Happy Third Day of Christmas!

St. John the Evangelist and Theologian, Russian Icon, 18th C

Today is the feast day of St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist.

John, the son of Zebedee, was a fisherman and one of the Twelve disciples of Jesus. John, his brother James, and Peter were the three who witnessed the light of the transfiguration. John and James once made known their desire to hold positions of power in the kingdom of God. Jesus' response showed them that service to others was teh sign of God's reign in the world.

Tradition has attributed authorship of the gospel and three epistles bearing his name to the apostle John. John is a saint for Christmas through his proclamation that the Word became flesh and lived among us, that the light of God shines in the darkness, and that we are called to love one another as Christ has loved us.

Information taken from Sundays and Seasons Year C 2013, published by Augsburg Fortress