John 19:25-27

²⁵ But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.

John 21:24-25

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true. ²⁵ There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

1 John 4:12-19

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.

Today the Church commemorates the repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, the “beloved disciple” who reclined beside Christ at the Last Supper and stood at the foot of the Cross.

According to tradition, John alone among the Twelve Apostles was not martyred, living to old age in Ephesus, where he wrote his Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Tradition holds that at his request he was buried alive by his disciples at his own peaceful request, and that his tomb was later found empty — a mystery the Church has long associated with the belief that, like the Theotokos, he was taken up by God.