There are many Johns that he can celebrate as Feast days in The Church, but this is one special one along with St John the Baptist as well as St John Paul II! I would say that my love for St JPII was a huge reason that after 9 years of having Luke for my boy's name that it changed with the arrival of our only son after 4 girls and in the midst of 7 losses... "His name is John!" we chimed in with Zechariah and Elizabeth at the birth of their son a few months before the arrival of The Word made flesh!
The first reading today from I John 1:1-4
Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us—
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.
I could leave none of his words of pearls of wisdom out!
This precious memory from 3 years ago in KC! John saying goodbye to his Goddaughter, Josephine, and her sweet smile for his love for her. So much has happened since this time.. meeting his former classmate, Bobbi, at mass one morning in May, and dad pointing her out and telling John he should catch up. Going out for pie - "you went on a date!" her best friend told her. Then about 5 months later proposing in front of Our Lady. She then shared with John how she had been told by the Holy Spirit 10 years before when they were seniors that she would marry John Verly! Waiting for him through girl friends, brain cancer - "he won't die because I am marrying him", seminary for a year, and long prayerful waiting and trusting while St Therese sent her roses to remind her that he was to be her husband! Then marrying on the Feast of Corpus Christi and hearing Fr Craig read John 6 - "unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will have no life within you!" And then Jude - honeymoon baby! Jude went to France with us for Hallel's final vows in the womb along with Nancy's George and Maria's Hector! We took 21 to France not just 18! Actually 24 with 2 brothers and a sister in law!
John went from alone and along for Christmas with his sisters in KC - Hallel and Nancy to being a husband and father! Now a new job! Thank you, Lord!
"The presence of Jesus
in the tabernacle
must be a kind of magnetic pole attracting
an ever greater number of souls enamoured of Him,
ready to wait patiently to hear His voice
and, as it were, to sense the beating of His heart.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps 34:8)."
Mane Nobiscum Domine (Stay With Us Lord)
Apostolic Letter, 10/07/04, Pope St John Paul II
St John the Beloved Disciple
who sensed the beating of His Heart...
Apostle and Evangelist
Son of Zebedee, brother of James
Asia Minor, Galilee (6-115 AD)
Apostle of Charity
Patron of Asia Minor, Theologians
Feast Day - December 27
Valentin de boulogne
"It is a long way from being eager to sit on a throne of power
or to call down fire from heaven to becoming the man who could write:
“The way we came to know love was that He laid down His life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16).
Through John we know how we are to participate as our destiny
in the life of Christ."~ St Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)
How often have we heard that St John had his head resting on the chest of Jesus at the last Supper? Pondering that today on his feast - and considering that he was listening to His heart beat - the beating heart of God! He ran to the empty tomb and believed that that heart was resurrected in Jesus and He was rising to the right hand of God, His Father, after He had been the Word made flesh, so that our joy may be complete!
Jesus, you are the Word LOVE made flesh to show us how to die to self and give our all without counting the cost! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.
The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind, the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind, the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.
The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.
Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.
Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.
That God on earth is come.
Poem by JRR Tolkein
I love our Mother of God, too! Bless-bless, Barb
John's story of finding Faith through brain cancer!
Danielle Rose - True love/the Cross
