Faith That Soars

December 27, 2025 Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist 
Daily Readings: 1 John 1:1-4; John 20:2-8

Children of God: The symbol of Saint John the Evangelist is the eagle. Among the four Gospel writers, John is portrayed as the one whose faith soars high, beyond what the eyes can see. The eagle is known for its sharp vision and its ability to fly above the storms. In the same way, John’s faith lifted him beyond doubt and fear, allowing him to see with the eyes of the heart. To believe as John did is to rise above mere sight and to trust the unseen truth of God’s love.

In the gospel of John, we find him running with Peter to the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene had told them that the Lord’s body was gone. When John arrived, he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not enter. Peter went in first, and then John followed. The gospel tells us, “He saw and believed” (John 20:8). At that moment, without seeing the risen Christ yet, John’s heart understood what his eyes could not. The emptiness of the tomb became the fullness of faith.

Faith, then, is not about having all the answers—it is about trusting the truth that God is at work, even in what appears empty or broken. Many times, like John, we concentrate into our own “tombs”: places of loss, confusion, or disappointment and see nothing but absence. Yet, if we look with faith, we realize that these empty spaces are where God’s power is revealed. The resurrection often begins in the silence of what seems lost.

To “see and believe” is the call of every disciple. There will always be moments when we don’t fully understand God’s plan. But faith allows us to see with a deeper vision, to believe even before the proof appears. The eagle of John’s Gospel reminds us that true faith lifts us above our doubts, helping us to glimpse the light of resurrection even in the shadows of Good Friday.

Children of God: May we, like Saint John, learn to see beyond what is visible and believe in the unseen love of God working in our lives. Let us rise on the wings of faith, trusting that even when we see only emptiness, Christ is already alive and victorious.