Saint of the day June 24: Birth of Saint John the Baptist. Catholic Saints

Every June 24, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

In one of his famous sermons, Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) referred to this celebration: “The Church celebrates the birth of John as something sacred and he is the only one of the saints whose birth is celebrated.” Thus, the Bishop of Hippo echoed an ancient conviction of the Church about John the Baptist: his birth represents a turning point in the history of salvation.

Augustine explains why: “John becomes like the dividing line between the two Testaments, the old and the new. This is testified by the Lord himself, when he says: the law and the prophets came to John.

It is usual for a saint to be celebrated on the day of his death. This, because it is considered that that is the day on which he enters heaven; that is, his birth to eternal life. However, the case of the Baptist is special since the graces he received were all unique and extraordinary: he was sanctified from the womb, when Elizabeth, his mother, and the Virgin Mary met, face to face, both in state. of good hope; He was a prophet like no other because he announced with exceptional proximity the arrival of the Messiah, “paving the way” for the redeemer; and for having had the opportunity to point him out directly from the crowd, members of the chosen people.

Announced by the angel

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke it is told how Zechariah, a Jewish priest married to Elizabeth, a relative of Mary, had not been able to have children because his wife was barren and elderly. Then, the angel Gabriel appears to him to the right of the altar and tells him that his wife will have a son who will be the precursor of the Messiah, and who will be named ‘John’. Unfortunately, Zechariah, overcome by fear, doubted that all this was possible, and as a lesson and confirmation that the announcement came from God – Zechariah asked for a ‘sign’ – he remained mute “until everything was fulfilled.”

Once the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would be the mother of the Savior, Ella, the ‘full of grace’, learned that her cousin, Elizabeth, was pregnant, set out to see her and offer her help until her child is born That child, born to the woman who was called barren, was John, “a voice crying in the wilderness,” the man who would prepare the way for the Messiah. John the Baptist would be born six months before Jesus.

A Christ-centered celebration

Just as the birth of the Lord Jesus is celebrated every December 25 during the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year), the birth of Saint John is celebrated every June 24, the summer solstice (the longest day). In this way it is possible to say that after Jesus the “days get longer” (they start short and then get longer) and after John, “they get shorter” (over time they get shorter), until “the sun of Justice”, the Lord, “is born again”, in all its splendor.

Both dates were thus established by the Church since the 4th century, with the aim that, superimposed on two important festivals of the Greco-Roman calendar, they would take on a new meaning. The “day of the sun” (December 25) and the “Day of Diana”, the festival of fertility (June 24), would since then be Christian holidays, because they evoke the work of salvation, while maintaining a link with the natural life cycle, the work of God.

The saint who is celebrated twice

The Catholic Church has considered an additional day in the Christian calendar to celebrate Saint John the Baptist, but, unlike today, it commemorates his death: the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist (August 29). Finally, it is important to remember that today we not only celebrate the birth of John, but also everything he represents in the work of salvation.

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