Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

John was a fisherman of Galilee, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, called by Jesus from mending nets; with Peter and James he witnessed the Transfiguration and the agony in Gethsemane. Tradition identifies him with the disciple “whom Jesus loved”, who leaned on Jesus at the Last Supper, stood at the cross and was told to take Mary as his mother. Acts shows him with Peter at the head of the Jerusalem church. Ancient tradition names him as the author of the fourth Gospel and three letters, and of the Book of Revelation, written on the island of Patmos; modern scholars debate these attributions. He is said to have lived to old age at Ephesus and died there about 100, the only one of the Twelve not to die a martyr.