Image: Salome with the Head of John the Baptist | Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioImage: Salome with the Head of John the Baptist | Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioPosted on 08/29/2018 4:01:09 PM PDT by Salvation
Image: Salome with the Head of John the Baptist | Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
The drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of so many Old Testament prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, did not hesitate to speak the truth. But why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life?
This great religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the Spirit of Yahweh. “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
Scripture tells us that many people followed John looking to him for hope, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed himself the false honor of receiving these people for his own glory. He knew his calling was one of preparation. When the time came, he led his disciples to Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37).
It is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John’s life and death were a giving over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation, repentance, and salvation.
Each of us has a calling to which we must listen. No one will ever repeat the mission of John, and yet all of us are called to that very mission. It is the role of the Christian to witness to Jesus. Whatever our position in this world, we are called to be disciples of Christ. By our words and deeds, others should realize that we live in the joy of knowing that Jesus is Lord. We do not have to depend upon our own limited resources, but can draw strength from the vastness of Christ’s saving grace.
Religion Moderator's Guidelines to Caucus/Prayer/Ecumenical threads
Saint of the Day Ping!
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Eudes, 08-19-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Louis of Toulouse, 08-18-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joan of the Cross, 08-17-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Stephen of Hungary, 08-16-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, 08-15-18 [Catholic Caucus]
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 08-14-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Pontian and Hippolytus, 08-13-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, 08-12-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Clare of Assisi, 08-11-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Lawrence, 08-10-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 08-09-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Dominic, 08-08-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Cajetan, 08-07-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Transfiguration of the Lord, 08-06-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica, 08-05-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Vianney, 08-04-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, 08-03-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, 08-02-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, 08-01-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, 07-31-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Solanus Casey, 07-30-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Martha, 07-29-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Stanley Rother, 07-28-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Antonio Lucci, 07-27-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Joachim and Anne, 07-26-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint James the Apostle, 07-25-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Sharbel Makhluf, 07-24-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bridget of Sweden, 07-23-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Magdalene, 07-22-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, 07-21-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Apollinaris, 07-20-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary MacKillop, 07-19-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Camillus de Lellis, 07-18-18
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Francis Solano, 07-17-18
Day by Day -- Saint for All, 07-16-18, Our Lady of Mount Carmel [Catholic Caucus]
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-15-17, Saint Bonaventure
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 07-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-13-17, Saint Henry
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-12-17, Saints John Jones and John Wall
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-11-17, Saint Benedict
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Veronica Giuliani, 07-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, 07-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gregory Grassi and Companions, 07-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions, 07-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Maria Goretti, 07-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anthony Zaccaria, 07-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, 07-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-03-17, Saint Thomas the Apostle
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-02-17, Saint Oliver Plunkett
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 07-01-17, Saint Junipero Serra
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-30-17, First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-29-17, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Irenaeus, 06-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-27-17, Saint Cyril of Alexandria
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-26-17, Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-25-17, Blessed Jutta of Thuringia
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 06-24-17, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Fisher, 06-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Thomas More, 06-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, 06-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Paulinus of Nola, 06-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Romuald, 06-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for all, Venerable Matt Talbot, 06-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph Cafasso, 06-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Francis Regis, 06-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Marguerite d’Youville, 06-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Albert Chmielowski, 06-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anthony of Padua, 06-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland, 06-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Barnabas, 06-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Joachima, 06-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ephrem, 06-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint William of York, 06-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Franz Jaegerstaetter, 06-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Norbert, 06-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Boniface, 06-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Angeline of Marsciano, 06-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, 06-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Marcellinus and Peter, 06-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Justin Martyr, 06-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 05-31-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joan of Arc, 05-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, 05-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, 05-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Augustine of Canterbury, 05-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Philip Neri, 05-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bede the Venerable, 05-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, 05-24-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gregory VII, 5-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All -- Saint Rita of Cascia, 05-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 05-21-17, Saint Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bernardine of Siena, 05-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Theophilus of Corte, 05-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. John I, 05-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Paschal Baylon, 05-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, 05-16-17, Saint Margaret of Cortona
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Isidore the Farmer, 05-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Matthias, 05-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Our Lady of Fatima, 05-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Nereus and Achilleus, 05-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ignatius of Laconi, 05-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Damien de Veuster of Moloka’i, 05-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John of Avila, 05-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter of Tarentaise, 05-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Rose Venerini, 05-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Marian and James, 05-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Hilary of Arles, 05-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Michael Giedroyc, 05-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Philip and James, 05-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Athanasius, 05-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph the Worker, 05-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Pius V, 04-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catherine of Siena, 04-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Chanel, 04-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort, 04-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Pedro de San José Betancur, 04-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mark, 04-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint George, 04-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Adalbert of Prague, 04-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Anselm, 04-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Conrad of Parzham, 04-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, 04-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed James Oldo, 04-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, 04-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, 04-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Caesar de Bus, 04-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Peter Gonzalez, 04-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Martin I, 04-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Teresa of Los Andes, 04-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Stanislaus, 04-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Magdalen of Canossa, 04-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Casilda, 04-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Julie Billiart, 04-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Baptist de la Salle, 04-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Crescentia Hoess, 04-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Vincent Ferrer, 04-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Isidore of Seville, 04-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Benedict the African, 04-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Francis of Paola, 04-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Hugh of Grenoble, 04-01-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Stephen of Mar Saba, 03-31-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Peter Regalado, 03-30-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Ludovico of Casoria, 03-29-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catharine of Bologna, 03-28-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Lazarus, 03-27-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catherine of Genoa, 03-26-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Annunciation of the Lord, 03-25-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, 03-24-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, 03-23-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Nicholas Owen, 03-22-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed John of Parma, 03-21-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Salvator of Horta, 03-20-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, 03-19-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, 03-18-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. Patrick, 03-17-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, 03-16-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Louise de Marillac, 03-15-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Maximilian, 03-14-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Leander of Seville, 03-13-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Angela Salawa, 03-12-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Ogilvie, 03-11-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Dominic Savio, 03-10-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Frances of Rome, 03-09-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. John of God, 03-08-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saints Perpetua and Felicity, 03-07-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Mary Ann of Jesus of Paredes, 03-06-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint John Joseph of the Cross, 03-05-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Casimir, 03-04-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Katharine Drexel, 03-03-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. Agnes of Bohemia, 03-02-17
Day by Day -- Saints for All, St. David of Wales, 03-01-17
I have asked that the title be adjusted to read:
[Catholic Caucus] Day by Day — Saints for All, Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, 08-29-18
Salvation,
John the Baptist was a Jew who was sent to point the way as a forerunner to Christ.
He was killed before *any church was begun*
As such, he will be in heaven, but not a church saint and was not catholic. It seems you are violating your guidelines.
This does not bear a caucus label in the post title, nor a prayer designation, nor an ecumenical designation.
It is therefore an open thread.
This somber feast is kept universally on the 29th of August by Catholics and Orthodox alike.
Here are some of the Praises stichera verses from Orthodox Orthros:
Eighth Tone:
What a paradoxal miracle! * The Prophet John’s sacred head, * which the Angels revere in awe, * was paraded round about * by a wanton licentious girl. * To her adulterous mother she offered it: * with it, the tongue that accused the lawless king. * Oh, the ineffable * forbearance You showed, O lover of mankind! * Therefore save our souls, O Christ * alone compassionate.
Such was the hardness of Herod’s heart! * For while dishonoring God * by refusing to keep the Law, * he deceitfully pretends * that he honors the oaths he makes; * and he adds murder to his adultery, * and then he feigns a dejected countenance. * Oh, the ineffable * tender mercy You, O Master, have for us! * Therefore save our souls, O Christ * alone compassionate.
What an appalling atrocity! * The very Angel on earth * and the seal of the Prophets all * has been shown to be the prize * for the dance of a prostitute. * The tongue that utters the words of God is sent * to those in Hades, foretelling them of Christ. * Oh, the ineffable * providence that You, O Master, have for all! * Therefore save our souls, O Christ * alone compassionate.
And; if it WERE a true caucus; the amount of replies total would be a LOT lower than the amount now!
Nevertheless, he is a Catholic Saint. He recognized Jesus while he was still in the womb of Elizabeth.
I disagree with your analysis.
Thank you!
...yes, John recognized Jesus as Messiah.
But he was not in a church...and not Catholic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.