Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Following on the heels of yesterday's Feast of Stephen, comes today's Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist. As St. Stephen's day is a day for deacons, St. John's day is a day for priests.

St. John the Evangelist, by Juan de Juanes ca 1445-50

Our Gospel reading for this Feast is the account of Jesus' empty tomb for St. John's Gospel. Here's a part of it, which occurs after St. Mary Magdalene tells Peter and beloved disciple that she has found the tomb empty. I have to admit, what I see as their jockeying for position always makes me smile:

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed (John 20:3-8)

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, pray for our priests, keep them faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, may they ever be good stewards of the sacred mysteries entrusted to them, keep them faithful to their sacred calling.