Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
“Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved” (J 21:20)
Another Saint mentioned in the octave of the Nativity is St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.
John, in his version of the Gospel, describes himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Does this mean that Jesus loved him and not the other Apostles? Certainly not! Or that he loved him more than the other Apostles? Certainly not! So what does this statement mean? It means that John was very aware of Jesus' love for him. Or maybe it means that he felt the love of Jesus more than the other Apostles. He was just more open to that love. This ability of his may have significantly influenced his way of perceiving many things, such as the way he interpreted what the empty tomb means. He believed in the resurrection of Jesus even before he saw him risen from the dead. This special closeness to Christ gave him extraordinary spiritual depth and insight, with which he described in the Gospel the works and teachings of Jesus.
But why do we remember this exceptional disciple of Jesus at this time? Is a place at the Savior’s manger the most appropriate for St. John the Evangelist?
God's love for us, which is expressed in the fact that he sent his Son, who was born for us as a child, is also evident in the life of this great Apostle. Love is manifested through what one gives to the person one loves, and in St. John we see three wonderful gifts, showing not only how much he was loved by God, but also how great a saint he became because of these gifts.
- The first and the most fundamental of all the gifts that Jesus gave to St. John was the gift of faith. St. John, having met Christ the Lord, believed. But he was not merely a seeker of truth, but a man who wants to find the truth, and when he finds it, he clings to it with all his heart. St. John the Baptist points to the Savior as the Lamb of God, and St. John the Apostle immediately follows Him.
In the Gospel and in the Letters of St. John we read many times: "This is written that you may believe". His faith was not only in acknowledging the truth, it was also expressed in apostolic and missionary zeal to make this truth known to all people. We see, for example, on the day of the Resurrection, how Saint John believed immediately after seeing the empty tomb, while Saint Peter still hesitated. Saint John was also one of the Apostles chosen to witness the most personal details of the Savior's life—for example, at the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. He was also present at the Transfiguration and the Agony of Christ in the Garden of Olives. Saint John is the Apostle present in every essential moment of the Savior's life.
- The second gift from the Savior was the giftof closeness. In the Gospels we read that St.John rested his head on Christ's chest – that is, that he was close to His heart. Saint John wasthe first to understand the mystery of the Heartof Jesus and from this source he drew aprofound knowledge of the divinity of Christ.
St. John responded perfectly and uniquely with love to the Master's love by his innocence, by his faithfulness, which did not waver even when all had abandoned the Savior, by his confession; the purpose of his gospels and epistles was first and foremost to bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God and the true God.The love and fervor of St. John were so great that the Lord Jesus gave him the nickname "Boanerges" or "Son of thunder".
- Saint John's reciprocated, this ardent love for Jesus earned him the third and greatest giftthat Christ the Lord entrusted to his beloved Apostle, his Blessed Mother. "Son, behold your mother."
At the most important and decisive moment, the Lord Jesus thought mainly of his Mother and of us, represented by Saint John. Perhaps the greatest dignity of Saint John lies precisely in the fact that at that moment he represented the whole Church, all of us. At that moment, St. John's faith and great love for the Savior were rewarded. "Woman, behold your son." And then in the Gospel we read: "And from that moment the disciple took her to his home". Not only was Our Lady proclaimed our mother at that time, but Saint John also had the privilege of protecting her. Later, he was able to get to personally know the details of the Savior's life, drawing them from the heart of His Most Holy Mother, who constantly meditated on them. It was from her that Saint John drew wisdom, which found its fullest expression in the words of the Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word".
So, dear brothers and sisters, on the day on which we commemorate this great saint, which is also the day of the Octave of Christmas, let us invoke Saint John's intercession especially with regard to the three gifts that he received as proof of the love of the Lord Jesus.
Let us ask him first of all for the gift of faith – a strong faith that does not build on emotions or enthusiasm, but on doctrine, on truth. It is truth that frees us from the snares of this world, it is faith, as Saint John himself says, that overcomes the world.
Let us also ask him for the grace of boundless love, a love that we can learn only by being close to the Heart of Jesus. It is not enough just to believe. We must love, and this love must be centered on things that are worthy of it, that is, first of all, on God himself.
Finally, let us ask Saint John for what is the source and the guarantee of these two gifts: devotion to the Blessed Mother. Just as Saint John was the defender of the Blessed Virgin and also her adopted son, we too should have the same devotion to her. She is our Mother and we are Her children. May this spiritual motherhood of Mary bear in us fruit of reverence, trust and love.
And this love for Our Lady will naturally lead us to what is the main object of love of her Immaculate Heart, that is, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By God's will, the Mother of the Savior also became our mother, and we are allexpected to do is joyfully accept this fact and obey her. Remembering these great gifts received by the Apostle Saint John, let us trust in his intercession, thanks to which we can draw even closer to our heavenly Mother.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george