←

Friday 26 September 2025

Repose of St John the Theologian

Friday of the 16th week after Pentecost

→

Fast — Fish, Wine and Oil are Allowed Tone 6

Saints commemorated

Saint of the day

John the Theologian

John the Theologian (died at Ephesus early in the second century) is the apostle and evangelist whom the Gospel calls "the disciple whom Jesus loved": son of Zebedee and Salome, one of the Twelve and of the innermost three, the disciple who leaned on the Lord's breast at the Supper, stood alone among the apostles at the Cross, and received the Mother of God as his own mother. He wrote the fourth Gospel, three epistles, and — by the tradition of the Church — the Revelation, composed in exile on Patmos. Alone among the apostles he did not die a violent death; his grave outside Ephesus was found empty, and the Church keeps September 26 as the feast of his "metastasis" — his translation rather than his death. Of all the saints only he, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Symeon the New Theologian bear the title "the Theologian."
Ephraim of Perekom

Ephraim of Perekom (1412–1492) was a monastic founder of the Novgorod land, the builder of the Perekom monastery of St Nicholas on the marshy western shore of Lake Ilmen. Born at Kashin in Tver and baptised Eustathius, he left his father's house as a young man, was tested at Kalyazin, and took the habit at the monastery of Sabbas of Vishera, where he received the name Ephraim. About 1450 he went out to the mouth of the river Verenda and settled in the wet forest by the Black River; brethren gathered, the archbishop of Novgorod ordained him priest, and the community dug a channel through the low ground to carry the water away — the perekop that gave the house, and its founder, their name. He reposed on 26 September 1492 and was numbered among the saints at the Moscow council of 1549; May 16 keeps the translation of his relics, made when the flooding of the lake at last forced the monastery to move.
Tikhon of Moscow

Tikhon (Vasily Ivanovich Bellavin, 1865–1925) was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the two-hundred-year synodal captivity of the Russian Church, and before that the builder of Orthodoxy in North America — the hierarch under whom the American mission became a multi-ethnic archdiocese with its cathedral in New York, its seminary, its monastery, and its first church council. Elected Patriarch in November 1917, within days of the Bolshevik seizure of power, he led the Church of Russia into the fire of the persecution: he anathematized the shedders of innocent blood, refused to surrender the Church to the state-sponsored schism of the "Living Church," was imprisoned for a year, and died worn out on the feast of the Annunciation, 7 April 1925. The Church glorified him in 1989 as confessor and enlightener of North America, and his incorrupt relics were uncovered at the Donskoy monastery in 1992.

British Isles and Ireland

St. Mawgan, abbot-bishop of Bardsey
St. Colman Elo, abbot of Muckamore (611)

Troparia & kontakia

Kontakion — Tone 2

Who shall recount thy mighty deeds, O virgin one? For thou pourest forth wonders and art a wellspring of healings, and thou dost intercede for our souls, as the Theologian and the friend of Christ.

Troparion — Tone 8 (common of a venerable father)

In thee, O Father, the image of God was preserved unimpaired, for taking up the Cross thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou hast taught us to despise the flesh, which passeth away, and to care for the soul, which is immortal. Wherefore, O venerable Ephraim, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels.

Troparion — Tone 2

O Apostle beloved of Christ God, make haste to deliver a people without defence: He who received thee leaning upon His breast receiveth thee falling before Him in intercession. Entreat Him, O Theologian, to scatter the persistent cloud of the nations, asking for us peace and great mercy.

Troparion — Tone 1

Let us praise Tikhon, the patriarch of all Russia and enlightener of the lands of the West, who bore the cross of the first-hierarch in the day of wrath, and kept the flock of Christ unbowed before the persecutors: for having filled America with the light of Orthodoxy and Russia with the steadfastness of his confession, he intercedes with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Readings

Vespers

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.

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.

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 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

Ephesians 1.7-17

⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; ⁸Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; ⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: ¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: ¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. ¹⁵Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

1 John 4.12-19 (St John)

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

Luke 4.22-30

²²And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? ²³And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. ²⁴And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; ²⁶But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. ²⁷And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. ²⁸And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, ²⁹And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. ³⁰But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

John 19.25-27, 21.24-25 (St John)

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.