We draw your attention today to two
saints. The first is John the Baptist, the Memorial of whose Passion is this
week, on Friday the 29th; and the second is St. John the Apostle,
John the Evangelizer, who wrote a Gospel, three Epistles and the Book of
Revelation. One could easily think of these two as human, historical “bookends”
to Jesus’ earthly human existence.
John the Baptist, sometimes called John
the Forerunner, was nothing if not an evangelist, a preacher and the last of
the long line of Old Testament prophets. John the Baptist pulled no punches –
Friday’s Gospel from Mark will attest to that since his condemnation of Herod
for marrying Herodias ultimately led to his execution. But most famously he
baptized our Lord. John knew who Jesus was even while still in the womb.
Consider the 2nd Joyful Mystery of the Rosary when Elizabeth said,
“The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe in my womb leapt for joy.”
Though without sin, Jesus wished to be baptized by John, as this was the final
preparation for his mission as Messiah. St. John the Baptist played such a
pivotal role in preparing the way for Jesus’ Messianic mission.
The youngest of the Apostles and
sometimes portrayed in paintings (or in the stained glass image pictured here)
as a very young man, St. John the Apostle and Evangelist (the Apostle John)
lived to be a very old man and, alone among the Apostles, is thought to be the
only one not to have been killed for his faith.
When he is referred to as the Evangelist, it is to honor his role as the
author of Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. As Jesus’ Apostle, he is
one of the pillars of the Jerusalem church after Jesus’ death. Some scholars
believe he lived his last years in Ephesus and was buried there. He is also
usually identified as the “Beloved Apostle” in his own Gospel.
John the Baptist heralded Jesus as “the
One,” unafraid and boldly. His faith, devotion and unswerving courage in the
face of the unrepentant cost him his life. The Apostle John lived long enough
to write more than the other Gospel writers, gave us a uniquely inspired and
special Gospel message and penned the Book of Revelation.
Let’s pray for the intercession of both
Johns to petition courage in our own telling of the beautiful, wonderful Truth.
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