Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. This celebration is so important that it allows us to take a pause from our normal observance of this Sunday within Ordinary Time. Saint John is most important for he is known as the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament. He serves as the bridge to the coming of the Messiah and thus now goes out before Him in order to prepare the way for the Lord.
Within the Church calendar there are only three whose births we celebrate. That of Christ on December 25th, that of Saint Mary on September 8th, and that of Saint John on June 24th which happens to be today. In each of these accounts an angel came to reveal the importance of the birth which would soon take place. An angel came to Joachim and Anne to reveal the birth of Mary. An angel came to Joseph and Mary to reveal the birth of Jesus. An angel came to reveal to Zechariah the birth of John. Through these three births which we celebrate upon our liturgical calendar we see the importance that angels played in setting forth God’s plan of salvation for us. This plan which culminates with the birth of the Messiah which we are hopefully prepared to encounter.
This celebration of John’s nativity helps us realize that he set out as a voice in the midst of the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. He prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah who as revealed to us by the Gospel of Saint John is the Word who was found in the beginning. It became John the Baptist’s mission to help others in opening up their heart to hear this Word which has finally come to take on our human flesh and dwell among us.
He is revealed to us to wear sackcloth and ashes as a reminder of the importance that repentance plays in opening up one’s heart to become receptive of the Lord’s coming. His famous words should echo from our heart: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” These words are summed up in the placement of this day for on June 24th, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the days begin to grow shorter while beginning December 25th, the birth of Christ, the days begins to grow longer.
Let us heed the voice of John the Baptist and allow our heart to become receptive of the Word made Flesh. Let us remember the importance of repentance and how it helps to purify our heart and soul in order that we may be found receptive of this Word. Through our pride we prefer to increase within this world, but rather may we reach out to Christ in humility in order that we may decrease in order to allow Him to increase within us.
