St. John the evangelist, who is styled in the gospel, the beloved disciple of Christ was a Galilean, the son of Zebedee and Salome and younger brother to St. James the Great, with whom he was brought up to the trade of fishing. Although he was a disciple of John the Baptist, he was properly called to be a disciple of our Lord, with his brother James, as they were mending their nets.

Christ gave them the surname of Boanerges, or sons of thunder, to express the strength and activity of their faith in publishing the law of God, without fearing the power of man. This epithet has been particularly applied to John, who was truly a voice of thunder in proclaiming aloud the most sublime mysteries of the divinity of Christ.

He was said to be the youngest of the apostles. There are several privileges granted him. Our redeemer had an affection for him. In the last moments of his earthly life, Our Lord Jesus recommending his Virgin mother to the care of this virgin disciple .

The great love which this glorious saint bore for his God and Master, and which he kindled from his master’s divine breast, inspired him with the most vehement and generous charity for his neighbor. Without the sovereign love of God no one can please him. His perfect innocence of heart and simplicity, merited him longevity and apocalyptic visions.

Let us therefore love God, because God first loved us is the first maxim of spiritual life, and with sincere love of neighbor, this is what is tenderly inculcated in his divine teaching. St. John teaches us that to attain this heavenly and Christian disposition, charity is twofold towards God and neighbor for his sake. We must subdue our passions and die to the inordinate love of the world and ourselves.

A man can never lift up that heart to God which is already chained to the earth. This vice when in power is of all others the most bewitching, and inconceivably withdraws a soul from God. Beloved, let your private devotion, meditation and prayers keep up a greater intimacy with God and let it strengthen the pious frames of our neighbor less their soul suffer shipwreck.

Beloved let us love God for God is love.

Osho