ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
by WB C. B. Griggs, PM
In a previous treatise I gave my understanding of the Saints John, with
particular emphasis on St. John the Baptist. I will attempt to do the same for
the other St. John, by giving equal attention to the day in December (27th)
that is a part of our Masonic calendar. By this date, we must install all
officers for the ensuing year. A special dispensation is required to install
later than Dec. 27th.
We might identify this John as O. J. (Other John) but this might be
misleading as to the true nature of John. We could call him J. R. (John the
Revelator) but that too would be misleading. So, let's just call him by how we
first meet him in our Rule and Guide. Let us also examine his true nature and
accomplishments to understand why our ancestors accepted him as one of our
patron Saints of Masonry.
We first find John in the gospel of Mark 1:16-20. We find that John responded
to the call of "Follow me" without hesitation. He did so without
excuses, without asking what were the benefits, without asking if he were
"good enough', or without any alibi to shirk the call. As we consider this
act, let us ask ourselves, how many times we were called before we responded. (I
am assuming all have answered the call.)
We further find that John the Apostle came to be among the top three of the
twelve in their close relationship with Jesus. We also note that he was known as
"the beloved" and "the one whom Jesus loved." John was
chosen to participate in many important events in the ministry of Jesus, one of
them being at the crucifixion of Jesus. At this point in The Gospel (19:26) of
John we find that Jesus saw both his mother and John nearby, and placed his
mother in the care of John. To get a true picture, imagine that you, as a reader
or listener, are leaving on an extended absence. You wish to place your mother
in a situation in which you could be assured of her safety and well being. What
kind of person would you entrust with this responsibility? Do you know of one at
first thought? This describes the true nature of John the Apostle.
In Acts of the Apostles, 1:13 and 8:14 we find this John acting in carrying
out the Great Commission, that of establishing the Church. He must have
displayed the fortitude necessary to continue steadfast in this mission, as he
was banished to the Island of Patmos by the Roman Emperor Dominican for his
continued work in the early Church. Here again, he probably could have avoided
exile had he violated his principles.
In his writings, and epistles, we find that John deals with the central theme
of the Christian faith; that is, the eternal and steadfast love of God the
Creator to his creation. This love is not conditional, nor is it terminal. Time
and space does not permit us to properly describe this St. John as he relates to
Masonry. However, to me, any description would not be complete without a short
look at one of the most important aspects of his apostleship. That is, the
Revelation of Jesus Christ, as revealed to John while in exile on the island of
Patmos. As we are taught, God created order in six days and consecrated the
seventh as a day of rest and worship. We find that John is given the revelation
as he was "in the spirit on the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10), meaning that
he was in close communion with God on the Sabbath day. What was revealed to
John? A brief summary would be to say that God allowed him a sneak peek at
"the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." This allowed
John to tell his readers some of the joys awaiting us at the end of our journey.
This brief description of John the Apostle makes me proud that our founding
fathers chose this St. John to share equal claim to the Patron Saints of
Masonry. Masonry is stronger by our affiliation with him and will continue to be
strong as long as we identify our fraternity with him
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