Feast of St John the Baptist

John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, kinswoman of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was known for evangelization and his baptizing of Christ in the Jordan. John began public ministry around 30 AD, and was known for attracting large crowds across the province of Judaea and around the Jordan River. When Jesus came to him to be baptized, John recognized him and said, "It is I who need baptism from you." John instructed his followers to turn to Christ, calling Him the "Lamb of God" and these people were among the first Christians. Following his baptism of Christ, John's popularity grew so much that he alarmed King Herod. Herod ordered him arrested and imprisoned.  John was beheaded by Herod. John the Baptist died sometime between 33 and 36 AD.

In the first reading from the book of Isaiah (49:1-6) the prophet speaks as the Lord’s servant “He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand.  He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.” In the second reading from the Acts of the Apostles (13:22-26) Paul speaks of John’s witness to Jesus “Before John ended his career he said, ‘I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”  In the Gospel from Luke (1:57-66, 80) we hear about the naming of John, Zechariah’s recovery of speech and the astonishment of the people “Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John’. And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea.  All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered.