Lives Of The Saints
December 27
St. John the Evangelist
Quick answer
At a glance
- What it is
- St. John the Evangelist: John is not just the eagle of theology.
- Feast
- December 27
- Source
- Butler's Lives of the Saints, Volume IV (October-November-December), December 27, St John the Evangelist, Apostle, Christian Classics 1990, pp. 620-623. Read the source standards.

Saint John the Evangelist, Artus Wolffort
Brief life
John's life is gathered first from the New Testament: the son of Zebedee called with his brother from the nets, the beloved disciple at the Last Supper, the apostle who stayed by the Cross and received Our Lady into his care, the runner to the empty tomb, and the companion of Peter in the first days of the Church. The later and more universal tradition then places John at Ephesus and Patmos, linking him with the Apocalypse, the Fourth Gospel, and the epistles that return so often to truth and charity.
Several old stories also show John's character in age: fleeing the baths when Cerinthus was within, riding out to reclaim the young robber who had gone bad, and in the end repeating to the faithful, "My little children, love one another."
Historical note
This life uses St. John the Evangelist as the great universal life of the date.
Next step
Novena to Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist
A novena connected to this saint is in the library.
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