shaped grave. He entered the grave alive and asked them to cover him with earth. When they later opened the grave, they found it empty. Each year on May 8, a fine dust was said to come forth from his grave, through which many believers received healing. Therefore, the Church also celebrates his memory on May 8.

The eagle is the iconographic symbol of Saint John, representing the lofty heights of his theological vision. Among all the Apostles, the Church uniquely gives him the title “Theologian,” honoring him as a witness to the divine mysteries of God.

The life of Saint John teaches us that love is not simply a feeling but a way of life. He remained faithful to Christ at the Cross, cared for the Mother of God, preached the Gospel throughout his life, and even sought out those who had fallen away. His words continue to speak to the Church today: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

May the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian intercede for us and help us to remain faithful to Christ, to love God with all our hearts, and to show that love to one another.