Saint John the Baptist—the Last Prophet
And Summer Christmas
"He must increase; I must decrease.” — John 3:30
Wild honey, camel hair, and an unfiltered spirit; St. John the Baptist was the precursor to Jesus Christ. Today, June 24th, the Catholic Church celebrates his birthday. The Church remembers John's birth (the only other two in history are Jesus and the Virgin Mary *) because of his special role in preparing the way for Jesus. His life was part of God's plan to bring salvation to the world. Jesus Himself declared: "Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist" (Mt 11:11).
St. Augustine captured it powerfully in his sermon 293:
"The Church observes the birth of John as in some way sacred; and you will not find any other of the great men of old whose birth we celebrate officially. We celebrate John's, as we celebrate Christ's."
It’s an understatement to say I’ve long been fascinated by St. John the Baptist. By the grace of God if I make it to heaven, he’s on the top of the list of the saints I can’t wait to meet. During the early years of my reversion back to the Catholic Faith, St. John the Baptist hit my soul deeply.
St. John the Baptist lived his entire life for one purpose — to decrease so that Christ could increase. His birth was sacred. His mission was singular. His example is for every soul. On that note, here’s a not too well-known interesting “cosmic” fact:
The fact that June 24 is close to the summer solstice demonstrates the fulfillment of the prophecy in John 3:30 — “He must increase; I must decrease” — since after John’s birthday the days get shorter, or “decrease,” while after Jesus’ birthday on Dec. 25, the days get longer, or “increase.” Because it falls exactly six months before the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, it is sometimes known as “Summer Christmas.”
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24 is a solemnity, the highest form of Catholic feast day.
Here’s a photo collage from my visit to the California Mission along the El Camino Real, Mission San Juan Bautista. The mission sits right on the San Andreas Fault in the San Benito Valley. It’s the largest of all of the 21 California Missions, founded on June 24, 1797.
Litany to St. John the Baptist on EWTN.
The Classic Three-Part Traditional Prayer
(from the Raccolta — the Church’s official collection of indulgenced prayers)
This traditional prayer in honor of St. John the Baptist has three parts, corresponding to the three stages of his life: his decision to go into the wilderness to practice a life of penance and mortification; his preaching to those who followed him into the wilderness, preparing their hearts for the coming of Christ; and his martyrdom at the order of King Herod.
Part I — The Wilderness O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman, although thou wast sanctified in thy mother’s womb and didst lead a most innocent life, nevertheless it was thy will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and penance; obtain for us of thy Lord the grace to be wholly detached, at least in our hearts, from earthly goods, and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer.
Part II — The Preaching O most zealous Apostle, who, without working any miracle on others, but solely by the example of thy life of penance and the power of thy word, didst draw after thee the multitudes, in order to dispose them to receive the Messias worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine. Grant that it may be given unto us, by means of the example of a holy life and the exercise of every good work, to bring many souls to God, but above all those souls that are enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance.
Part III — The Martyrdom O Martyr invincible, who, for the honor of God and the salvation of souls didst with firmness and constancy withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of thine own life, and didst rebuke him openly for his wicked and dissolute life; by thy prayers obtain for us a heart, brave and generous, in order that we may overcome all human respect and openly profess our faith in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ, our divine Master.
The Versicle & Collect: V. Pray for us, Saint John the Baptist. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
O God, who hast made this day to be honorable in our eyes by the commemoration of blessed John the Baptist, grant unto Thy people the grace of spiritual joy, and direct the minds of all Thy faithful into the way of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In an age obsessed with personal branding, John the Baptist built his entire identity around someone else. No platform. No strategy. Just a voice: fearless, uncompromising, and wholly consumed by the One who was coming. That's not weakness. That's the most radical thing a human being can do.
Happy Birthday St. John the Baptist!
* St. John the Baptist is one of only three people in history — after Jesus and Mary — whose birthday is celebrated in the Church’s liturgy. That alone tells you something extraordinary is going on. Most saints are honored on the anniversary of their death (their entrance into heaven), but with St. John the Baptist, something special happens: the Church celebrates his birthday (nativity) as well as his martyrdom.
Why? Because his very birth was sacred. It was the firm belief among the faithful that John was freed from original sin at the moment when his mother met the Blessed Virgin (Luke 1:45). In any case, it is certain that he was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15) and, therefore, born without original sin.