Feast of Saint John the Baptist

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Feast Day: June 24

Patron of Baptism

Zechariah was the husband of Elizabeth, who was the Virgin

Mary’s cousin. Elizabeth and Zechariah were very old, and

had never been able to have any children.

One day the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said,

“Do not be afraid! Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and

you shall call his name John. Many will rejoice at his birth.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will turn the

hearts of many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

He will prepare the way for the Lord.”

John grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the

desert until God called him to begin his ministry. John

preached the coming of the Savior and baptized many

repentant converts in the waters of the Jordan River. The

people thought that John might be the coming Messiah, but

he told everyone that he was sent to prepare the way for one

who “is mightier than I.”

Finally, John baptized Jesus. He said, “Behold the Lamb of

God, who takes away the sin of the world.” After that, King

Herod arrested John and then had him beheaded. Saint John

the Baptist gave his life for Jesus, his Lord.

The Church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist 6 months before the birth of Jesus, as is recorded in Luke’s Gospel. We have just passed the summer solstice; hence, the days grow shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, until around Christmas, where the days grow longer. This illustrates John’s prophetic words about Jesus: “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Even so, Jesus said of John,  “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

We are given these enigmatic words to ponder, as we stand at the halftime of 2013....