The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops celebrated the feast day of St. John the Apostle on Dec. 27. 

The day is one in which the church remembers the work of the apostle of Christ, who was a fisherman when he was called to follow Christ. 

John and his brother James, are referred to as the ‘sons of thunder,’ in part because they were incredibly zealous disciples, according to Britannica. 

“Saint John the Apostle, pray for us!” the USCCB shared in a Twitter post. 

According to scripture, St. John the Apostle was fixing his nets when Jesus called him to follow him and be a disciple. John was one of the beloved disciples of Christ who witnessed the Transfiguration, the Agony at the Garden, and was asked by Christ to care for the Blessed Virgin after the death of Christ. 

“After Jesus’s death, Emperor Domitian sentenced John to be submerged into a vat of boiling oil. However, John was not injured, and everyone who witnessed this miracle converted to Christianity. He was then banished to the Greek Island of Patmos, where it is believed that he wrote the Book of Revelation. John is also credited with writing three epistles and the Gospel of John. He is the patron saint of love, loyalty, friendship and authors," according to the Holy Rood.

There are a number of popular prayers which are offered up to St. John the Apostle by Catholics, including the following, according to Aleteia: “O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”