St John died and was buried in Ephesus. When his grave was opened, probably under Constantine, who built a church in his honour in the part of Constantinople called Hebdomon, no remains of his body were found in it, but only powder, which was called manna. The intention evidently was to provide this church in Constantinople with relics of its titular saint. It is not surprising that the idea became prevalent among the Greeks that St John, like our Blessed Lady, had been taken up bodily into heaven. This opening of his grave must have taken place on the 8th May, for the menology of Constantinople makes mention on this day of the manna mentioned above.[637] The 26th September seems to have been regarded as the day of his death, for the same authority mentions the “Departure” of the apostle (μετάστασις τοῦ ἁγίου Ιοάννου τοῦ θεολόγου)[638] on this date. So, too, does the Calendar of Naples under the name of his Assumption (Adsumptio Joannis Evangelistæ). Among the Jacobites of Antioch also the 26th September was kept as the day of his departure (decessus Joannis Evang. ex mundo).[639] Where there is so much divergence, nothing certain can be determined. Most probably Morcelli is correct in supposing that the 26th September was the day on which St John died in Ephesus, and that on the 27th December some church or chapel, or, at least, an altar, was dedicated to his honour.[640]
The 6th May appears already as a festival of St John the Evangelist in the Gothico-Gallic missal, without any further specification, but simply with the rubric: Missa S. Joannis Apostoli et Evangelistæ. The Roman festival on this day, “Joannis ante Portam Latinam,” was introduced on the ground of Tertullian’s statement.[641] The oldest recensions of the Hieronymianum do not mention it, nor yet the recension of Metz belonging to the ninth century.
(8) ST SIMON AND ST JUDE (THADDEUS)
The apostles Simon and Jude, like St Philip and St James, are constantly commemorated together in Western Calendars, but in their case there is an inner reason for this arrangement. According to a tradition, which appears in the pseudo-Abdias, the two apostles spent thirteen years together in Persia labouring for the spread of Christianity, and there suffered death at the same time in the city of Suanir.[642] The day of their death is here given as the 1st July, which is also given in some Western martyrologies—such as those of Naples and Toledo, which plainly derive their information from this source.
In the Roman Calendar, and in those dependent upon them, the two apostles are indeed constantly commemorated together, but on the 28th October. No reason has been discovered for the choice of this date. It does not seem to have been due either to the Hieronymianum or to Bede. The former has “In Suana, a city of Persia, the birthday of the apostles Simon and Jude”[643] (Cod. Epternac.). As far as Roman sacramentaries are concerned, St Simon and St Jude appear only in the later recensions of the Gregorianum.
The menology of Constantinople does not contain St Simon, but it has Thaddeus on the 20th August. The Basilianum has an apostle Simon on the 29th April who is called Jude, and on the 10th May the apostle Simon Zelotes, and, further, an apostle Jude on the 22nd May and 19th June. All this is obscure and arbitrary. The fact that these apostles are not joined together, but have each their separate day, agrees with the Eastern service-books. The lectionary of the Syrians of the eleventh century has St Simon on the 10th May, Jude on the 16th May. The Coptic Calendar in Seldenius has Jude Thaddeus on the 20th May.
A remarkable proof of the obscurity hanging over the apostles is found in the circumstance that in some calendars which commemorate them together on the same day other saints of the same name are found in addition. Thus in the Neapolitanum there is a Jude on the 26th May and a “passio S. Simonis Ap.” on the 10th September, as well as the commemoration of them both together on the 1st July. In the Parisian lectionary of St Geneviève, in the Calendar of Charlemagne, and in the Gelasianum, there is no mention of St Simon and St Jude.
(9) ST MARK THE EVANGELIST
According to a constant and universal tradition, he was the first Bishop of Alexandria, and his name appears first in all lists of the bishops of that See. However, as far as calendars and martyrologies go, his name does not appear in those of the West until the ninth century, nor in the Constantinopolitanum until the same period. Unfortunately the most ancient Coptic Calendar in Mai is imperfect for the month of April. It is only in the Synaxarium of the ninth century, published by Mai, that he appears. His name appears in all later Coptic Calendars, in the Neapolitanum, which mentions him a second time on the 17th May, and in the Basilianum. There is not much to be said in support of the 25th April as the day of St Mark’s death. Moreover, the Hieronymianum gives the 23rd September as the date of his death, but the Paschal Chronicle puts it down on the 1st Phormathi, i.e. the 26th March.[644] St Jerome in his chronicle gives the year of his death as the eighth of Nero.