The holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, who, a son of Zebedee, with his brother James and Peter was a witness to the transfiguration and also the passion of the Lord. At the cross, he took Mary as his mother at the command of the dying Lord. In the Gospel and in his other writings John shows himself to be a theologian. He was found worthy to contemplate the glory of the incarnate Word, which he saw and proclaimed. When Saint John was more than one hundred years old, he told seven of his disciples to take spades and follow him to a certain place outside the city of Ephesus, and then he told everyone to sit down while he went off to pray by himself for a while. When he returned, he told his disciples to dig a grave as long as he was tall, in the form of a cross. After giving them instructions and kissing them, he climbed into the grave and said: “Take some earth, my mother earth, and cover me.” They covered him with earth up to his knees, and he said: “Now take some more earth and cover me up to my neck.” As soon as they had done this, Saint John spoke again: “Bring a linen cloth and place it on my face, then kiss me again for the last time, because you shall not see me anymore in this life.” After the Apostle dismissed them, they buried him and wept bitterly. Later, they returned and opened the grave, but the Saint’s body was not there. They wept and returned to the city. Every year, on May 8, a red dust appears on his grave, which heals the sick, through the prayers of the Holy Apostle John. People call this dust “manna from the earth.”
Beloved apostle of Christ our God, hasten to deliver a people that lacks any other defense. He who accepted that you lay your head on his breast will also accept your prayer. Pray to Christ, O Theologian, that He may overcome the darkness of pagan nations, and beg that He grant us peace and abundant mercy.
O man of purity, who could describe your glory? Many are the miracles and healings you perform. Since you are a theologian and the beloved of Christ, intercede with Him for the salvation of our souls.
1st John 1: 1-7
Beloved, this is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands touched–we speak of the word of life. (This life became visible; we have seen and bear witness to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was present to the Father and became visible to us.) What we have seen and heard we proclaim in turn to you so that you may share life with us. This fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed, our purpose in writing you this is that our joy may be complete.
Here, then, is the message we have heard from him and announce to you: that God is light; in him there is no darkness. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while continuing to walk in darkness, we are liars and do not act in truth. But if we walk in light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
John 19: 25-27 & 21: 24-25
At that time near the cross of Jesus there stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Seeing his mother there with the disciples whom he loved, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, there is your son.” In turn he said to the disciple, “There is your mother.” From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his care.
It is the same disciple who is witness to these things; it is he who wrote them down and his testimony, we know, is true. There are still many other things that Jesus did, yet if they were written about in detail, I doubt there would be room enough in the entire world to hold the books to record them.
Acts 18: 22-28
In those days, Paul landed at Caesarea. He went up and paid his respects to the congregation, and then went down to Antioch.
After spending some time there he set out again, traveling systematically through the Galatian country and Phrygia to reassure all his disciples.
A Jew named Apollos, A native of Alexandria and a man of eloquence, arrived by ship at Ephesus. He was both an authority on scripture and instructed in the new way of the Lord. Apollos was a man full of spiritual fervor. He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only of John’s baptism. He too began to express himself fearlessly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained to him God‘s new way in greater detail. He wanted to go on to Achaia, and so the brothers encouraged him by writing the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly strengthened those who through God‘s favor had become believers. He was vigorous in his public refutation of the Jewish party as he went about establishing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.
John 12: 36-47
The Lord said to the people coming to him: “well you have the light, keep faith in the light; that you will become sons of light.” After this utterance Jesus left them and went into hiding.
despite his many signs performed in their presence, they refused to believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah: “Lord, who has believed what has reached our ears? To whom has the might of the lord been revealed?” The reason they could not believe was that, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes, and numbed their hearts, less they see or comprehend, or have a change of heart — and I should heal them.” Isaiah uttered these words because he had seen Jesus’ glory, and it was of him he spoke.
There were many, even among the Sanhedrin, who believed in him; but they refused to admit it because of the Pharisees, for fear they might be ejected from the synagogue. They preferred to praise men to the glory of God.
Jesus proclaimed aloud: “Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Tuesday, May 7 –
