The repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on October 9, new style.
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian was the son of Zebedee and Salome — daughter of St. Joseph the Betrothed. At the same time as his elder brother Jacob, he was called by Jesus Christ to be among His disciples on Lake Gennesaret. Leaving their father, both brothers followed Christ.
The Apostle John was especially loved by the Savior for his sacrificial love and virgin purity. After his calling, the apostle did not part with the Lord and was one of the three disciples whom He brought especially close to Himself. Saint John the Theologian was present at the Lord's resurrection of Jairus' daughter and witnessed the Transfiguration of the Lord on Tabor. During the Last Supper, he lay next to the Lord and, according to the sign of the Apostle Peter, sticking to the chest of the Savior, asked about the name of the traitor.
The Apostle John followed the Lord when He, bound, was led from the Garden of Gethsemane to the judgment of the lawless high priests Anna and Caiaphas, he was also in the bishop's courtyard during interrogations of his Divine Teacher and relentlessly followed Him along the Way of the Cross, grieving with all his heart.
At the foot of the Cross, he cried with the Mother of God and heard the words of the crucified Lord addressed to Her from the height of the Cross: «Zheno, this is Your son» and to him: «Be Your Mother». From that time on, the Apostle John, as a loving son, took care of the Blessed Virgin Mary and served Her until Her Dormition, without leaving Jerusalem anywhere.
After the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Apostle John, by the lot that fell to him, went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his disciple Prokhor. They set off on a ship that sank during a severe storm. All travelers were thrown onto land, only the Apostle John remained in the depths of the sea. Prokhor sobbed bitterly, having lost his spiritual father and mentor, and went to Ephesus alone.
On the fourteenth day of his journey, he stood on the seashore and saw that the wave had washed a man ashore. Approaching him, he recognized the Apostle John, whom the Lord kept alive for fourteen days in the depths of the sea. The teacher and disciple went to Ephesus, where the Apostle John constantly preached to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by numerous and great miracles, so that the number of believers increased every day.