Friday, May 8

Apostolic · 1st century

Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

Beloved disciple, evangelist of divine love

The younger son of Zebedee left his father's fishing boat to become, in the tradition of the Church, 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' — the one who leaned on the Lord's breast at the Supper, stood alone among the Twelve at the Cross, and received the Theotokos into his home. To him the Church ascribes the fourth Gospel, three epistles whose refrain is 'little children, love one another,' and the Revelation seen in exile on Patmos under Domitian. Early witnesses place his long final ministry at Ephesus, where he reposed in old age around the turn of the second century — by tradition the only apostle not to die a martyr, though not for lack of persecution. The May 8 feast commemorates the fine dust that rose yearly from his grave at Ephesus and was gathered by the faithful for healing, a tradition the Church keeps with love.

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