About St. #John the #Baptist. (Lesson given for his annual feast which took place yesterday)
Beloved in Christ, let us turn our hearts and minds to the profound narrative and celestial teachings of Saint John the Baptist, whose life and deeds are illuminated by divine grace, revealing the embodiment of ascetic virtue and prophetic truth. I offer this discourse, as one unworthy, on the sanctity and significance of this great forerunner of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Saint John the Baptist, born miraculously to Saint Elizabeth and Zacharias, both righteous before God, came into this world already filled with the Holy Spirit. From his conception, he was set apart, as the angel Gabriel foretold—a herald of the Most High, destined to prepare the way for the Messiah. This birth, from a womb once barren, serves as a sign of the divine intervention and the reversal of human frailties by God's grace.
From his earliest days, John was marked by a celestial calling. On the eighth day, during his circumcision and naming ceremony, a miracle occurred: his father, Zacharias, who had been struck mute for his disbelief, regained his voice. This event signified the restoration of prophecy through John, who would later speak against Herod, leading to his father’s martyrdom when soldiers, unable to find the infant John, murdered Zacharias instead.
Growing in the desert, John embraced a life of rigorous asceticism. Clothed in camel's hair and sustaining himself on locusts and wild honey, he became a living sign of prophetic zeal and divine focus, separated from worldly attachments. His life in the wilderness was a testament to his call to repentance—a voice crying out, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
John’s baptismal ministry began on the banks of the Jordan River. Here, he called sinners to repentance, baptizing them with water as a sign of their desire to purify their hearts and lives. Yet, he humbly acknowledged his unworthiness in comparison to the One who was to come, proclaiming, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." His baptism of Jesus, an act of sublime humility and obedience, was marked by the heavens opening, the Spirit descending like a dove, and the Father’s voice affirming His Son, revealing the mystery of the Trinity.
John's teachings were direct and practical, urging just behavior. He commanded the rich to share with the poor, tax collectors to be fair, and soldiers to act with justice, not exploiting their power. His fearless admonitions to repent were not reserved for the common man alone but also directed at the powerful, including Herod and Herodias, whom he rebuked for their unlawful union. This boldness led to his martyrdom—beheaded, he bore witness to the truth unto death.
Furthermore, John's role as the prophetic bridge between the Old and New Testaments is profound. Jesus Himself testified, "Among those born of women none is greater than John." Yet, in his humility, John declared himself unworthy even to untie the sandals of Christ. His life and mission fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah's return, a precursor to the Messiah, preparing the hearts of the people for the coming salvation.
In contemplating the life of Saint John the Baptist, let us recognize the dual call to interior conversion and righteous action in the world. His example compels us to forsake the temporal for the eternal, to embrace penance and charity, and to prepare diligently for the coming of our Lord into our hearts.
Let us, therefore, beseech God that through the intercessions of Saint John the Baptist, our paths may be made straight, our wills aligned with divine will, and our lives a testament to the light of Christ. May the grace of his baptism and the courage of his martyrdom inspire us to live more fully in the truth of the Gospel. Amen.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always.