18 May, Saturday — Being there with Jesus

May 18 – Memorial for St. John I, Pope and Martyr

St. John (d. 526) was a priest in Rome, and became the 53rd pope in 523. Italy’s ruler then, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian. For a while he left the Catholics alone, but in later life, he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and attempts to seize his throne. He tried to involve Pope John in his political machinations. John led a delegation to Constantinople to negotiate with Emperor Justin I; he was the first pope to travel to Constantinople, and while there, crowned Justin. The mission was successful, but Theodoric thought John and Justin I had plotted against him. While returning to Rome, John was kidnapped and imprisoned by Theodoric’s soldiers. He died of thirst and starvation while in custody in Ravenna, Italy.

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Acts 28:16-20,30-31
Jn 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple that Jesus loved following them…

In the Gospel of John, we read about the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who is mentioned four times. The other three gospels do not have any similar mentions. This disciple is often thought to be the disciple John, who was credited with having written the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation, and three other epistles.

In preparing for this reflection, I learned that the Gospel of John was written with the Gentiles in mind. 

My original understanding was that the name was supposed to be just a noun, naming a specific person present in the scene in the Gospel. However, this understanding has evolved as I experienced the Gospel over time. Mentioning the beloved disciple allows us to place ourselves in the same scene.

One instance where this beloved disciple was mentioned was at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus was crucified and died. After watching ‘The Passion’ movie and reading the Gospel, I imagined myself as this disciple, standing next to Mother Mary, and having been handed the responsibility to take her under my care, I felt an intimacy with our Lord like never before.

My personal ‘foot-of-the-cross’ experience helped me understand where the Gospel stands. It helped me walk in the disciples’ footsteps and experience the Gospel, unlike the other Gospels, which read more as narratives.

As we continue our faith journey, may we turn to John’s Gospel to experience our relationship with our Lord on a much deeper and more intimate level.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)

Prayer: As we read the Gospel of John, we ask that we may experience You deeply and better see Your love for us.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Father, for giving us the Gospels to learn more about You and our Lord Jesus. We are grateful for Your love.