Gospel of John

to John. Jesus tells believers He is the vine, and they are the branches, abiding in Him will allow them to bear fruit, however without Jesus, believers are nothing. (John 15:1-5) “Vines were often used to express fruitfulness, dependence, vital union, pruning” and for a culture here people were familiar with agriculture, this metaphor would have made perfect sense. (Hutchinson, John C. 64) What Jesus likely desired from His disciples was a recognition that they were not capable of producing…

I am choosing Saint Andrew as my Confirmation Saint. I have selected Saint Andrew because he seems interesting because he is the first apostle and said yes to Jesus right from the beginning. He is the patron of fisherman. Fishing is something that I do a lot with my dad. We throw the poles in the car and pick up worms and scout out a spot to fish. Saint Andrew and his brother Simon were fishermen. They were doing it as their job, but I’m sure they enjoyed it as my dad and I do. Saint Andrew…

John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin who preached repentance in the Judean desert and baptized those who confessed their sins in the Jordan River (Elwell and Yarbrough 109). He had a special call on his life “to bear witness about the light” (English Standard Version, John 1.8) of Jesus (Foster 65) and is recorded in all four of the Gospels of the New Testament. John’s entire ministry is a perfect example of the faithful servitude Christ calls each believer’s life to illustrate. The Gospel of…

John the Apostle, also called Saint John the Evangelist, was born in the year 6 AD in the city of Bethsaida. Bethsaida is located near the Sea of Galilee. John was the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and Salome. John became one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. His brother James was also one of the first disciples of Jesus. Their mother Salome and Mary were sisters, this made the boys cousins to Jesus. Jesus referred to the brothers as "Boanerges," meaning "sons of thunder." This was…

that God made in making women. Pope John Paul II wrote an encyclical known as The Gospel of Life. The encyclical was a way for Pope John Paul II to express the position of the Catholic Church on the values and inviolabilities of human life itself. The pope addresses various concepts of Feminine Genius and its progression in our society. God’s role in making women was to make them unique and essential into building a culture of life. In The Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II says, “We must promote…

Historical Context The First Epistle of John, similar to the Epistle to the Hebrews, mentions neither its author nor its specific recipients. Both of these epistles also do not employ formal greetings and blessings that are commonly found in other epistles. Another uncommon structure is also shown by the absence of a formal closing section such as found in the epistle of James. However these do not of course render the epistle to be considered as merely an open writing addressed to anyone who…

Another area of divergence concerns the act of circumcision. It is clear that Jesus and Paul are Jews who are circumcised, yet throughout Paul’s epistles, he repeatedly and vehemently states that circumcision is not necessary. For example, in his first letter to Corinthians, he writes, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but obeying the commandments of God is everything. Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called” (I Cor. 7:19-20). The significance of…

scripture. What stood out to me was the tie in between Sirach and John on Wisdom. In Sirach Wisdom is shown as having a mission for Jerusalem and she has a great banquet inviting all who desire her. “Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill of my fruits. For the memory of me is sweeter than honey and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb” (319). We hear in the Book of Revelation of the wedding feast of the lamb and in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus talks of the wedding feast in…

1.6 The Apostles’ Creed- (Patristic)- final form in 8th century Medieval/Byzantine Era: The Apostles Creed is a declaration of one persons’ individual faith. The Apostles Creed begins with “I believe in God… and in Jesus Christ.” This Apostles Creed states that God is the one creator and Jesus is his son. Along with that important statement it tells the story of Jesus such as explaining for example; his birth, the crucifixion, his death, and as well as his resurrection. The creed extends in more…

In our Gospel reading today, the disciples have been spending time together traveling with Jesus and they have had some amazing experiences. They watched Jesus calm the sea. They saw him drive out demons and heal sick people. They even helped Jesus feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. I am thinking the disciples must have believed they were going to be the next upcoming group of leaders! But then, as seen in our Gospel reading today, everything seemed to have changed. There…