Saturday, 26 September 2026

Repose of St John the Theologian

Saturday of the 17th week after Pentecost

167 days after Pascha · Tone 7 · Red cross half-circle (vigil typikon symbol) · No Fast (Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed)

Saints commemorated

★ Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

The Orthodox Church on this day commemorates the blessed repose of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, the beloved disciple of Christ. The son of Zebedee the fisherman and Salome the myrrhbearer, brother of the holy Apostle James, he was called by the Lord while mending nets on the Sea of Galilee. Together with Peter and James he was a witness of the raising of the daughter of Jairus, of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and of the Lord's agony in Gethsemane. He alone of the apostles stood beside the Cross, and from there received the Most Holy Theotokos as his own mother. After Pentecost he laboured at Jerusalem, then preached in Asia Minor, where he was exiled to the island of Patmos under Domitian and beheld the visions of the Apocalypse. Returning to Ephesus under Nerva, he wrote his Gospel and three catholic Epistles, and in his last days reduced his teaching to the unceasing repetition of the words: Little children, love one another. Saint Jerome relates that in extreme old age, in the third year of the reign of Trajan about the year 101, the Apostle bade his disciples dig a grave in the form of a cross outside the city; entering it alive, he commanded them to cover him with earth, and on the third day his disciples opening the grave found the body gone. Each year on 8 May a fragrant manna issues from his tomb at Ephesus, by which many of the sick are healed.

Righteous Gideon, Judge of Israel

The Holy Righteous Gideon, son of Joash of the tribe of Manasseh, was the fifth of the judges raised up by God to deliver the people of Israel from their oppressors, as related in the seventh chapter of the Book of Judges. While Israel groaned under the heavy hand of the Midianites, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon as he threshed wheat in the wine press and called him to be the saviour of his people. To confirm the divine commission, Gideon laid out a fleece of wool, asking that the dew of the morning fall upon the fleece alone and the ground around remain dry, and the next morning that the ground be wet and the fleece dry; both signs were given. The fleece bedewed by heaven while the surrounding earth remained parched is interpreted by the holy Fathers as a prefigurement of the Most Holy Theotokos, who alone among mortals received in herself the divine dew of the Word, and is so chanted in the hymns of the Church. Gideon then chose three hundred men, broke the great host of Midian by night with trumpets and torches, and gave Israel rest forty years. He reposed about the year 1307 before Christ. Together with Saint John the Theologian his memory is observed on this day.

Venerable Ephraim, founder of Perekop monastery, Wonderworker of Novgorod

Saint Ephraim of Perekop was born about 1412 in the town of Volokolamsk, in the region of Tver, of pious parents, and from his youth was filled with desire for the monastic life. After leaving his father's house he received tonsure at the monastery of Saint Sabbas of Visher, where he laboured for some twenty years in obedience and prayer. Seeking deeper solitude, he withdrew with a few brethren to a remote spot by Lake Ilmen, on the river Verenda, and afterwards to the place called Perekop, where he founded a monastery in honour of the Theophany of the Lord. With his own hands he and his disciples cut a canal between two waters, from which the foundation took its name, and built a stone church. He governed his community in the spirit of the ancient fathers, in great simplicity, fasting and night-long vigils, until he reposed in deep old age in 1492. His relics were uncovered incorrupt and worked many miracles, and he is honoured among the wonderworking saints of the Novgorod land. He is commemorated on this day together with the Apostle John.

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

1 Corinthians — 1 Corinthians 14.20-25

²⁰Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. ²¹In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. ²²Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. ²³If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? ²⁴But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: ²⁵And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 4.31-36

³¹And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. ³²And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

³³And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. ³⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. ³⁶And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Vespers

1 John — 1 John 3.21-4.6

²¹Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. ²²And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. ²⁴And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

¹Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. ²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. ⁴Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. ⁵They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. ⁶We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Vespers

1 John — 1 John 4.11-16

¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. ¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. ¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Vespers

1 John — 1 John 4.20-5.5

²⁰If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? ²¹And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. ³For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. ⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Matins Gospel

John — John 21.15-25

¹⁵So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁷He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. ¹⁹This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. ²⁰Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? ²¹Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? ²²Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. ²³Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? ²⁴This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Epistle

— St John

1 John — 1 John 4.12-19

¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. ¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. ¹⁷Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹We love him, because he first loved us.

Gospel

— St John

John — John 19.25-27, 21.24-25

²⁵Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! ²⁷Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. ²⁴This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.