St John's Day

St John’s Day

“We are going to celebrate St John’s Day, John the Baptist, the Lord's forerunner, the friend of the bridegroom, with complete chastity, with total sobriety…….'And so, brothers, as I said, we shall be celebrating tomorrow, in the Lord's name, the feast of Saint John the Baptist. In seven days’ time, that is on Saturday, we shall also be celebrating the birthday of the holy martyrs Peter and Paul.'"
– Hill, E., The Works of Saint Augustine. A Translation for the 21st Century, vol. III 8, Sermons 273-305A on the Saints (New City Press, 1994). Sermon 279 

Since the early days, the church has recognized that there were ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives of virtue, courage, and dedication to Christ. The people view saints as spiritual heroes and heavenly companions whose lives inspire faith, offer moral guidance, and demonstrate the ultimate triumph of God's love. The church has assigned a day of feasting or celebration to each saint based on events of their lives, their birth or death, or simply a day of agreement. 

In the case of John the Baptist, there is a lot of conflicting information as to why June 24 was chosen. The easiest is prescribed by simple math. In St. Luke's Gospel 1:24-27 we are told that, 

24 After this his (Zechariaha) wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 


So, given that Christmas Day is Dec 25, the Annunciation to Mary is March 25, during which time Elizabeth, her cousin, was six months pregnant, meaning that her son John was conceived in September and was born in June. The math points to two dates that could have been chosen, September for his conception or June for his birth, June was the winner. (There are MANY other theories why June was chosen, but for the purposes of this post I am going with the math!)

After Gabriel announced the miracle to Mary he went on to say,

“And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:36-37). 


If we take these words as indicative of the Father’s plan of salvation, then John’s mission was intimately connected to that of Jesus. This is further confirmed when Mary travels in haste to her cousin Elizabeth to help her in the final months of her pregnancy. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, the unborn infant, John, leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Of this event, Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that John was sanctified in the womb at that moment and prepared for his sacred mission of preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry.  

Saint Thomas even goes so far as to speculate about that moment of sanctification as follows: “Perhaps also in this child the use of reason and will was so far accelerated that while in his mother’s womb he was able to acknowledge, believe, and consent, whereas in other children we have to wait for these things till they grow older: this again I count as a miraculous result of the divine power.” (Summa Theologica 3.27.6) 


John’s birth was surrounded by mystery, amazement, awe, and intrigue. The reaction to John’s birth is recorded this way by Saint Luke, 

“Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, ‘What, then, will this child be?’ For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” (1:65-66) 


We mark the birth of Saint John the Baptist today, June 24th, and reflect on the divine intention of John’s witness. God’s blessing on Zechariah and Elizabeth displays the “long view” that God brings to Creation. The significant role that John played in the history of salvation is unique and was set in motion long before he was even conceived! 

John is the last voice of the Old Covenant, the close of the Age of Law. Jesus is the first voice of the New Covenant, the beginning of the Age of Grace. Accordingly, John is born to an elderly, barren woman, born when it is really too late for her to be having a child, while Jesus is born to a young virgin, born when it is really too early for her to be having a child. John is announced (and conceived) at the autumnal equinox, when the leaves are dying and falling from the trees. Jesus is announced (and conceived) at the vernal equinox, when the green buds are bursting forth on the trees and there are signs of new life everywhere. John is born when the days are longest, and from his birth on they grow steadily shorter. Jesus is born when the days are shortest, and from his birth on they grow steadily longer. John speaks truly when he says of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." 

Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 Lesser Feasts and Fasts 229

 Feasting, 
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 Fr. Bill+ 
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