First Reading: Is 49:1-6
Psalm: Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
Second Reading: Acts 13:22-26
Gospel: Lk 1:57-66, 80
Today we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist. He was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Luke tells us the angel Gabriel announced his birth to his father Zechariah and gave him the name John, which means “God is gracious.” (Luke 1:8-23) Even while still in his mother’s womb he recognized the presence of Jesus by leaping when Mary visited Elizabeth (Luke 1:41). It is the moment when John the Baptist was cleansed of original sin. The angel Gabriel had previously promised Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even while in the womb (Luke 1:15), and this promise was fulfilled when he was cleansed of original sin when Mary visited his mother Elizabeth.
John left his parents to live the life of a prophet in the desert. He preached in the desert dressed like an Old Testament prophet, wearing a garment of camel-skin and eating locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6; Matt 3:4). He proclaimed the kingdom of God and a coming judgment, and invited people to accept baptism as a sign of their repentance. His ministry resembled that of the prophets in that he disturbed the comfortable and comforted the disturbed. We see him disturbing the comfortable when he said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming retribution? Produce fruit in keeping with your repentance and do not presume to tell yourselves we have Abraham as our father.” (Luke 3:7-8) His message obviously disturbed people so some of the powerful did repent, including tax-collectors and soldiers. Tax-collectors asked him what they must do and he replied, “Exact no more than the appointed rate.” (Luke 3:13) Soldiers also repented, and his advice to them was “No intimidation! No Extortion! Be content with your pay!” (Luke 3:14) His message spread far and wide. Mark says all Jerusalem and Judea made their way to him and as they were baptized in the Jordan they confessed their sins (Mark 1:5).
We see John’s humility when he did not want attention on himself but directed people to Jesus. People began to wonder if John was the Messiah so he reassured them that he was not. He declared that his ministry was preparing for the coming of the Messiah, “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8) When Jesus came to John asking for baptism, John recognized Jesus at once and said, “Look, there is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) These words have found their way into the prayer of Mass; when the priest holds up the Sacred Host as we prepare for Holy Communion he says, “ This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…” Jesus began his public ministry after he had been baptized by John. An expectation had developed among the Jews that the prophet Elijah would return to earth once again to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah and Jesus later declared that John was that Elijah type person they were expecting (Mark 9:13). After Jesus’ baptism once again we see John turning the attention to Jesus as he declared, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (John 3:30) We are reminded of this fact celebrating John’s birth just days after the summer solstice since the daylight will now decrease and we will celebrate the birth of Jesus just days after the winter solstice when the daylight will increase.
We see John’s great courage in condemning the marriage of Herod to Herod’s brother’s wife. This is a reminder to us that not everything that is allowed by law is morally right, e.g. divorce and abortion. Herod had John arrested and put in prison. John stood up for the truth and unfortunately like many who stand up for the truth today he had to pay a price. John’s courage in upholding the dignity of marriage and condemning the adulterous relationship of Herod and Herodias was to result in his death by beheading in prison.
History repeats itself, and John the Baptist’s beheading was repeated in another saint, St. Thomas More. He was born in London in 1478. He studied law and entered Parliament in 1504. When no offspring resulted from the marriage of Henry VIII and his wife Katherine of Aragón, Henry divorced her and married Anne Boleyn so that there would be heirs to the throne. Parliament passed a law forcing clergy to acknowledge Henry as the supreme head of the Church. Shortly afterwards Thomas More resigned his post as Lord Chancellor. He was aware that just because something is lawful does not mean it is morally right. On April 14th 1534 he was summoned to Lambeth and asked to take the oath which he refused and he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was tried for treason in Westminster Hall and found guilty. He was beheaded on July 6th 1535. His final words were, “The King’s good servant, but God’s first.” He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
John’s courage in upholding the truth about marriage, and his subsequent beheading as a result, challenges us in a time when it is not popular to speak the truth or live by the truth. Both he and St. Thomas More remind us that just because certain behavior is enshrined in the law of the land does not mean that is morally right. John turning attention away from himself towards Jesus reminds us to do the same also in our lives. In each of us, we ourselves are to decrease and Jesus is to increase. St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
On December the 25th, we celebrate the big one—the birthday of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. The Church actually does not celebrate the birthday of the saints, except that of Jesus’ mother. Generally, their special day in the calendar is the date of their death, their entry into eternal life. But there is one notable exception. Since we celebrate the birthday of the Word, we also celebrate the birthday of the Voice. We’re referring to Jesus’ cousin of course, John the Baptist, the Voice crying out in the wilderness.