St. John was the beloved apostle but he also was an evangelist, penning, through the inerrant inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel according to John. From the very first stroke of his pen until the end, John’s Gospel reveals clearly the divinity of Christ: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). St. John, who clearly writes from the firsthand liturgical experience of a priest (see the Book of Revelation), was not only a bishop and priest by virtue of being an apostle, but also took care of Mary, the Mother of the Church, after Christ’s Ascension into heaven. He is the model priest. For these reasons this day is traditionally an occasion for festivities for priests. This year Archbishop Lucas will host his Christmas dinner for all the priests of the Archdiocese on this day.