SAINT JOHN
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SAINT JOHN |
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THE EVANGELIST, APOSTLE
(LATE FIRST CENTURY)
Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, was the son of Zebedee who with his brother James followed Jesus as soon as He called them. They were fishermen whom Jesus nicknamed ‘Boanerges’ or ‘sons of thunder’. But, John uniquely was called ‘the beloved’, because of his usual leaning on Jesus breast, showed how much love that was. He was also called the ‘Theologian’ for his Divine theme of the Word in his Gospel. In his book of Revelation, the fathers of the church fin d a figure of the Four Living Animals mentioned in Ezechiel. The eagle represents St. John, who in the first lines of his Gospel soars up like an eagle to the contemplation of the eternal incarnation of the Word of God, Who is both Light and Life. The Ox represents St. Luke, and the Lion is the symbol of St. Mark, while the man represents St. Matthew who starts his Gospel with Jesus’ human genealogy.
A lot can be said about St. John. He also won the name of John of ‘Patmos’, the Island where Domitian who ordered him exiled , after he ordered him dipped unscathed into boiling oil before the Latin Gate. There he received the Revelation he wrote in his book. John was one of the three closest disciples of Jesus, with Peter and James. He had the privilege to witness special events such as the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and especially the glorious Transfiguration, and Jesus’ Agony in the Garden.
After the Resurrection John took the Blessed Virgin Mary, in obedience to Christ’s words on the Cross-, as his adopted mother. Not only was he among the earliest witnesses of the Risen Lord, but also in receiving the Holy Spirit. He also shared in the preaching, organization, and even imprisonment of Peter. He played a leading role in the early Christian community in Jerusalem.
Later St. John settled in Ephesus repeating his exhortation to Christians to love one another. When his audience asked him why he always repeats the same thing: “My little children, love one another”.
He answered: “ Because it is the word of the Lord, and if you keep it, you do enough”.
He wrote beside the fourth Gospel, and the book of Revelation, three Epistles. He died a natural death of weakness and old age at Ephesus in 100.
INSPIRATIONAL VERSE: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, .." ( John 3:16)
The life of St . John, According to St. John Monthly Magazine: www.mystjohn.org
Feast Day -- 4th Day of the Coptic Month of Tubah (3rd week of January): On this day, in the year 100 A.D., St. John, the Evangelist and the Apostle who was the son of Zebedee, departed. St. John Chrysostom said that St. John the Evangelist was originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist. He was the brother of St. James the Elder, who was killed by Herod by the sword. The Lord called both Sts. John and James, "Boanerges" (Mark 3:17), that is to say, "sons of thunder," for their strong zeal and great faith. He was also the disciple whom Jesus loved.
The lot fell on him to go to Asia
after the Lord's Ascension. The people of Asia were stiff-necked, so he prayed
to Christ to be with him. He went to Ephesus, accompanied by his disciple
Prochorus. They embarked on a ship, but the ship was wrecked on the way and
every one of the passengers clung to a plank of the ship's wood. The waves
washed out Prochorus to an island, but St. John remained among the waves of the
sea for several days, until the waves carried him to the same island where his
disciple Prochorus was, by the will of God. When they met together, they
offered thanks to God for taking care of them.
From there, St. John went to the
city of Ephesus and he preached the word of salvation there. The people of
Ephesus did not accept him at first, until the day when an only child of his
mother fell in the furnace of a public bath managed by her. They got him out of
the fire but he was dead and his mother wept bitterly. At this time, St. John
went forward, prayed to God and crossed the child, breathed in the child's face,
and life came back to him right away. His mother rejoiced and she kissed the
feet of the apostle. From this moment on, the people of the city came to fear
his teachings and many believed and were baptized by St. John. This stirred
resentment by the pagan priests of the city who tried to kill him several times
buy they could not, for the Lord protects all those who love Him. After a
great effort and many hardships, St. John led them to the knowledge of God and
ordained bishops and priests for them.
From there, he went to other
places in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and converted many people to Faith in
Christ. Saint John lived ninety years, and they used to carry him to the
gatherings of the believers. They would lift him up because of his old age,
with great crowds surrounding him and the Saint once lifted up would just say,
"My children, love one another."
He wrote the Gospel that bears
his name, the Fourth Gospel according to St. John, and the book of Revelation
which describes what he had seen while exiled on the Island of Patmos in the
Mediterranean See for being a preacher of Christianity. This revelation was one
of divine mysteries, many of which have already taken place, while other parts
thereof will still take place in the end days. St. John also wrote the three
epistles known by his name. He was with the Lord Jesus Christ at the
Transfiguration. He leaned (reclined) on the Lord's chest at the Last Supper.
He asked the Lord, "who is one who shall betray You?" He was also standing near
the cross with the Virgin St. Mary and when the Lord said to His mother, "Behold
your son," and to St. John, "Behold your mother." He was the disciple whom St.
Peter asked the Lord about (John 21), "And this one, what of him?" To which the
Lord Jesus replied, "If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to
you?"
When St. John felt that he was
about to leave this world, he summoned the people and gave them the Body and the
Blood of the Lord. He preached to them to be steadfast in their, then he
departed from the City of Ephesus to a short distance. He commanded his
disciple and others to dig a pit for him, and he went down and prayed and bade
them farewell. He commanded them to return to the city and to tell the brethren
to be steadfast in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, saying, "I am innocent of
your blood, for I have never left any command of God that I haven't told you
about, and now, let it be known that you will never see my face again, and God
will reward everyone according to his deeds."
When he said that, they kissed his hand and his feet, and they left him and returned to the city. When the people knew what had happened, they went out tot he place where the saint was, and they found that he had departed. They wept and were deeply sad. They talked about his miracles and marveled about his meekness. In spite of the fact that he did not die by the sword, as the rest of the apostles did, he was equal to them in the heavenly glories.
May his holy blessings be with us all. Amen.
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Page Written By H. G. H ãCopyright 2001