Feast: December 27
Title: Apostle, Evangelist, Beloved Disciple
Symbols: Eagle, chalice with serpent, book, palm (virginity), oil cauldron (martyrdom attempt)
Patron of: Writers, theologians, Asia Minor, love, loyalty, and friendship
Liturgical Rank (Traditional Latin Calendar): Double of the Second Class
✦ Early Life and Calling
St. John was the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and Salome, who is believed to be the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary—making John a possible cousin of Jesus. He was the younger brother of James the Greater, both of whom were called by Christ from their nets along the Sea of Galilee to become “fishers of men” (cf. Matthew 4:21-22).
Together with Peter and James, John belonged to the inner circle of Christ’s disciples, privileged to witness the Raising of Jairus’s daughter, the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and the Agony in the Garden.
✦ The “Beloved Disciple”
St. John is most tenderly remembered as the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved—a title he humbly uses to refer to himself in his Gospel. He leaned upon Christ’s breast at the Last Supper, a gesture symbolizing his purity, contemplation, and special intimacy with Our Lord. It was to John that Christ entrusted the care of His Mother at the foot of the Cross:
“Behold thy mother.” (John 19:27)
This singular privilege marked St. John as a virgin soul, entrusted with the Virgin Mother.
✦ Evangelist and Theologian
St. John wrote:
- The Gospel of John – the most theological and mystical of the four, emphasizing the divinity of Christ from the outset: “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1)
- Three Epistles – urging love, fidelity, and truth, with strong warnings against antichrists and false teachings.
- The Apocalypse (Revelation) – the final book of Scripture, granted through visions received during his exile on the island of Patmos under Emperor Domitian.
These writings form a profound spiritual treasury in the Church, rich in mystical theology, symbols, and eschatology.
✦ Martyrdom and Miracles
Though he is not considered a martyr by death, St. John endured a white martyrdom for Christ. According to tradition:
- He was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil near the Latin Gate in Rome under the persecution of Domitian, but emerged unharmed, thus converting many witnesses.
- He was then exiled to Patmos, where he received the Revelation.
- He later returned to Ephesus, where he served the Church until his peaceful death at an advanced age—likely around 100 A.D., the only Apostle to die a natural death.
✦ Legacy of Purity and Love
The early Fathers testify to John’s great love and fidelity. St. Jerome tells a story from his last days: when too weak to preach, John would be carried into the congregation, where he would simply say:
“Little children, love one another.”
When asked why he repeated this so often, he replied:
“Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and if this only is done, it is enough.”
John’s heart, aflame with divine charity, remains a model for contemplatives, theologians, and all striving for purity.
✦ Devotional Practices and Traditions
- Blessing of Wine on his Feast Day (Dec. 27):
A traditional blessing of wine takes place, recalling the legend that he drank poisoned wine unharmed after blessing it, and is thus invoked for protection from poison and temptation. - Symbol: The Eagle
The eagle symbolizes the soaring heights of his theology, particularly his insight into the eternal Word made flesh. - Litany or Devotions to St. John:
Prayers may ask his intercession for purity, deeper love of Christ, and understanding of Scripture.
✦ Quotations from the Gospel of John
- “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
- “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
- “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
✦ Traditional Collect (From the Roman Missal)
“Sanctifica, quaesumus, Domine, plebem tuam…
Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech Thee, Thy people, that being taught by the blessed John, Thine Apostle and Evangelist, they may come to know Thee, the true God and Him Whom Thou hast sent, even Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord.”