Birth of St. John the Baptist
Feast Day: June 24
The Church usually celebrates saints on the day they died, their birthday into heaven.
There are only three people whose earthly birthdays get a feast in the Church’s calendar.
Jesus, on Christmas.
Mary, on September 8.
And John the Baptist, on June 24.
That tells you something about how important John is.
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
An Elderly Couple
John’s parents were Zachary, a priest, and Elizabeth.
They were righteous before God, but they had no children, and both were old.
One day, while Zachary was serving in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him:
“Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John:”
— Luke 1:13
Zachary doubted, and he was unable to speak until the promise came true.
A Leap of Joy
Six months later, Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth.
Mary hurried to visit her relative Elizabeth.
“And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:”
— Luke 1:41
Before he was even born, John was already rejoicing at the presence of Jesus.
“John Is His Name”
When the baby was born, the neighbors wanted to name him after his father.
Elizabeth said, “Not so; but he shall be called John.”
They turned to Zachary, who still could not speak.
“And demanding a writing table, he wrote, saying: John is his name. And they all wondered.”
— Luke 1:63
Immediately Zachary could speak again, and he praised God with the prayer called the Benedictus.
He said of his son:
“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:”
— Luke 1:76
Why June 24?
Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was in her sixth month (Luke 1:36).
So John was born about six months before Jesus.
That places his birthday on June 24, six months before Christmas.
There is a beautiful symbolism here too.
After June 24, the days begin to get shorter.
After December 25, the days begin to get longer.
John himself said:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30
The Greatest of the Prophets
John grew up to preach repentance in the desert and baptize in the Jordan.
He pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God.”
Jesus said there was no one greater than John born of women.
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets and the one who introduced the Messiah to the world.
(His death is remembered on August 29, the Passion of St. John the Baptist.)
What This Feast Teaches Us
John’s birth teaches us that God hears our prayers, even ones we have stopped expecting answers to.
It reminds us that every life has a purpose in God’s plan, even before birth.
And John’s whole life teaches us humility: our job is to point others to Jesus, not to ourselves.
When Is the Feast?
The Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24.
Prayer Inspired by St. John the Baptist
Lord Jesus Christ,
You sent John the Baptist to prepare Your way.
Help us prepare a place for You in our hearts.
Teach us humility, so that You may increase and we may decrease,
and help us point others to You.
St. John the Baptist, pray for us. Amen.
