Saint John, Saint John was Christ's disciple,
and Evangelist also;
He for the sake of Jesus Christ
Much pains did undergo,
Because he loved our Saviour Christ,
As Holy Scriptures say,
And was belov'd of him also,
And in his bosom lay.
Saint John for love of our Saviour
Did undergo much pain
And never ceased during life
To preach Christ Jesus' name.
Saint John, he at Jerusalem
Did preach God's holy word,
And for the same the spiteful pagans
They did him cruel scourge.
Then did he for the same rejoice,
That he was counted worthy
To suffer for the sake of Christ,
And would him not deny.
To Patmos banish'd was Saint John,
As Scripture doth record,
For the testimony of Christ,
And his most holy word.
And as he was in the Spirit
On the Lord's blessed day,
Our Saviour by an Angel spake,
and unto him did say,
I am Alpha and Omega,
Which was and is to come;
And what thou seest write in a book
Thus said he to Saint John
And send it to the Churches then,
Which are in Asia seven.
And said the Angel to Saint John,
Which came to him from Heaven.
Then John turn'd him about to see,
And was astonished
At the sight of the Angel bright,
Who said, Be comforted,
For I was alive, and also dead,
Now I live for evermore,
And have the keys of death and hell;
Take comfort now therefore.
Then wretched Caesar, as 'tis said,
The Emperor Domitian,
Into a tub of boiling oil
At Rome he thrust Saint John.
Therein received he no harm,
But safely from thence came,
And died at last at Ephesus
Writing declares the same.
Saint John for love of our Saviour
Did undergo much pain
And never ceased during life
To preach Christ Jesus' name.
"We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." (1 John 4:16)
Today, December 27, we the feast day of
Saint John the Evangelist (died 101), the Beloved Disciple of Jesus, also known as the Disciple of Charity. Saint John preached a message of love and service to one another, a lesson he learned directly from Jesus. He persistently emphasized his followers, and still today, us, to “love one another.” It is the basis of the Christian faith:
“The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16)
John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of
Saint James the Greater, was called to follow Jesus at the onset of His public ministry. They lived as fishermen on the shores of the sea of Galilee. From what we can tell regarding the family’s livelihood, including their ability to hire help on their fishing boats, suggests that John (the younger brother) and James were living comfortably prior to their encounter with the Lord.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4: 21-22)
Saint John and Saint Andrew were likely followers of Saint John the Baptist, who met and spent the day with Jesus (as recounted in the Gospel of John). While we do not know what they conversed about, we can imagine that the Beloved Disciple’s heart was filled with the grace and love of Jesus on that day, setting the stage for his devotion throughout the remainder of his life!
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. (John 1: 35-39)
Saint John followed Jesus, was with him at the
wedding miracle in Cana, witnessed the
Transfiguration, and rarely left his side. He was privileged to find himself in the innermost circle, spending time with Jesus
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. (Mark 5:37)
but also suffering alongside him.
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (Matthew 26:36-38)
Referred to by Christ as “
beloved,” John was the only member of the original twelve disciples who did not forsake Jesus during His Passion. Memorably, he stood watch at the foot of the cross, with Our Blessed Mother, and Jesus entrusted her care to him. John and Peter were the first to hear of the Resurrection from Mary Magdalene, and impetuously, John ran to the tomb, arriving first. Following the Resurrection of Christ, John was the first to recognize the risen Christ on the shores of the sea of Galilee where he had first followed Him.
The remainder of Saint John’s life was lived, caring for Mary, and preaching in Jerusalem and Ephesus. He is credited with the establishment of numerous churches throughout the region, and the conversion of many souls for the Lord.
Biblical scholars recognize Saint John as the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Based upon his good works, tradition tells us that he was sentenced to death by Emperor Domitian, but was unable to be harmed or killed—even when submerged in a cauldron of boiling oil. He was subsequently exiled to the island of Pathmos, where we was forced to labor in the mines for a year. Returning to Ephesus, John continued to preach and model the charity instilled in him by both Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother until his death in extreme old age. Saint John is believed to have been the last of the apostles to join Jesus in heaven. Upon his death, a grand church was constructed in Ephesus atop his tomb, later converted into a mosque.
Saint John lived the Gospel throughout his life. He recorded the words of Jesus at the
Last Supper, and then lived them dramatically through his charitable example:
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:9-17)
Today, we turn our attention to our own lives, and the manner in which we love those we come into contact with. Have we loved our friends, our families, our enemies, strangers in a manner which is pleasing to the Lord? Have we loved others as Jesus has loved us? Saint John’s example reminds us that love is the basis of our entire Christian faith, and without love, we are lost!
O Glorious Saint John, you were so loved by Jesus that you merited to rest your head upon his breast, and to be left in his place as a son to Mary. Obtain for us an ardent love for Jesus and Mary. Let me be united with them now on earth and forever after in heaven.
Year 2: Day 361 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Lives filled with pure love.
Requested Intentions: Healing (M); Safety, security, and sanctity for a family (A); Healing (N); Successful relationship (N); Healing of a friend; growth in the Lord (M); To hear and answer the Lord’s call (M); Healing of a friend undergoing chemotherapy (L); For the peace, safety, and holiness of a sister (J); Financial security (C); Conversion of a newly married couple (M); Peace in a family (S); Peaceful repose of departed mother (J); Blessings on a relationship (J); Financial security, successful employment (J); Obedience to God’s will (A); Conversion of souls (A); Success of business venture; faith of daughter (S); Safe return home (J); Recovery of mother and son; repose of the souls of the dearly departed (A); Blessings upon a relationship (M); Sobriety and recovery for a son (M); Employment and successful marriage (A); Employment, healing, freedom from anxiety (T); Financial security (C); Conversion (T); Peace in difficult times at work (E); Financial security and blessings for mother and children (T); Financial security for a mother (M); Health, finances, successful marriage (A); Successful resolution of court case for son (K); Continued sobriety (N); Healing of a chronic health condition (B); Successful employment (A): Peace in a family, recovery of a niece from substance use (L); Blessings on a marriage, healing of a husband (P); For the health and recovery of sisters (B); For a daughter and granddaughter (D); Blessings on overseas employment (M); Healing of mother (L).
