December 27, 2008

St. John, apostle and evangelist

CNS / Saints for Today

John and James were Galilean fishermen called from mending their nets to follow Jesus, who nicknamed them "sons of thunder." Along with Peter, the brothers were in Jesus' inner circle, witnessing his transfiguration and agony in Gethsemane. John, always the "beloved disciple" in tradition, was given the care of Mary on Calvary. In later years, he was exiled on Patmos, and reportedly died at a great age in Ephesus. Authorship of the fourth Gospel, three New Testament letters, and the Book of Revelation are attributed to John and his followers.

Read

Daily Readings from the New American Bible (NAB)

Pray

Saint John begins his first epistle by writing, "Our message is the Word of life. We announce what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we have touched with our own hands."

Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were made,
give us the grace to do your will,
to protect those forgotten
and walk with those who need us.
For you are God for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflect

In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus implores us to love each other. Read the first encyclical of Pope Benedict VVI, “Deus Caritas Est,” and reflect on the nature of Christian love and charity.

View the Daily Reflections on today's readings brought to you by the Catholic Communication Campaign

Act

Share your love of God by performing an act of charity today. Return duplicate or unneeded Christmas gifts and donate your refund to your local Catholic Charities agency.