June 24 – The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

June 24 – The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

O God, who raised up Saint John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord, give your people, we pray, the grace of spiritual joys and direct the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace.

Saint John the Baptist became even more popular after he baptized Jesus Christ. This alarmed King Herod, the ruler of Galilee and central Transjordan, who ordered the prophet to be arrested and imprisoned.

John spoke against Herod’s marriage to Herodias, his half-brother’s divorced wife, after divorcing his own first wife, the daughter of King Aretas IV of the Nabataeans. This was illegal in light of Jewish Law. John’s condemnation of Herod’s marriage presented a political threat as Herod feared that this would stir his subjects to oppose him.

John the Baptist was beheaded sometime between 33 and 36 AD. This happened after Herod asked his daughter, Salome, to make any request. As revenge for John the Baptist’s condemnation of her mother’s marriage, Salome asked for John’s head.

The feast day of John the Baptist is June 24 and the anniversary of his death is on August 29.

Salvation (Yeshua means YHWH is Salvation) Spiritual Nourishment Life from the Story of Saint John the Baptist

John’s unwavering faith in Jesus Christ is something that all of us should emulate. He could have believed and worshipped in any other pagan gods before Jesus’ arrival and yet he remained steadfast in his faith that the one true Messiah was coming. He remained faithful in the midst of doubt and possible persecution from people who did not share his beliefs.

John’s mission and ministry are also inspiring reminders that we should live out our faith. 

The good news of salvation must be preached and practiced not just on Sundays but in every second of our lives. 

We must be good examples to the people around us. Our lives are our ministry and a testament of how deep our faith truly is.