Israel Risquet, priest of the archdiocese of Seville, Spain, shares with Exaudi readers this article about the figure of Saint John the Evangelist “el Juanillo” on his feast day, today, December 27. He was the one who lived closest to Jesus and Mary.
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That is what we called the image of Saint John the Evangelist, head of my Brotherhood of La Sed, in the Sevillian neighborhood of Nervión, where I grew up.
On one occasion it scared me to death, due to construction work in the parish, where the titular images of my Brotherhood are located, it was provisionally transferred to the parish offices, and there it was, in a hallway as soon as I went up the stairs, everything was dark, when you arrive and look for the switch to turn on the light… surprise: El Juanillo, what a shock, my goodness! On December 27, close to the celebration of the Nativity of God-made Child, we celebrate the feast of the apostle and evangelist Saint John. He was the one who lived closest to Jesus and Mary.
Only he reclined his face in the heart of Jesus, he called himself “the beloved disciple”, the only one faithful to the cross; the others fled, perhaps that is why he had the privilege of receiving Mary from the crucified Jesus. This apostle and evangelist wrote the fourth gospel, the book of apocalypse and three letters of the New Testament.
At the beginning of his gospel, he himself accurately recounts the call of the Lord, including the time: “it would be four in the afternoon” Jn 1, 36-39. And he started a new life. The first thing he did was look for his brother James and announce the Good News to him. Both brothers followed Jesus; He gave them the nickname: “Boanerges” (the sons of thunder), because of their fiery character. Although “like father, like son,” the mother of the Zebedee family (that is the name of the father of John and James) asked Jesus on one occasion to seat her two sons on his throne, one on the right wing and the other on the right of his left, almost nothing! (Mt 20,21).
The young disciple John had to be corrected on several occasions by Jesus for his impetus: then this boy was still far from the mature apostle that he would become. An example is the episode where he tells Jesus that they have tried to prevent one from casting out a demon in the name of Jesus; Obviously, the Lord corrects him (Mc 9, 38-39).
John occupies a place of Jesus’ trust within the group of the Twelve; He is joined by his brother Santiago and, of course, Peter. So the Lord asks you to accompany him in some significant moments, such as the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the transfiguration or prayer in the garden of olives. In the passion of Jesus there will be two disciples, Peter and John, the first will renounce the Master, and John will receive the greatest of gifts, at the foot of the cross, the Master will give him his Mother, as his mother and our mother. Crucial moment for the Church. What a great privilege, John.
Recently, Pope Francis elevated the Obligatory Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene to the category of Feast, and also as an Apostle of Apostles: she was the first to see the Risen Jesus in the tomb, she immediately went to announce it to her disciples. Peter and John run to the tomb, the young man arrives first, but waits for the elder (John had already matured somewhat), once Peter entered, so did John, “he saw and believed” (Jn 20, 8).
At the end of his gospel he recounts the appearance of the Risen One in the miraculous fishing (Jn 21, 5-7), and of course, he will be the one who recognizes the stranger on the shore, saying: “it is the Lord.”
He did not die a martyr, although he suffered martyrdom, he is a model for every disciple. He is artistically represented as young, and the evangelist’s image of him is the eagle. We usually complain that in our parishes there are no young people, Jesus only had one, but authentic, let us ask the Lord to grant us that: young people, although few, but authentic.
“Oh, God, who through the apostle Saint John has revealed to us the mysterious depths of your Word, grant us to understand with intelligence and love what he has made resonate admirably in our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen.
