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		John the Theologian John was called away from his fisherman nets to preach the Gospel when our Lord chose His apostles from among fishermen. He had already summoned Peter and Andrew when he saw John and his brother James. At the time of his calling John was called the “son of thunder” by the Lord for his theology would be heard as thunder throughout the world. The Lord honored him as the fairest of the twelve apostles, and he was one of Christ’s three closest disciples, to whom the Lord revealed His divine mysteries many times. At the Mystical Supper, when the Lord foretold His betrayal and the disciples gazed at each other in bewilderment wondering of whom He spoke, John rested his head upon the breast of his beloved Master, as is related in his Gospel. John showed a reciprocal love for his Teacher, for at the time of Christ’s voluntary suffering, all the other apostles fled. John alone remained to witness all the torments of Christ, suffering with Him in his heart, weeping and lamenting with the Virgin Mary. Together they did not leave the side of the our Lord until His death on the Cross. When the lands of the earth were divided among the apostles, John was downcast when he chose the last lot, that of Asia Minor. With tears, he fell prostrate on the ground and made reverence to all the apostles. Peter then took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “We all have thee as a father, and thy patient endurance for our support.” The apostle John did not immediately go to Asia Minor but cared for the Theotokos, until her death. John then went to Epheses where he performed many miracles and took on the demon who was in the Temple of Artimis causing the Temple to be destroyed. As a result his mysterious powers he converted many to become followers of Jesus Christ. But his popularity was to be punished by the Emperor Domitian and he was banished to Patmos which was a penal colony. It was on the island of Patmos where John wrote the book of Revelation. Tradition relates that John and his disciple Prochorus departed from the city to a grotto in the wilderness, where he spent ten days with Prochorus and another ten days alone. During these latter days he ate nothing, but only prayed to God, entreating Him to reveal what he should do. A voice came to John from on high, saying: “John, John!” And he answered: “What dost thou command my Lord?” The voice from on high said: “Wait ten days, and thou shalt receive a revelation of much that is great.” John remained there for ten more days without food. Then something marvelous occurred: the angels of God came down to him and related to him many ineffable things. For two days his disciple Prochorus recorded the revelations that he received. John returned to Epheses. In the last years of his life he spent his time in strict asceticism. He ate only bread and water, did not cut his hair, and dressed in simple linen garments. After twenty six years from the time he came from Patmos, John assembled seven of his disciples and said to them: “Take spades in your hands and follow me.” They did as they were instructed and went to the place he determined. He told them to sit down and he went away from them and prayed. After his prayer he said, “dig a cross-shaped trench as long as I am tall.” He laid himself in the trench and said to them, “Take some earth , my mother earth, and cover me.”..