Passion of St. John the Baptist, Martyr

Some Notes on today’s Feast

1. John the Baptist (c. 6 BC-c. 30 AD) was born about 6 months before Jesus in Judea, likely in the small rural village of Ein Karem. His parents were the elderly couple, Zachariah and Elizabeth, both devout Jews from priestly families.

2. His birth was announced by the angel Gabriel, who foretold that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth and would turn many people of Israel to the Lord (Lk. 1:15-17). His birth was blessed with the presence of the Blessed Mother and the Son of God, still in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He was sanctified by grace as he “leaped” in the womb of Elizabeth after the Blessed Virgin Mary greeted Elizabeth (Lk. 1:41).

3. Jesus would later say of John, “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Mt. 11:11). As the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first in the New Testament, he serves as a bridge between the Old and the New Covenants.

4. From infancy, St. John the Baptist was guided by the Holy Spirit to lead a life of solitary asceticism and prayer in the wilderness. This life of penitential solitude prepared him for a vital mission that began when he was 30. His mission was to precede Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord” (Lk. 1:17). Jesus himself identified John as Elijah who is to come” (Mt. 11:14), a direct reference to the Book of Malachi, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children....”(Mal. 4:5).

5. Dressed in “clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather around his waist,” symbols of penance, John began preaching to the masses about the importance of repentance and baptism for the imminent arrival of the Messiah. His bold and fiery sermons drew large crowds, including tax collectors, soldiers, and religious leaders. John even baptized Jesus, an event that marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. From that time on, John’s life began to recede into the background, “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).

6. John’s powerful message resonated with many, and he was seen as a true messenger sent by God. He urged people to recognize their sins and seek redemption to be ready for God’s mercy. But his candid preaching led to confrontation with Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, ruler of Galilee and Perea, unlawfully married to Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip. John condemned their adulterous union as sinful. Enraged, Herod imprisoned John perhaps in the fortress of Machaerus or in the Herodium.

7. Two of the Gospels, Mt. 14:1-12 and Mk. 6: 14-29, narrate the story of John’s death. About a year into John’s imprisonment, Herod hosted a grand feast on his birthday. Salome, Herodias’ daughter from her 1st marriage, danced so enchantingly that Herod promised her any reward she desired. Guided by her vindictive mother who wanted revenge, Salome demanded John the Baptist’s head on a plate. Herod, though disturbed by the accusing words of John the Baptist, was hesitant, because he knew John was a righteous and holy man. Herod reluctantly agreed. A guard was dispatched to execute John. His head was presented to Salome, who then handed it to her mother (Mk. 6:17-29). John’s disciples later retrieved his body and gave him a proper burial and then told Jesus (Mt. 14:12).

8. The Feast of the Passion of John the Baptist is a powerful reminder of the cost of speaking the truth and staying faithful to God’s mission. His martyrdom stands as a testament to his unwavering commitment to righteousness.

9. John the Baptist is venerated in both Christianity and Islam. He is often depicted holding a lamb, symbolizing his recognition of Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29). His feast is one of the few celebrated by the Church that honors both his birth (24 June) and his death (29 August). Actually, 29 August is said to be the day his head was discovered.

10. Tradition says that John’s body was buried in the town of Sebaste, about 50 miles north of Jerusalem. Many traditions have evolved about his head. Some say it was interred in Herod’s palace in Jerusalem, where it was found during the reign of Constantine the Great. It was then secretly taken to Emesa, Phoenicia (now modern Homs, Syria). There, it was discovered, through revelation, in 452. It was later buried in the Mount of Olives. The head is now preserved in the Church of San Silvestro in Capite, Rome.

11. But other churches claim to have the head: Amiens Cathedral in France; a Muslim mosque, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria; the Residenz Museum in Munich. Several places also claim to have the arm that baptized Jesus, including one that was donated by Pope Pius II in 1464 to the Siena Cathedral.

12. Prayer — O God, you willed that St. John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death. Grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach, through Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!