Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

Life and context

John the Theologian is commemorated as a holy Apostle and Evangelist, virgin, and beloved friend of Christ. The Church tradition underlying this observance tells of him near Ephesus when he was more than one hundred years old. He asked seven disciples to accompany him outside the city. After praying alone, John instructed them to prepare a grave in the form of a cross, measuring his height. He then bade them farewell and was buried. When the disciples later returned and opened the grave, they did not find the saint’s body. This account belongs to Church tradition and should not be presented as independently established historical evidence.

The commemoration at his tomb

This day is associated with an annual pilgrimage to the Apostle’s tomb. Tradition further relates that reddish dust appeared there each year on 8 May. Called “manna from the earth,” it was believed to bring healing to the sick through Saint John’s prayers. The supplied account notes that Saint Augustine knew of this dust and that Saint Gregory of Tours wrote about it. Some sources call the feast rodismos, or the Day of the Roses. The name has been connected either with the color of the substance or with spring roses and the use of flowers in church decoration. John’s principal feast is kept on 26 September on the Julian calendar.

Why he is venerated

The veneration of the Apostle on this day is not chiefly a search for extraordinary signs. It is grateful remembrance of Christ’s faithful disciple and trust in his prayers. The tradition of the tomb invites Christians to face death in the light of resurrection and to remain faithful in love for Christ to the end. Prayer for the sick never removes the need for medical attention and responsible care. A pilgrimage, flowers, or remembrance of this ancient tradition can become an occasion for unhurried prayer, reading the Gospel, and compassionate attention to those in need.

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