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Also known as
John the Forerunner; John the Baptizer; Joannes Baptista
Memorials
24 June (birth)
29 August (death)
Profile
Cousin of Jesus Christ. Son of Zachary, a priest of the order of Abia
whose job in the temple was to burn incense; and of Elizabeth, a
descendent of Aaron. As Zachary was ministering in the Temple, an angel
brought him news that Elizabeth would bear a child filled with the Holy
Spirit from the moment of his birth. Zachary doubted and was struck dumb
until John's birth.
Prophet. Began his ministry around age 27, wearing a leather belt and a
tunic of camel hair, living off locusts and wild honey, and preaching a
message of repentance to the people of Jerusalem. He converted many, and
prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. Baptized Christ, after which he
stepped away and told his disciples to follow Jesus.
Imprisoned by King Herod. Died a victim of the vengeance of a jealous
woman. Beheaded, and his head brought to her on a platter. Saint Jerome
says Herodias kept the head for a long time after, occasionally stabbing
the tongue with his dagger.
Died
beheaded c.30 at Machaerus; buried at Sebaste, Samaria
Name Meaning
God is gracious
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
baptism, bird dealers, diocese of Charleston South Carolina, converts,
convulsions, convulsive children, cutters, diocese of Dodge City, Kansas,
epilepsy, epileptics, farriers, Genoa Italy, hail, hailstorms, Jordan,
Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Malta, lambs, Maltese Knights, monastic
life, motorways, diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, Penzance, Cornwall,
England, diocese of Portland Maine, printers, Quebec, Sassano Italy,
diocese of Savannah, Georgia, spasms, tailors, Torino, Italy
Representation
lamb; slender cross
Readings
The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such
commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we
celebrate the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed
by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast,
you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit.
John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the
new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he
speaks of "the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist." Thus he
represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a
representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the
new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother's womb.
For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother's womb at the arrival of
blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even
before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ's precursor,
before they ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going
beyond the limits of our human frailty.
When John was preaching the Lord's coming he was asked, "Who are you?" And
he replied: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The voice is
John, but the Lord "in the beginning was the Word." John was a voice that
lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.
from a sermon by Saint Augustine on the birth of John the Baptist
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So they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, the one who was with you
across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and
everyone is coming to him.' John answered and said, 'No one can receive
anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can
testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before
him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands
and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this
joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease'
John 3:26-30
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There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a
witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for
him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only
that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for
Christ. Does Christ not say: "I am the truth"? Therefore, because John
shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.
Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming
birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed
that Christ also would suffer.
Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this
present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He
preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by
ungodly men. He was locked away in the darkness of prison, through he came
bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright
and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ.
To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy
burden for such men as John; rather is was easily borne and even
desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was
ever at hand, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus
gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the
apostle Paul rightly says: "You have been granted the privilege not only
to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake." He tells us why it
is Christ's gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: "The
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory that is to be revealed in us."
from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable on the death of John the Baptist
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Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was
unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy
man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much
perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day
when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his
military officers and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias's own daughter
came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant
it to you."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want
you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The
king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did
not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an
executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded
him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the
girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard
about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Mark 6:19-29
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