Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.
On the 3rd Day of Christmas we are given the liturgical memorial of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.
“[W]hat 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” (1Jn 1:3).
From what is revealed in sacred Scripture we know that John is present to the central events of Jesus’ life, the many miracles, including the Transfiguration, the institution of the Eucharist, the Lord’s Crucifixion, and the discovery of the Resurrection.
John is “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and the one to whom Jesus confided the care of his mother and the Church. He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles; later he was exiled to the island of Patmos. He wrote a Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse). Saint John is said to have died at Ephesus (in current day Turkey). On this day the Church blesses wine.