Feast day: 27 December
Saint John the Apostle
Sanctus Ioannes Apostolus
The disciple who leaned on the Lord's breast at the Last Supper, stood beneath the Cross and received Mary as his mother, and wrote the Fourth Gospel.
- Born
- 1st century, Galilee; son of Zebedee and Salome
- Died
- c. AD 100, Ephesus, traditionally the only apostle not martyred
- Canonization
- Venerated as an apostle and evangelist from apostolic times.
- Country
- Holy Land and Asia Minor
Biography
Fisherman and apostle
John and his brother James worked with their father Zebedee on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called them from their nets and named them Boanerges, 'sons of thunder'. With Peter and James, John witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration and the agony in Gethsemane.
The Cross and the early Church
Alone among the apostles he remained at Calvary, where Christ entrusted his Mother to him. After Pentecost he worked with Peter in Jerusalem, was recognised by Saint Paul as a 'pillar' of the Church (Galatians 2:9), and according to early tradition moved to Ephesus.
Patmos and old age
Exiled to the island of Patmos, he received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. Saint Irenaeus, who knew Polycarp, John's disciple, testifies that the apostle lived at Ephesus until the reign of Trajan. Tradition remembers him repeating in his last years, 'Little children, love one another.'
Timeline
- ~c. AD 28 — Called by Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee
- ~c. AD 30 — Receives Mary at the foot of the Cross
- ~c. AD 95 — Exile on Patmos; the Apocalypse
- ~c. AD 100 — Dies at Ephesus in great age
Dates marked ~ are traditional or debated among historians.
Symbols
Eagle — The soaring theology of his Gospel, which begins in eternity.
Chalice with a serpent — An early legend of poison rendered harmless when he blessed the cup.
Virtues & spiritual lessons
Contemplative love, fidelity in suffering, and care for the Mother of God. He teaches that Christian life is above all friendship with Christ.
Importance in the Church
His Gospel, three Letters and the Apocalypse shaped Christology, sacramental theology and Christian hope. The Council of Nicaea and later Fathers drew heavily on his prologue on the eternal Word.
Quotes
“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
1 John 4:16
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1
Writings
The Gospel according to John — The Fourth Gospel, centred on the signs of Jesus and his discourses.
First, Second and Third Letters of John — Pastoral letters on love, truth and the reality of the Incarnation.
The Book of Revelation — Apocalyptic vision of Christ's victory, written on Patmos.
Prayers
Prayer to Saint John the Evangelist
O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvellously brought to our ears. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Roman Missal, collect for 27 December.
Places
Basilica of Saint John, Ephesus — Justinian's basilica over the traditional tomb of the apostle.
Monastery of Saint John, Patmos — Beside the cave where tradition places the Apocalypse.
Scripture
John 19:25–27 — 'Behold your mother' — the Beloved Disciple at the Cross.
Entries are drawn from the Roman Martyrology, the General Roman Calendar, canonization records of the Holy See, and the saints' own writings. Where a date, quotation or attribution is uncertain, it is marked as such. (63 saints)