The Church has for centuries on the Third Day of Christmas remembered St. John; tradition identifies John, who along with his brother James was numbered among the Twelve Apostles, as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” of the Fourth Gospel and as the author of that Gospel as well as of the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation.
It is John’s Gospel that tells us that in Jesus Christ “the Word became flesh and lived among us…full of grace and truth” (1:14) and that reports that Jesus said to his followers, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love that this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (15:12-13).
Tradition also says that John was the only one of the original Apostles who did not die a violent death as a martyr for the Faith but that he did suffer exile to the Island of Patmos where he received the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
There is more than one way, then, to lay down one’s life for the Lord and for one’s friends.
How are we laying down our lives?
Are we laying down our lives?
Are we making good use of the time regardless of the circumstances?
On this Third Day of Christmas, may God show us how to lay down our lives for each other!
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