St. John

Posted on December 28, 2018 by admin No comments

Saint John, brother of Saint James the Greater, the Apostle of Spain, is the beloved disciple. He was privileged, with his brother and Saint Peter, to behold the Saviour raise up a dead child to life, then saw Him transfigured on the mountaintop; he alone reposed his head on His breast at the Last Supper. After the crucifixion it is he who, with Saint Peter, hastened to the empty tomb on the morning of the Resurrection.

Standing beside Mary at the Cross, he had heard his Master confide that Blessed Mother to him to be henceforth his Mother also. He took his precious treasure for refuge to Ephesus when the persecution of the Jerusalem Christians became too intense; and from there he went out to evangelize Asia Minor, of which he became the first Archbishop. He was later exiled to the Island of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse, but afterwards returned to Ephesus.

Compared with an eagle by his flights of elevated contemplation, Saint John is the supreme Doctor of the Divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. Endowed with an astounding memory, he was able even in his later years, to reproduce the discourses of Christ in such a way as to make the reader experience their power and impact on their audiences as if present to hear them. He is the author of five books of the New Testament, his Gospel, three Epistles, and the last canonical prophecy, the Apocalypse or Revelation of Saint John — all of which were composed after the ruin of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

In his extreme old age he continued to visit the churches of Asia, and Saint Jerome relates that when age and weakness grew upon him so that he was no longer able to preach to the people, he would be carried to the assembly of the faithful by his disciples, with great difficulty; and every time said to his flock only these words: My dear children, love one another.

Saint John died in peace at Ephesus in the third year of Trajan, that is, the hundredth of the Christian era, or the sixty-sixth from the crucifixion of Christ, Saint John then being about ninety-four years old, according to Saint Epiphanus.

Reflection: Saint John is a living proof of Our Lord’s beatitude: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Prayer to St. John the Apostle for best friends

Lord, you are our best friend and love us like none other. May my own best friend share in your goodness and love for me. Help each one of us to have a good friend who truly wants what is best for our souls. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer.

St. John, we pray to for each one of us to have a stronger, Christ-centered, prayer-focused friendship in Communion with the Saints, Angels, and Holy Trinity. May we enjoy going to Mass and Adoration with our friend, praying the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, and other devotions, learning about the Lord through Scripture and Church teaching together.

Pray that we bring new people into the Church as friends.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly affections, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

St. John, please intercede for us with God so that we may all be blessed with friendships centered in Your teaching.

May we never stray from the path of goodness and always seek out a friend who will help us stay in the faith. Amen.

A Prayer to St. John the Apostle, for a Burning love for Jesus

O Glorious Apostle, Saint John, why for thy virginal purity was so beloved by Jesus as to merit to rest thy head upon His divine Bosom, and to be left, in His stead, as a son to His most holy Mother, I implore thee to set me on fire with a burning love for Jesus and Mary. Obtain for me, I pray this grace from our Lord, that, even now, with my heart set free from earthly affections, I may be made worthy to be forever united to Jesus as His faithful disciple and to Mary as her devoted child both here and on earth and then forever in heaven. Amen.

A Prayer to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist

John, the apostle and evangelist, virgin chosen of the Lord, you were loved by the Lord above the others. Jesus Christ, dying on the Cross, entrusted His Virgin Mother to you.

God our Father, You have revealed the mysteries of Your Word through John the apostle. By prayer and reflection may we come to understand the wisdom he taught. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Indulgence Prayer to St. John, the Apostle

O Glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon his divine breast, and to be left, in his place, as son to his most holy Mother; I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love towards Jesus and Mary. Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly affections, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven. Amen.

Prayer for Parents to St. John

St. John, chosen and favored disciple of our Lord, selected as the son of His sorrowful Mother, how great your privilege of being allowed to repose on the bosom of Jesus at the Last Supper, and to stand beneath the cross, there to receive Mary for your spiritual Mother! O happy disciple! How did you deserve such great prerogatives and favors? The whole Christian Church knows and acknowledges that it was your carefully guarded virginal purity which made you worthy of the special love of Jesus Christ; and that it was your ardent love and filial reverence toward His Blessed Mother that strengthened your heart to persevere to the end in the way of His holy cross.

O happy child of our dear Lady, how greatly I desire that my children and I may resemble you in purity of heart, in love for Jesus, and in devotion towards His Virgin Mother! In you do we place our trust. You will obtain for us this threefold grace. By your intercession you will dispose the Divine Mercy to pour out these graces into our hearts also. You are so highly favored by our Divine Master, He can refuse you nothing, least of all the graces He has so lavishly bestowed upon you. We confidently hope for these graces through your intercession, O chaste disciple of Jesus and devoted son of Mary! When you have obtained them for us, you must likewise watch over them, that we may never again lose them during our whole life. O pure St. John, obtain our request for the honor of Jesus and Mary and your own eternal praise! Amen.

Prayer to St. John as your Patron Saint

Saint John, whom I have chosen as my special patron, pray for me that I, too, may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven. Obtain for me your lively faith, that I may consider all persons, things, and events in the light of almighty God. Pray, that I may be generous in making sacrifices of temporal things to promote my eternal interests, as you so wisely did.

Set me on fire with a love for Jesus, that I may thirst for His sacraments and burn with zeal for the spread of His kingdom. By your powerful intercession, help me in the performance of my duties to God, myself and all the world.

Win for me the virtue of purity and a great confidence in the Blessed Virgin. Protect me this day, and every day of my life. Keep me from mortal sin. Obtain for me the grace of a happy death. Amen.

Prayer to St. John for the Dying

Great Saint, who wast present at the Agony of Jesus, in the Garden of Olives, and upon the Cross, be present also at the agony of His members. Give this charitable assistance to all the dying, for whom I intercede this day, especially to those who have been recommended to our prayers. Intercede for them, and obtain for them, the grace of a holy death. O! beloved disciple of Jesus, ask the same favour for us, and for all dear to us. At the hour of our agony, be near us and protect us. Prepare us by a holy life, and by the imitation of thy virtues, for that great moment which shall decide our eternal destiny. Above all, obtain for us, a tender and real devotion to the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, and to the compassionate Heart of Mary, so that, having honoured them on earth, we may love and praise them eternally with thee in Heaven. Amen.

Novena to St. John

(Please recite this novena for 9 days)

I. My most loving Saint, St. John the Apostle, behold me kneeling at thy feet, beseeching thee with all the affection of my heart to grant me thy special protection, particularly when in danger of offending God. O my dear and holy advocate, remember me before the throne of the most holy Trinity, and obtain for me from the infinite goodness of God, the virtues of humility, purity, obedience, and the grace to fulfill exactly the duties of my state.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory

II. O my dear Saint, St. John the Apostle, I renew to the Lord, through thee, the holy resolutions which I have frequently made of intending to love and serve Him faithfully. I am resolved to detach myself from every earthly thing, and I desire ardently to unite myself to Him, as my first beginning, last end, and sovereign good. My dear Saint, I beseech thee to offer to the most holy Trinity the sacrifice of my whole being, particularly of my judgment and will, in order to conform fully to God most holy, because I desire nothing else besides His grace and His holy love.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory

III. My sweet and holy Protector, St. John the Apostle, behold me again full of love for thee and full of confidence, beseeching thee to cast thyself on thy knees before the throne of the most holy Trinity, and entreat most ardently that God, through His infinite goodness, may grant me the grace to fly sin, and the gift of final perseverance. Thou knowest, O my dear St. John the Apostle, how great are the temptations to which man is subject, and how continual are the perils I run of being lost; do thou assist me with thy efficacious prayers.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory

Litany of Charity

Lord, have mercy on me.
Christ, have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy on me.
Christ, hear me.
Christ, graciously hear me.

Heavenly Father, true God,
have mercy on me.

Son, Redeemer of the world, true God, have mercy on me.

Holy Ghost, true God; have mercy on me.

Holy Trinity, one only God, have mercy on me.

Thou who art inifinite love,

Thou who hast anticipated me by Thy love,

Thou, who commandest me to love Thee,

Thou, who for love of me, hast given Thy only Son

With all my heart, I love Thee, O my God,

With all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength,

Above all goods and honors, above all joys and pleasure,

More than myself and all that is mine, more than kindred and friends, more than all men and angels,

Above all created things in heaven and on earth, solely for Thyself; because Thou art the sovereign good; because Thou art infinitly worthy to be loved because Thou art infinitely perfect,

Even hadst Thou not promised me heaven,

Even hadst Thou not threatened me with hell,

Even shouldst Thou try me by miseries and adversity,

In plenty and want, in prosperity and adversity, in honor and dishonor, in pleasure and suffering,

In health and in sickness, in life and in death, in time and eternity,

In union with that love, with which all the Saints and angels love Thee in heaven; in union with that love with which the Blessed Virgin loved Thee; in union with that infinite love with which Thou lovest Thyself and wilt love Thyself eternally,

Let us pray:

O God! who possessest in incomprehensible abundance all that can ever be perfect and worthy of love, extinguish in me all culpable, sensual and disorderly love for creatures, and enkindle in my heart the most pure fire of Thy sincere, powerful and continual love, in order that I may love nothing but Thee alone, or for Thee, until consumed by Thy most holy love I may begin to live where I shall perfectly possess Thee, with all Thy elect, and love Thee without end. Amen.