SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST (FEAST)

. . . so that you too may have fellowship with us. 

The Greek word for fellowship, koinonia, means participation in a life and a mission that knits people closely together. St. John, whose feast we celebrate today, knew how important this koinonia was because he had experienced it firsthand, both with the other apostles and with Jesus himself. So what did that look like?

The twelve apostles ate together, traveled together, and organized their lives around their master, Jesus. This shared life of prayer, conversation, witness, and even suffering was their support and foundation as they learned what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. And through their time together, they grew to love one another. They became like a family!

Jesus was the head of this family, and he was especially close with John, the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20). He asked this apostle to be with him on important days like the Transfiguration as well as on painful days like his agony in the garden. He even asked John to take care of his mother after he died (19:27).

But John was not only an apostle; he was also an evangelist. He preached the good news that God has invited everyone to become part of his family, and he kept this incredible news alive by teaching Jesus’ model of koinonia to the members of his church. Echoing the Father’s endearing term for Jesus, he affectionately called them “beloved” (Mark 9:7; 1 John 3:2; 4:7, 11). He urged them to live in “fellowship” with each other and the risen Lord (1 John 1:3).

Fellowship is a gift that God wants all of us to experience and to share with other people. So on his feast day, honor St. John by finding one small way to deepen your experience of fellowship with someone. Tell that person you are praying for them, or reach out to thank a friend who has supported you in the past. Jesus came to give us an abundant life—and that includes walking together with fellow travelers on the road to heaven!

“Jesus, show me ways I can experience deeper fellowship with someone you have placed in my life.”

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12
John 20:1-8
1 John 1:1-4