In Luke 10:1-17, the Lord appointed seventy men to go out as missionaries--as Apostles. Though not so prominent as the Twelve, the Church confirms that the Seventy remained true to the Lord and their calling, fulfilling a vital role in the spread of the Gospel. These were not random choices or accidental volunteers but true Disciples, True Apostles, whose labors carried the message of their Lord throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

"We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build up. For Christ did not please Himself..." (Romans 15:1-3).

There is this incessant misconception involving the way in which Orthodox Christians should live with blurred lines of confusion of what is right and wrong in terms of practice. As an Orthodox Christian, there is an emphasis on acquiring humility and patience, through continual prayer, repentance, and love towards one another. Unfortunately, this current epoch of an existence is far from what is expected from us as not only Christians, but as an entire population of humans. Through the rapid explosion of technological advances, medical science discoveries, social behavior, humans are vey lost, drifting far away from God. With all the distractions there are today, it is very easy to be possessed by the physical aspects rather than the spiritual ones.

John was the son of Zebedee the fisherman and Salome the daughter of Joseph, the betrothed of the Holy Mother of God. Called by the Lord Jesus, John immediately left his father and the fishing nets and followed Christ with his brother James. From that time, he was not parted from his Lord until the end. With Peter and James, he was present at the raising of Jairus's daughter and at the Lord's Transfiguration (Metamorphosis), and he laid his head on Jesus' breast at the Mystical Supper.

On this day are celebrated God's mercy, His wondrous act and His wisdom: His mercy towards the devout and righteous parents of Saint John, the aged Zacharias and Elizabeth, who had all their lives begged a child of God; the miracle (wonder or in Greek, θαύμα (thavma)) of the conception of John in Elizabeth's more-than-aged womb; and the wisdom of the dispensation of man's salvation. For John, God had especially great plans: that he should be a Prophet and the Forerunner of Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world.