● Orthodox Remembrance Day: May 8
● Name means: God is gracious (from Hebrew)
● Apostle, Evangelist, Martyr
● Attributes: Eagle, chalice with snake, oil boiler
● Patron: the sculptor, painter, book printer, bookseller, writer, scribe, civil servants,
notaries, theologians, winemakers, butchers, glaziers, mirror makers, engravers,
friendship, wine; for burns; for good harvest; against hail, poisoning, burns, foot
ailments and epilepsy.
● Born in Bethsaida, today the hill Et-Tell near Ad Dardara, Syria
● Died about 101 in Ephesus, today ruins near Selçuk, Turkey
John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, was a highly energetic fisherman by trade, whose
enthusiasm earned him the nickname Donnersohn from Jesus himself. As the fourth disciple of
Jesus after Peter, Andrew, and his own brother James, John was privileged to be part of the
inner circle that included Jesus’ most trusted confidants. Indeed, John, along with Peter and
James, were present for some of the most significant events in Jesus’ life, including the
miraculous resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and Jesus’ emotional prayer on
the Mount of Olives on the night of Good Friday.
Of all the disciples, it was John who was closest to Jesus, and this is borne out in the testimony
of John’s own Gospel. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he looked down and saw John
standing there, and he singled him out as his favorite disciple, confiding in him important
messages that he apparently shared with no one else. And when the women came to tell the
disciples that Jesus’ tomb was empty, it was John who, along with Peter, rushed to investigate,
eager to discover the truth behind this strange and wondrous event. All in all, John was a
remarkable figure, whose steadfast loyalty to Jesus earned him a place of honor among the
apostles, and a special place in history as one of the most important and influential figures in
the early Christian movement.
