Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist - 24 June
24th June 2024
"I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen." (Matt 11:11)
Today we celebrate the birth of St John the Baptist. The Catholic Church ordinarily does not mark the birthday of saints, however there are two notable exceptions: the birthdays of Blessed Mary, Mother of the second person of the Blessed Trinity, and of St. John the Baptist. All other persons were stained with original sin at birth, hence, were displeasing to God. But Mary, already in the first moment of her existence, was free from original sin (for which reason even her very conception is commemorated by a special feast), and John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother. This is the dogmatic justification for today's feast. In the breviary St. Augustine explains the reason for today's observance in the following words:
"Apart from the most holy solemnity commemorating our Savior's birth, the Church keeps the birthday of no other person except that of John the Baptist. [The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin had not yet been introduced.] In the case of other saints or of God's chosen ones, the Church, as you know, solemnises the day on which they were reborn to everlasting beatitude after ending the trials of this life and gloriously triumphing over the world.
"For all these the final day of their lives, the day on which they completed their earthly service is honoured. But for John the day of his birth, the day on which he began this mortal life is likewise sacred. The reason for this is, of course, that the Lord willed to announce to men His own coming through the Baptist, lest if He appeared suddenly, they would fail to recognise Him. John represented the Old Covenant and the Law. Therefore he preceded the Redeemer, even as the Law preceded and heralded the new dispensation of grace."
There is also a beautiful thought that the first hands to touch St John the Baptist were those of Our Blessed Mother Mary. Many saints, including the early Fathers and Doctors of the Church, held the belief that Mary would not have abandoned St Elizabeth just before she gave birth and therefore was present at St John's birth. If this be true, then a lovely possibility is that her hands were the first to hold the one who would prepare the way for her son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer in Honour of St John the Baptist
O God, Who has made this day to be honorable in our eyes by the commemoration of blessed John the Baptist, grant unto Thy people the grace of spiritual joy, and direct the minds of all Thy faithful into the way of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏💖💐
Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79
Blessed be the Lord,
The God of Israel;
He has come to His people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
Born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old
That He would save us from our enemies,
From the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
And to remember His holy Covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
To set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship Him without fear,
Holy and righteous in His sight
All the days of our life.
You, My child shall be called
The prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our Lord
The dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
And the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet into the way of peace.
(Gloria Patri may be added)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning.
is now, and will be forever. Amen. 🙏💖💐