THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS AND THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST..............

Our 3rd day of Christmas is the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, who is spoken of in the Christian Scriptures as the, "Beloved Disciple", as an Apostle of Jesus.  As we proceed in celebrating with Christmas Joy our Messiah's Birth the Gospel Proclamation takes us to end of Jesus' earthly life at the Tomb on Easter morning, where St. Peter and another disciple believed to be St. John arrive to find and observe the Empty Tomb. Sacred Tradition holds that John is the unidentified Apostle at the Tomb for the special bond of friendship and love he shared with the Lord Jesus, a bond that made him a fearlessly faithful witness to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.  He is the one Jesus chose from the Cross to be the guardian of his Blessed Mother; and it is John the Evangelist who authors a Gospel much different from Mark, Matthew, and Luke, with a higher level of Divine emphasis and distinct theological discourse on the Public Ministry and Paschal Mystery of Jesus The Christ. Thus on Christ Day 3, the discipleship, evangelism, and personal experiences and discernment, of John as an Apostle of Jesus, bridges the intersection of Christmas and Easter.  May the Christian Discipleship of St. John the Evangelist, along with St. Stephen the Martyr, inspire us to further the depths of our own relationships with our Divine Savior in being the Faithful Witnesses to the Holy Birth, Saving Death, and Risen Life  we are initiated and enabled to be as Believers and Followers of Jesus The Christ..............Fr.  Troy David