December 27, 2024 // Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 20:1a and 2-8
Sometimes, my prayer has been to see and believe the Word. The Word that my loved ones speak over my life. The Word that He is faithful, that He is near—and not far off—and that He has a plan for good. When I cannot see it myself, my loved ones hold its light and remind me of its truth.
In today’s Gospel, when Mary Magdalene approaches Simon Peter and the other disciple,“whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2), and shares the news with them that Jesus is gone from the tomb, their response is not unreasonable. I can imagine what it’s like to hear something unbelievable and to want to see it for yourself. So they rush looking for it—looking for Him. And soon, they see what Mary Magdalene saw, and something particular about the state of the burial cloth causes the beloved disciple to believe: “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8).
Sometimes, this happens in my prayer too.
My loved ones speak a word to me, I look for what they’re saying, and I find a detail that maybe I had overlooked before—something that speaks to my experience, to my specific prayer intention. And it’s a moment of consolation, to see God’s hand in my life.
I’m so grateful for those moments and for my loved ones who share the Word with me in my life, inviting me to seek Him. If you don’t have a loved one who does this for you, consider Saint Mary Magdalene as a spiritual friend. Her faithfulness and sight of the Lord can inspire us to see Him better for ourselves, like she did for Saint John the Evangelist, whose feast we celebrate today.
You, too, are a beloved disciple with whom she wishes to share the Word.
Relate to the Lord // Who are your heavenly friends? Consider adopting a Saint as your patron for the new year.
Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife on her blog, Catholic Wife, Catholic Life. Find out more about her here.
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