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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
c. 6 B.C.
St. John the Baptist is one of the few saints who have a birthday honored by the Church, due to its profound significance. His birth to Zechariah and Elizabeth was foretold by an angel, signaling his special role in God’s plan. From the moment of his conception, John was set apart to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.
Scripture tells us that when Mary, carrying the unborn Jesus, visited Elizabeth, John leaped for joy inside his mother’s womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. This early recognition of Christ foreshadowed John’s lifelong mission as the forerunner of the Messiah.
John had a following of disciples, whom he taught about the coming of the Messiah. When he baptized Jesus, John referred to Our Lord as the Lamb of God and encouraged his disciples to follow him, saying, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” After His baptism, Jesus began His public ministry.
John lived a life of simplicity, prayer, and courageous preaching. He called people to repentance, baptized many in the Jordan River, and pointed them toward Jesus. His uncompromising commitment to truth and justice angered the Jewish leaders and led to his martyrdom.
On this special feast day commemorating the birth of St. John the Baptist, the Church honors John as a significant figure in salvation history. St. John’s message still resonates today, calling the world to recognize and follow our King and Savior.
John the Baptist’s feast day is celebrated on his birthday, reflecting the extraordinary role he played in salvation history. God ordained his birth, and he was given a special mission to prepare the world for the coming of Christ. St. John’s unique role as the forerunner of the Messiah points to an essential role in God’s plan of salvation. Besides Jesus and Mary, John the Baptist is the only other person with a feast day on their birthday in the Church’s liturgical calendar.
The birth of John the Baptist was announced to his father, the priest Zechariah, by the Archangel Gabriel while Zechariah was serving in the Temple. Scripture says Gabriel declared that Elizabeth, despite her old age, would bear a son who would be filled with the Holy Spirit. Gabriel told Zechariah they were to name their son John and that the child would prepare the way for the Lord. Because Zechariah questioned the message, he was made mute until the prophecy was fulfilled when John was born. When Elizabeth gave birth, relatives expected the child to be named after his father. But Elizabeth insisted the child’s name would be John, in obedience to the angel’s command. Zechariah confirmed the name in writing, and at that moment his speech was restored. His first words were a hymn of praise, known today as the Benedictus, foretelling his son’s role in preparing the way of the Lord.
Initially, John the Baptist didn’t feel worthy to baptize Jesus. He asked Jesus to baptize him instead. But Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Baptism frees us from Original Sin. Since Jesus was sinless, He did not need baptism for repentance, but he humbled Himself as a way of sharing in our human condition and giving us an example to follow. In this way, he calls us to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness for our sins. Jesus was baptized in obedience to the Father’s plan and His commitment to the mission of salvation.
As Catholics, we are called to continually grow in our faith, seeking the Face of Our Lord. Consecration means “to set apart for sacred use.” Baptism is our first and essential consecration, when we are set apart for God. We can help to embrace our baptismal call through other consecrations, entrusting ourselves to the Sacred Heart, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Mother, or St. Joseph.
It is our hope that this eBook will bring you closer to the Lord, His Blessed Mother, and the saints.
Fr. Wade Menezes gives us a teaching on why we celebrate the Nativity of St. John the Baptist as a Solemnity and discusses faith, family, fellowship, and more.
What do we know about the mysterious John the Baptist? Here are 11 things to know and share…
EWTN Bookmark “Saint John the Baptist”
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