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Home , John the Baptist, Jordan River

St. the Baptist

Feast Day: June 24th (Nativity of St. ) Born: 1st Century BC Died: 31-36 AD Canonized: Pre-Congregation Patron: ; bird dealers; converts; convulsions; convulsive children; cutters; epilepsy; epileptics; farriers; hail; hailstorms; ; Knights of ; lambs; Maltese Knights; lovers; monastic life; motorways; printers, spasms; tailors; , Italy; ; Sassano, Italy; Diocese of Savannah, Georgia; Diocese of Charleston, ; Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas; Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey; Diocese of Portland, Maine. Symbols: Lamb; lamb on a book of seven seals; ; camel's tunic; girdle; his head on a charger; scroll with words Ecce or with in deserto; long, slender cross-tipped staff; open ; banner of victory. About: John the Baptist’s parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was related to ’ mother, Mary. Elizabeth had no children, so Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed to to help them. One day, the visited Elizabeth and Zechariah and told them they would have a son and that they should name him John. The angel told them that John would “be great in the sight of [the] Lord” (:15).

Mary visited Elizabeth when Elizabeth was pregnant with John. John, filled with the , leapt with joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her relative. Elizabeth understood that the child Mary carried was to be the .

John began his public ministry around 30 AD. He talked to people about and asked them to change their lives, preparing them for the . John attracted large crowds around the River where he would teach people about God and baptize people. John baptized people on the as a symbol of conversion. He told them, “ baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (:11).

When Jesus was about 30 years old, he went to the Jordan River and asked John to baptize him. When he did, the heavens opened and the voice of God spoke, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3: 17).

John taught those who followed him to turn to . He called Jesus the “” (:29). In all that John did, he pointed his followers toward Christ instead of calling attention to himself. In the of John, we read that some questioned John: “’Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or or the ?’ John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:25–27). John lived a humble life. We can adopt this same humility in our own lives. When we do good works, we should do them out of love and in God’s name, not for our personal recognition or gain.

After he baptized Jesus, John's popularity grew and this upset King Herod. Herod had John arrested and imprisoned. This did not stop John. He continued to speak about Christ and about living a good life. John’s example teaches us that sometimes we have to go against social ideologies when we live the life Jesus taught us to live. We must put God first even if this means our decisions might be unpopular or unaccepted by society. King Herod had John executed to please his step daughter, giving her John’s head as a gift on a platter.