Jeanette Renouf

Dear friends,

Today we celebrate St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, also known as the beloved disciple. He is present at some of the most significant moments in Jesus’ life. Otherwise we know little about him.

He seems to first appear as one of the three to witness the transfiguration and doesn’t appear again until the Last Supper, reclining against the breast of Jesus. He is the only male disciple to stay with Jesus at the crucifixion when Jesus entrusts John with the care of his mother, Mary. Later stories tell us that he and Mary lived in Ephesus. John and Peter are among the first to witness the empty tomb, and he is the first to believe. He is with the other disciples at Galilee and is the first to recognize the stranger on the shore as Jesus. At the last supper, Jesus hints that this beloved disciple will not suffer a martyr’s death but will remain until Jesus comes again.

His life is a model of love that all of us can emulate. It shows the kind of intimacy that we all are invited to share with Christ in prayer and action, of faithfulness even in the face of suffering. Jesus asks each, “Do you love me?” John is a model of the answer, “yes,” and if that is our answer too, then we are directed to follow him. The path is not easy; it has its challenges. But as we head into the New Year, we can meet this challenge by being loving even in difficult times as John demonstrated.

May you have a joyous and blessed 2023,

—Jeanette