De sancto Johanne apostolo et
The Privileges of the Beloved Apostle
The name John signifies the grace of God, manifested in the apostle's unique intimacy with Christ, his virginal purity, and his role as guardian of the Mother of God.
The name John means 'God's grace,' or 'one in whom there is grace,' or 'one to whom it is given,' or 'one to whom a gift has been made by God.' Through this, we understand the four privileges that were present in blessed John. The first is a special love from Christ. For Christ loved him more than the other apostles and showed him greater signs of love and intimacy. And that is why he is called 'God's grace,' because he was gracious to the Lord. It even seems that he loved him more than Peter. But there is a love of the heart and a love of signs. And that which is of signs is twofold. One consists of showing familiarity, and the other of offering benefits. Regarding the first, he loved both equally; regarding the second, he loved John more; regarding the third, he loved Peter more. The second is incorruption of the flesh, because he was chosen by the Lord as a virgin, and for this reason it is said, 'in whom there is grace.' For in him was the grace of virginal purity, which is why he was called by the Lord even when he was willing to marry. The third is the revelation of secrets. And from this it is said, 'to whom it has been given.' For it was given to him to know many deep and secret things, such as the divinity of the Word and the end of the age. The fourth is the recommendation of the Mother of God, and from this it is said, 'to whom the gift has been made.' For the greatest gift the Lord ever gave him was when the Mother of God was entrusted to his care.
Signs and Wonders in Asia
John's ministry in Asia is marked by miraculous deeds, including the raising of Drusiana and the transformation of nature, alongside his stern warnings against the vanity of worldly riches.
Miletus, the Bishop of Laodicea, wrote his life, which Isidore later summarized in his book on the birth, life, and death of the holy fathers. After Pentecost, when the apostles divided up the regions, John the apostle and evangelist—the one the Lord loved and chose as a virgin—set out for Asia, where he founded many churches. When the Emperor Domitian heard of his reputation, he had him brought to the Latin Gate and thrown into a vat of boiling oil; but John emerged unharmed, just as he had remained untouched by the corruption of the flesh. Seeing that this didn't stop him from preaching, the emperor banished him to the island of Patmos, where he lived in solitude and wrote the Apocalypse. That same year, the emperor was killed because of his extreme cruelty, and the Senate revoked all his decrees. It so happened that Saint John, who had been unjustly deported to the island, returned to Ephesus in honor, with the whole crowd meeting him and saying, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." As he was entering the city, Drusiana, a woman who loved him dearly and had longed for his return, was being carried out for burial. Her parents, along with the widows and orphans, said to him, "Holy John, look, we are carrying out Drusiana, who always followed your advice, fed us all, and longed so much for your return, saying, 'Oh, if only I could see the apostle of God before I die.'" "Look, you have come, and she could not see you." Then he ordered the bier to be set down and the body to be uncovered, saying, "My Lord Jesus Christ, raise you up, Drusiana. Rise, go to your house, and prepare a meal for me." She rose immediately and began to go, anxious to follow the apostle's command, as if he had awakened her not from death, but from sleep. The next day, the philosopher Craton gathered the people in the public square to show them how this world should be held in contempt. He had previously made two very wealthy young brothers buy the most precious gems with their entire fortune, and then had them smashed in front of everyone. It happened that the Apostle was passing through that place, and calling the philosopher to him, he condemned this kind of contempt for the world on three counts. First, because it is praised by the mouths of men but condemned by divine judgment; second, because such contempt does not cure the vice and is therefore vain, just as a medicine is called vain if it does not cure the disease; third, because true contempt is meritorious, which gives its own wealth to the poor, just as the Lord said to the young man: "If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor."✦ Craton said to him, "If God is truly your master and wants the value of these gems to be given to the poor, then make them whole again, so that you may do for His glory what I did for the fame of men." Then the blessed John gathered the fragments of the gems into his hand and prayed, and they were made whole as before; immediately the philosopher and those two young men believed, and they sold the gems and gave the proceeds to the poor. Furthermore, two noble young men followed the apostle's example, selling everything they owned and giving the proceeds to the poor. One day, however, seeing their servants dressed in expensive clothes while they themselves were in need, wearing only a single cloak, they began to feel sad; when Saint John noticed this, he... Because they were sad, he had branches and stones brought from the seashore and turned them into gold and gems. Those who had gone out at the apostle's command to search for goldsmiths and jewelers for seven days returned, testifying that they had never seen such pure gold or such precious gems; he said to them, 'Go and buy back the lands you sold, since you have lost the rewards of heaven. Be flourishing so that you may wither; be rich in this life so that you may beg forever.' Then the apostle began to argue at length against riches, showing that there are six reasons why we should be drawn away from an immoderate desire for wealth. The first is Scripture, from which he recounted the story of the rich man who feasted, whom God rejected, and of Lazarus the poor man, whom God chose. The second is nature, because a person is born naked and without riches, and dies without them. The third is creation, because the sun, moon, stars, rain, and air are common to all, and they bestow their benefits in common; so, too, all things should be common among people. The fourth is fortune. He said that a person becomes a slave to money and to the devil: a slave to money, because he doesn't possess riches, but is himself possessed by them; a slave to the devil, because according to the Gospel, a lover of money is a slave to Mammon. The fifth point is the burden of care, for they carry the weight of day-and-night anxiety in acquiring wealth and the fear involved in guarding it. The sixth is loss, which shows that riches cause a twofold loss: first, the loss of good in the present—which is pride—and the loss of good in the future—which is eternal damnation; and second, the loss of a twofold good, namely the loss of grace in the present and the loss of eternal glory in the future.
The Power of the Cross and the Resurrection
Through prayer and the sign of the cross, John raises the dead and overcomes the poison of his enemies, leading to the conversion of the priest Aristodemus.
As Saint John was arguing against wealth in this way, a young man who had been married for thirty days was being carried out dead. His widowed mother and the others mourning him came and fell at the apostle's feet, begging him to raise the man, just as he had raised Drusiana in the name of God. The apostle wept and prayed for a long time, and the young man immediately rose; the apostle then commanded him to tell those two disciples how great a punishment they had incurred and how great a glory they had lost. He told them much about the glory of paradise and the torments of hell that he had seen, saying, 'You wretches, I saw your angels weeping and the demons rejoicing,' and he told them that they had lost eternal palaces built of sparkling gems, filled with wonderful light, overflowing with abundant feasts, and full of delights. They were glorious and everlasting joys. Regarding hell, he spoke of eight torments, which are contained in these verses: Worms and darkness, the lash, cold and fire, the sight of the demon, the confusion of sins, and weeping. Then the man who had been raised, along with those two disciples, prostrated themselves at the apostles' feet, begging to obtain mercy. The apostle said to them, 'Perform penance for thirty days, and during that time pray that the rods and stones may return to their original nature.' Once this was done, he said to them, "Go and return the rods and stones to where you took them from." When they had done this, and the rods and stones had returned to their original state, they received back the grace of all the virtues they had previously possessed. After blessed John had preached throughout all of Asia, the idol-worshippers stirred up a riot among the people and dragged John to the temple of Diana, forcing him to offer sacrifice; John proposed this choice to them: either they should destroy the church of Christ by calling upon Diana and he would sacrifice to the idols, or he would destroy the temple of Diana by calling upon Christ and they would believe in Christ. When the majority of the people agreed to this and had left the temple, the apostle prayed, and the temple collapsed to its foundations, shattering the image of Diana completely. But Aristodemus, the priest of the idols, stirred up a great riot among the people, causing one faction to prepare for battle against the other. The apostle said to him, "I will do whatever you wish, so that you may be satisfied." He replied, "If you want me to believe in your God, I will give you poison to drink. If I see that it does you no harm, then the true God will be revealed as Lord." The apostle said to him, "Do as you have said." And he said, "I want you to see others dying first, so that you'll be even more afraid." Aristodemus therefore went to the proconsul and asked for two men who were to be beheaded, and in front of everyone he gave them the poison; as soon as he gave it to them, they drank it and breathed their last. Then the apostle took the cup, fortified himself with the sign of the cross, and drank all the poison without suffering any harm, which caused everyone to begin praising God. Aristodemus said, "I still have my doubts, but if you raise the dead with this poison, I'll truly believe without a doubt." Then the apostle gave him his tunic. He asked him, "Why did you give me your tunic?" Chapter 9. On Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. The apostle replied: "So that you might leave, confused by your own lack of faith." He asked him, "Will your tunic really make me believe?" The apostle said, "Go and lay it over the bodies of the dead, saying: 'The apostle of Christ has sent me to you, so that you may rise in the name of Christ.'" When he had done this, they rose up immediately. Then the apostle baptized the priest and the proconsul, who believed along with their entire household, in the name of Christ; they built a church in honor of the blessed John.
The Shepherd of Souls
John demonstrates his pastoral heart by pursuing a fallen disciple into the mountains and teaching the necessity of balancing contemplation with human frailty.
Blessed Clement reports, as is found in the fourth book of the Ecclesiastical History, that at one time the Apostle converted a certain young man who was handsome and strong, and entrusted him to a bishop under the name of a deposit. After some time, however, the young man left the bishop and became a leader of bandits. The Apostle therefore came to the bishop and asked for his deposit back. When the bishop realized he was talking about money and was deeply shocked, the Apostle said to him, "I am asking you for that young man whom I entrusted to you so carefully." The bishop replied, "Holy Father, he is dead in his soul and lives on that mountain with bandits, of whom he is the leader." Hearing this, the Apostle tore his clothes and, striking his head with his fists, said, "I left you a good guardian for my brother's soul." Immediately, therefore, he ordered a horse to be prepared for him and rode fearlessly toward that mountain. When the young man saw him, he was so overcome with shame that he immediately mounted his horse and fled as fast as he could. But the Apostle, forgetting his age, spurred his horse on and shouted after the fugitive, "Why, my dearest son, are you fleeing from your father, an unarmed old man?" “Don’t be afraid, my son; I will answer for you before Christ, and I’ll gladly die for you, just as Christ died for us.” “Come back, my son, come back, for the Lord has sent me.” Hearing this, he was filled with compunction, returned, and wept bitterly. The Apostle fell at his feet and began to kiss his hand, as if it had already been cleansed through his penance. So, as the Apostle fasted and prayed for him, he obtained his pardon and later ordained him as a bishop. It is also written in the same ecclesiastical history, and found in the gloss on the second epistle of John, that when John had entered a bathhouse in Ephesus to wash, and saw the heretic Cerinthus there, he immediately left, saying, "Let's get out of here, before the bathhouse collapses on us, since Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is washing inside." — 4. When a certain bird, called a partridge, was brought alive to blessed John by someone—as Cassian relates in his Conferences—and John was petting and stroking it as if to soothe it, a young man who saw this laughed and said to his companions, "Look at how that old man is playing with a little bird like a child." Recognizing this through the Spirit, blessed John called the young man over and asked what he was holding in his hand. When he said he was holding a bow, John asked, "What do you do with it?" And the young man replied, "We use it to shoot birds and beasts." The apostle asked him, "How?" Then the young man began to bend the bow and hold it taut in his hand. But when the apostle said nothing to him, the young man drew his bow; John then asked him, "Why, my son, have you drawn your bow?" And he replied, "Because if it were kept drawn for too long, it would become too weak to shoot arrows." To this the apostle replied: "Human frailty would likewise become less capable of contemplation if it were to persist always in its own rigor and refuse to condescend to its own weakness from time to time." For the eagle flies higher than all other birds and sees the sun more clearly, yet it must descend to the earth by the necessity of its nature; so too, when the human soul withdraws itself a little from contemplation, it tends toward heavenly things more ardently through frequent renewal.
The Final Feast and Heavenly Call
In his final years, John emphasizes the commandment of love, eventually departing this life to feast at the Lord's table, leaving behind a legacy of miracles and holiness.
As Jerome testifies, when the blessed John was living in Ephesus in his extreme old age and had to be carried to church by the hands of his disciples, he was unable to say more than a few words, and at every pause he would say this: "Little children, love one another." Eventually, the brothers who were with him, wondering why he always said the same thing, asked him, "Master, why do you always say the same thing?" He replied, "Because it is the Lord's commandment, and if this alone is done, it is enough." Helinandus also reports that when John the Evangelist was about to write his Gospel, he first declared a fast so that they might pray for him to write things worthy of the task. It is said, however, that he prayed for that very secret place where he had withdrawn to write the divine work, so that while he was intent upon it, he would suffer no harm there from winds or rain. And they say that the elements have maintained this reverence for that same place to this very day. So says Helinandus. Augustine. When he was ninety-eight years old—sixty-seven years after the Lord's passion, according to Isidore—the Lord appeared to him with His disciples and said, 'Come, my beloved, to me, for it's time for you to feast at my table with your brothers.' John rose and began to go. The Lord said to him, 'You'll come to me on Sunday.' When Sunday came, all the people gathered in the church that had been built in his name. From the first cockcrow, he preached to them, urging them to be steadfast in the faith and fervent in the commandments of God. After this, he had a square pit dug near the altar and the earth thrown outside the church; then, descending into the pit with hands spread toward God, he said, 'Invited to your banquet, Lord Jesus Christ, I come, giving thanks that you have deigned to invite me to your feast, knowing that I have desired you with my whole heart.' When he had finished his prayer, such a great light shone upon him that no one could look at him; when the light faded, the pit was found full of manna, which is still produced in that place to this day, so that it appears to bubble up at the bottom of the pit like fine sand, just as it is accustomed to happen in springs. Saint Edmund, King of England, never refused anything to anyone who asked in the name of Saint John the Evangelist; it happened, therefore, that a certain pilgrim, while the chamberlain was away, importuned the king for alms in the name of Saint John the Evangelist. Since he had nothing else on hand, the king gave him a precious ring. Many days later, an English knight traveling overseas received the ring from that same pilgrim to return to the king, along with these words: "The one for whom and for whose love you gave this ring sends it back to you." From this, it was clearly evident that blessed John had appeared to him in the form of a pilgrim. Isidore, in his work on the birth, life, and death of the early saints, writes: John turned wild branches of foliage into gold, changed stones from the shore into gems, transformed fragments of gems back into their own natural state, raised a widow to life by his command, and restored the body of a young man to life by bringing his soul back into it; he drank a deadly draught and escaped the danger, and by that same power, he restored those who had been struck down to the state of life. That is what Isidore says.
Read the original Latin
Johannes interpretatur Dei gratia, vel in quo est gratia, vel cui donatum est, vel cui donatio a Deo facta est. Per hoc intelliguntur IV privilegia, quae fuerunt in beato Johanne. Primum est praecipua Christi dilectio. Christus enim prae caeteris apostolis eum dilexit et majora dilectionis et familiaritatis signa ostendit. Et inde dicitur Dei gratia, quia domino gratiosus. Etiam plus Petro ipsum dilexisse videtur. Sed est dilectio animi et signi. Et illa, quae est signi, duplex est.
Una quae consistit in familiaritatis ostensione, et alia in beneficiorum exhibitione. Quantum ad primum utrumque aequaliter dilexit, quantum ad secundum, plus Johannem, quantum ad tertium plus Petrum. Secundum est carnie incorruptio, quia virgo a domino est electus et inde dicitur, in quo est gratia. In ipso enim fuit gratia pudicitiae virginalis, unde et de nuptiis volens nubere a domino vocatus fuit. Tertium est secretorum revelatio. Et inde dicitur, cui donatum est. Eidem enim donatum est, multa secreta et profunda nosse, sicut divinitate verbi et consummatione saeculi. Quartum est matris Dei recommendatio, et inde dictum est, cui donatio facta est.
Maxima enim donatio a domino tunc eidem facta est, quando mater Dei in ejus custodia donata est. Ejus vitam Miletus Laodiceae episcopus scripsit, quam Ysidorus in libro de ortu et vita vel obitu sanctorum patrum abbreviavit, A. Johannes apostolus et evangelista dilectus a domino et virgo electus post Penthecosten divisis apostolis in Asiam est profectus, ubi ecclesias multas fundavit. Domitianus igitur imperator ejus intelligens famam accersitum eum in dolium ferventis olei ante portam latinam mitti jussit, ille autem inde exiit illaesus, sicut a corruptione carnis exstiterat alienus. Videns igitur imperator, quod nec sic a praedicatione desisteret, eum in Pathmos insulam in exsilium relegavit, ubi solus degens apocalipsim scripsit. Eodem anno imperator propter sui nimiam crudelitatem occiditur et a senatu, quidquid fecerat, revocatur sicque factum est, ut sanctus Johannes, qui cum injuria in insulam deportatus fnerat, cum honore Ephesum rediret, occurrente ei universa turba et dicente: benedictus, qui venit in nomine domini, Cum autem ingrederetur urbem, Drusiana ejus dilectrix, quae suum plurimum desiderabat adventum, mortua eflerebatur, Parentes igitur ejus viduae et orphani dixerunt ei: sancte Johannes, ecce Drusianam efferimus, quae tuis semper monitis obsecundans nos omnes alebat tuumque plurimum desiderabat adventum dicens: o si videam apostolum Dei, antequam moriar. Ecce tu venisti et te videre non potuit, Tunc jussit feretrum deponi et corpus resolvi dicens: dominus meus Jesus Christus suscitet te, Drusiana, surge et vade in domum tuam et para mihi refectionem. — Statim illa surrexit et coepit ire sollicita de jussione apostoli, ita ut sibi videretur, quod non de morte, sed de somno excitasset eam.
Altera: autem die Craton philosophus in foro populum convocavit, ut ostenderet, quomodo hic mundus con; tEinnendus esset. Duos enim ditissimos juvenes fratres pretiosissimas gemmas distracto toto patrimonio emere fecerat, el eas in conspectu omninm confringi jusserat. Contigit igitur apostolum illuc transitum facere vocansque ad se philosophum hujusmodi mundi contemtum triplici ratione condemnavit. Primo quia ore hominum laudatur, sed divino judicio condemnatur; secundo quia ex tali contemtu vitium non curatur et ideo vanus est, sicut medicina vana dicitur, ex qua morbus nequaquam curatur; tertio quia contemtus meritorius est, qui sua pauperibus elargitur, sicut dominus juveni dixit: si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende omnia, quae habes, et da pauperibus. Cui Craton dixit: si vere Deus magister tuus est et vult, ut harum gemmarum pretium pauperibus erogetur, fac ut reintegrentur, ut ad ejus facias gloriam, quod ego ad hominum feci famam. Tunc beatus Johannes gemmarum fragmenta in manum suam recolligens oravit, et factae sunt integrae sicut prius, statimque philosophus et illi duo juvenes crediderunt et gemmas vendentes pretium pauperibus erogarunt.
Duo insuper juvenes honorati horum exemplo venditis omnibus et pauperibus erogatis apostolum sunt secuti. Quadam autem die videntes servos suos pretiosis indumentis fulgentes, in uno vero pallio se egentes, contristari coeperunt, Quod cum sanctus Johannes advertisset, eo
À quod facie tristes essent, virgas et lapides a littore maris deferri fecit et eos in aurum et gemmas convertit. Qui jussu apostoli universos aurifices et gemmarios per septem dies quaerentes reversi sunt dicentes, quod illi nunquam tam purum aurum et tam pretiosas gemmas se vidisse testati sunt, dixitque iis: ite et redintite vobis terras, quas vendidistis, quia caelorum praemia perdidistis, estote floridi, ut marcescatis, estote divites temporaliter, ut in perpetuum mendicetis. Tunc apostolus contra divitias diutius coepit disputare, ostendens, quod VI sunt, quae dehent nos ab immoderato divitiarum appetitu retrahere. Primum est scriptam, unde recitavit-hystoriam de divite epulone, quem Deus reprobavit, et de Lazaro paupere, quem Deus elegit. Secundum est natura, quia homo sine divitiis nascitur et nudus et siue divitiis moritur. Tertium est creatura, quia sol, luna, sydera, pluvia, aér omnibus sunt communia et communiter sua beneficia largiuntur: sic et inter homines omnia communia esse deberent. Quartum est fortuna. Dixit enim, quod servus efficitur nummi et dyaboli: nummi, quia non possidet divitias, sed ipse a divitiis possidetur; dyaboli, quia juxta evangelium amator pecuniae servus est Mammonae.
—Qaintum est cura, quia habent curam et sollicitudinem diurnam et noctarnam in aequirendo, in custodiendo timorem. Sextum est jactura et ostendit, quod divitiae sunt causa jacturae, quae est in acquisitione duplicis mali, scilicet mali in praesenti, quod est elatio, et mali in faturo, quod est aeterna damnatio, et alterius, quod est in perdilione aeterna, scilicet duplicis boni, in praesenti, qnod est gratia, et boni in futuro, quod est aeterna gloria.
Cum igitur sanctus Johannes contra divitias taliter disputaret, ecce juvenis quidam mortuus efferebatur, qui triginta dies habebat, quod uxorem acceperat. Veniens igitur mater, vidua et caeteri, qui eum flebant, ad pedes apostoli prociderunt rogantes, quod hunc quoque, sicut Drusianam in nomine Dei suscitaret. Flente igitur apostolo diutius et orante, continno resurrexit praecepitque ei, ut illis duobus discipulis enarraret, quantam incurrissent poenam et quantam gloriam perdidissent. Qui multa de gloria paradisi et de poenis inferni, quas viderat, enarravit dicens: o miseri, vidi angelos vestros flentes et daemones gratulantes, dixitque iis, quod perdidissent aeterna palatia, quae sant gemmis coruscantibus fabricata, claritatis mirabilis contentiva, copiosis epulis referta, deliciis plena. gaudiis gloriosa permansura. De inferno autem octo poenas dixit, quae his versibus continentur: P Vermes et tenebrae, flagellum, frigus et ignis ad Daemonis aspectus, scelerum confusio, luctus. Tunc ille, qui fuerat suscitatus, et illi duo discipuli ad pedes apostolorum se prosternentes rogabant, ut misericordiam consequerentur. Quibus apostolus ait: XXX diebus poenitentiam agite, inter quos orate, ut virgae et lapides ad naturam pristinam revertantur.
Quod cum factum esset, ait iis: ite et unde tulistis virgas et lapides, deferatis. Quod cum fecissent et virgae et lapides in sui naturam reversi essent, omnium virtutum gratiam, quam habaerant, receperunt.
Cum autem beatus Johannes per totam Asiam praedicasset, cultores ydolorum seditionem in populo concitantes Johannem ad templum Dyanae trahebant cogentes eum sacrificium offerre, quibus Johannes hanc disjunctionem proposuit, ut aut ipsi ad invocationem Dyanae ecclesiam Christi everterent et ipse ydolis saerificaret, aut ipse ad invocationem Christi templum Dyanae everteret et ipsi in Christum crederent. Huic ergo sententiae cum major pars populi consensisset exeuntibus cunctis de templo oravit apostolus et funditus templum corruit et Dyanae imago penitus comminuta est. Aristodemus autem pontifex ydolorum in populo sedilionem maximam concitavit, ita ut una pars contra aliam ad praelium pararetur. Cui apostolus: quod tibi vis, faciam ut placeris. Cui ille: si vis, ut credam in Deum tuum, dabo tibi venenum bibere et si nullam in te laesionem videro, verus Deus dominus tnus apparebit. Cui apostolus: fac ut locutus es. Et ille: volo ut ante alios morientes videas, ut sic amplius pertimescas. Pergens igitur Aristodemus ad proconsulem duos viros decapitandos petiit ' et coram iis omnibus venenum dedit, qui mox ut venenum dedit, biberunt et spiritum exhalaverunt.
Tunc apostolus calicem accipiens et signo crucis se muniens totum venenum bibit et nullam laesionem incurrit, quapropter Deum omnes laudare coeperunt. Arislodemus autem dixit: adhuc mihi inest dubietas, sed si veneno mortuos suscitaverit, absque dubio vere credam. Tune apostolus ei tunicam suam tribuit. Cui ille: cur mihi tunicam tuam dedisti ?
Cap IX. De sancto Johanne apostolo et evangelista.
Cui apostolus: ut sic eonfusus a tua infidelitate discedas. Cui ille: numquid tunica tua me credere faciet. Et apostolus: vade et mitte eam super corpora defunctorum dicens: apostolus Christi me misit ad vos, ut in Christi nomine exsurgatis. Quod cum fecisset, illico surrexerunt. Tunc apostolus pontificem et proconsulem credentes cum omni parentela sua Christi nomine baptisavit, qui in honorem beati Johannis ecclesiam construxerunt.
Refert beatus Clemens, sicut in IV libro ecclesiasticae hystoriae invenitur, quod quodam tempore apostolus quemdam juvenem pulchrum et fortem convertit et eum cuidam episcopo sub depositi nomine commendavit. Post aliquod autem tempus juvenis dereliquit episcopum et factus est princeps latronum. Apostolus itaque ad episcopum venit et suum depositum requisivit. Cumque ille de pecunia intelligeret et ex hoc vehementer stuperet, dixit ei apostolus: juvenem illum a te repeto, quem tibi tam studiose recommendavi. Cui ille: pater sancte, in anima mortuus est et in tali monte cum latronibus degit, quorum ipse princeps est Quibus auditis vestem suam scidit et caput suum pugnis feriens: bonum, inquit, te custodem fratris animae dereliqui. Confestim igitur sibi equum parari jussit et ad illum montem intrepidus cucurrit. — Quem cum juvenis inspexisset, prae pudore nimio statim equum ascendit et velocius aufugit. - Apostolus autem aetatis oblitus urget calearibus equum et post tergum clamitat fugientis: ut quid fili dilectissime fugis patrem et inermem senem?
Ne timeas fili, quia pro te Christo rationem reddam et certe pro te libenter moriar, sicut pro nobis Christus est mortuus. Revertere, fili, revertere, quia dominus me misit. Qui audiens compunctus rediit et amarissime flevit. Apostolus antem ad pedes ejus procidit et manum tamquam per poenitentiam jam purgatam osculari coepit. — Jejunante igitur et orante pro eo apostolo veniam impetravit ipsumque postmodum in episcopum ordinavit,
Legitur quoque in eadem hystoria ecclesiastica et habetur iu glossa super secundam canonicam Johannis, quod cum Johannes apud Ephesum balnea lavandi gratia introisset et ibidem Ge rinthum haereticum vidisset, protinus exiliit dicens: fugiamus hinc, ne balnea super nos corruant, in quibus lavatur Cerinthus veritatis inimicus. — 4. Cum avis quaedam, quae perdix dicitur, ut ait Cassianus in libro collationum, viva beato Johanni a quodam oblata fuisset et ille eam quasi demulcendo tangeret et contrectaret, quidam adolescens hoc videns ad coaevos suos ridendo dixit: videte, quomodo ille senex cum avicula sicut puer ludit. Quod beatas Johannes per spiritum recognoscens juvenem ad se vocavit et quid in manu teneret, inquisivit. Cui cum se arcum tenere diceret, ait: quid inde facis? Et juvenis: aves inde ac bestias sagittamus. Cui apostolus: qualiter? "Tunc juvenis coepit arcum tendere et tensum in manu tenere.
Sed cum nil ei apostolus diceret, juvenis arcum distendit, Cui Johannes: quare, fili, arcum distendisti? — Et ille: quia, si diutius tensus teneretur, ad jacienda jacula infirmior redderetur. Et apostolus ad hoc: sic et humana fragilitas ad contemplationem minus valida fieret, si semper in suo rigore persistens fragilitati suae interdum condescendere recusaret. Nam et aquila cunctis avibus celsius volat et solem clarius conspicit et tamen naturae necessitate ad ima descendit: sic et humanus animus, cum se modicum a contemplatione retrahit, crebra innovatione ardentius ad coelestia tendit,
Beatus igitur Johannes, ut testatur Hieronymus, cum ipse usque ad ipsam suam ultimam senectutem Ephesi moraretur, et vix inter discipulorum manus ad ecclesiam deferretur nec plura verba dicere posset, ad quamlibet pausam hoc dicebat: filioli diligite alterutrum. Tandem fratres, qui cum eo erunt, admirantes, quod semper eadem diceret, dixerunt ei: magister, qnare semper eadem loqueris? Qui respondit: quia praeceptum domini est, et si solum hoc fiat, sufficit.
Refert quoque Helinandus, quod cum Johannes evangelista evangelium scribere deberet, prius indixit jejunium, ut orarent se digna scripturum. Fertur autem ipsum pro illo loco secretissimo, in quo divina scripturus secesserat, orasse, ut nullas huic insistens operi ventorum ibi aut imbrium injurias pateretur. Hancque eidem loco usque hodie reverentiam elementa servare dicuntur. Haec Helinandus.
Ag. Cum igitur esset nonaginta octo annorum et a passione domini, secundum Ysidorum, anno sexagesimo septimo, apparuit ei dominus cum discipulis suis dicens: veni dilecte mi ad me, quia tempus est, ut in mensa mea cum tuis fratribus epuleris. Surgens autem Johannes coepit ire. Cui dominus: dominica die ad me venies. — Veniente igitur dominica universus populus convenit in ecclesia, quae fuerat ipsius nomine fabricata. Quí a primo pullorum cantu praedicavit iisdem, hortans eos, ut in fide essent stabiles et in mandatis Dei ferventes essent. Post hoc foveam quadratam juxta altare fecit fieri et terram extra ecclesiam jactari descendensque in foveam expansis ad Deum manibus dixit: invitatus ad convivium tuum, domine Jesu Christe, ecce venio gratias agens, quia dignatus es me ad tuas epulas invitare, sciens, quod ex toto corde meo desideravi te. Cumque orationem finiisset, tanta lux super eum emicuit, quod nullus eum respicere potuit, Recedente autem lumine manna fovea plena invenitur, quod in loco illo usque hodie generatur, ita ut in fundo foveae instar minutae arenae scaturire videatur sieut in fontibus fieri consuevit.
Sanctus Eadmundus rex Angliae nulli, petenti in nomine sancti Johannis evangelistae, aliquid denegabat, unde contigit, quod quidam peregrinus absente camerario in nomine sancti Johannis evangelistae importune a rege eleemosinam postularet. Cui rex pretiosum annulum, cum nil alind in promtu haberet, dedit. Sed post plures dies quidam miles Angliae in transmarinis partibus constitutus ab eodem peregrino annulum regi referendum in haec verba recepit: ille, cui et pro cujus amore annulum hunc dedisti, tibi remandat. Unde liquido patuit, quod beatus Johannes eidem in forma apparuit peregrini,
Ysidorus de ortu et vita vel obitu sanctorum priorum: mutavit Johannes in aurum silvestres frondium virgas, littoreaque saxa in gemmas mutavit, gemmarum fragmina in propriam reformavit naturam, praecepto viduam suscitavit, et redivivum juvenis corpus remeante anima reparavit, bibens letiferum haustum evasit periculum et eodem prostratos in vitae reparavit statum. Haec Ysidorus.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.19.21 — Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks