The Repose of Saint John the Evangelist and Apostle 5

1And as John was breaking the bread, he prayed over each one of his brethren, so that they might be worthy of the Grace of the Lord. Similarly Saint John himself, when he had tasted the bread, [prayed for himself]. John the Theologian spake after this manner saying, 'Let me, even me, have a portion with you, O my beloved.'

2Then he said to Birros (sic), 'Take with thee two brethren, and let them have baskets in their hands, and digging tools, and follow ye me.' Now Bibros (sic) was not by any means neglectful, and he did according to what he had been commanded by Saint John the Theologian, and the servant of God. And when the blessed John had come forth from his house, he went outside the gate of the city, and he gave orders that the exceedingly great multitude, which were following him and pressing upon him, should be made to withdraw, and to depart from him. And when he had arrived at a place in the region wherein were the tombs, he said to one of the brethren, [Speak] unto the young men, saying, 'My sons, dig a grave in this place,' and those who were there dug down into the ground. Then John the Theologian was commanding them, saying, 'Dig the grave very deep.' And he was saying, 'Dig ye down much deeper'; and those who were there dug down deeper still. And he spake with them, and addressed words to them, and encouraged them, and counselled them unto edification, and he instructed them, and he persuaded them [to enter] into the Kingdom of God. And he prayed over each one of them.

See also: Acts of John 3:111

3Now when the young men had finished making the grave in the place wherein they had dug it, they arranged everything connected therewith in a seemly manner, according to what [Saint John] wished. Now we had no knowledge whatsoever [of what he was about to do]. Then he took off the clothes which were upon him, and having stripped them off himself, he threw them down into the place which they had dug deep in the ground, and which was in the form of a chamber which spread out. Then John stood on his feet—now the only garment which he had on him was a tunic which came down on both sides—and having spread out his hands he prayed thus saying, '[O Thou] God, Who hast chosen me for Thyself to be an Apostle to the heathen, and hast sent me forth into the world, Who hast made manifest the Prophets and His Apostles, Who hast never ceased from doing that which is good since the foundation of the world, Who deliverest every one who hath no strength, Who hast made Thyself to be apprehended by every man of reason, unto Whom every living thing ministereth through His foreknowledge, Who didst make our soul to have longings, and dost make it to be tranquil, or solitary and savage, Who dost Thyself make it to laugh to scorn its enemy, Who didst fashion it like unto Thyself when it was dead, Who didst make for it a law which it could distinguish in the abyss of lawlessness, Who didst make it to vanquish its enemy by causing it to flee from him; Who didst give it Thy hand and didst deliver it from Amente; Who didst not leave it to become a citizen of this world, Who didst teach it to escape from its enemy; Who didst make Thy knowledge to illumine every place; Thou Son of God, Thou Saviour, Thou Lord, Thou Orderer of the things which are in the celestial heights, Thou Guardian of the things which are on the earth, Thou Grace and Gladness of those who belong to Thee: receive Thou the soul of John, which belongeth to Thee, which Thou hast made to be worthy of the knowledge of Thee, for it is Thou Who hast kept me up to this hour, and I have never at any time polluted myself with women.