St John the Evangelist
W. Bro.: James Smith
If Masonry is a system of morality illustrated by allegory, then St. John is a worthy patron saint. Saint John the Evangelist (also known as Saint John the Divine) was the most mystical of the New Testament authors. The Gospel of John, three Epistles, the Revelation of St. John contain some of the most vivid, inspiring and confusing imagery in the history of the written word. Christians can spend a lifetime trying to understand the mystical imagery portrayed in the Book of Revelations and still disagree over its meaning.
Saint John was the son of Zebedee and Salome and the younger brother of Saint James the Greater. The brothers were given the sobriquet “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus. The Bible indicates that the men of the family were fishermen living on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. References to servants [Mark 1:20] and their home [John 19:27] seem to imply that the family was reasonably well off.
Most sources believe the brothers were disciples of Saint John the Baptist prior to Jesus’ ministry. They seem to have become disciples of Jesus just after Saints Peter and Andrew – who were also fishermen. Peter, James and John hold the most prominent positions during the accounts of Jesus’ life. They were present at Jesus’ first public miracle at the marriage feast of Cana and thereafter never left him. Saint John is often described as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”; sat next to the Lord at the Last Supper; went with Saint Peter to negotiate with the High Priest after Jesus’ arrest; and was invested with the power of healing. Saint John was the lone Apostle who stayed with Jesus during the Crucifixion. During the last moments of his life, Jesus committed the care of his mother, Saint Mary to the young Saint John. Saints Peter and John were the first to receive news of the Resurrection from Mary Magdalene and John was the first Apostle to reach the empty tomb.
After the Ascension, Saint John is credited with numerous miracles as well as starting and managing the churches in Asia Minor. It was during his banishment to the Greek island of Patmos that the veil was lifted and he was granted the heavenly vision of the Appocolypse written in the Book of Revelations. The highly allegorical nature of the book is thought to be John’s way of trying to relate his holy vision in a coded way so as not to alarm the secular authority of the day.
Saint John lived to a very old age and was the only Apostle not to be martyred, although many did try. Before his banishment to Patmos, Saint John was thrown into a pot of boiling water in front of the Latina Door. But his faith in God protected him and he emerged unharmed. In another legend, he was served poisoned wine but survived because he blessed the wine before he put it to his lips. The poison rose from the chalice in the shape of a serpent. As a result, Saint John is often depcited holding a chalice with a serpent rising from it. Traditionally, a spiced wine known as Saint John’s Love is drunk on December 27th, his Feast Day in memory of this legend.
Saint John is often represented by the eagle. The eagle may be said to represent the spirit of God found in John’s uplifting gospel. It is also symbolic of contemplation since the eagle can look at the sun without burning its eyes – the eagle can directly see the light that we cannot. Finally the Royal Arch degree teaches us the eagle was the highest of the four symbols representing the spiritual evolution of man.
In French Masonry, the Saints John play important roles within the lodge. Saint John the Baptist opens the Gate of Men situated in the South. Saint John the Evangelist opens the Gate of God situated in the North which is sometimes represented by the North Star. His gate allows access to the “sky” through which we need to travel in order to return to the point of our origin.
From this we discover that Saint John the Evangelist plays a very important role in our lodges and deserves the veneration that we as Freemasons are expected to pay him each year.
Most Freemasons around the world accept the idea of a supreme being and that each of us have our own ideas of the right way to worship or celebrate this entity. So it's safe to say that on the whole, Freemasons should be religious or at least aware of the vastness of the supreme being.