Saint of the Day – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

Saint of the Day – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

“A man was sent from God, whose name was John.
He came to testify to the light,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
John 1:6-7

Ordinarily the Church observes the day of a Saint’s death as his Feast, because that day marks his entrance into Heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of Blessed Mary and of St John the Baptist. All other persons were stained with original sin at birth, hence, were displeasing to God. But Mary, already in the first moment of her existence, was free from original sin (for which reason even her very conception is commemorated by a special Feast) and, John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother. This is the dogmatic justification for today’s Feast. In the Breviary St Augustine explains the reason for today’s observance in the following words:

“Apart from the most holy solemnity commemorating our Saviour’s birth, the Church keeps the birthday of no other person, except that of bohn the Baptist. [The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin had not yet been introduced.]
In the case of other saints or of God’s chosen ones, the Church, as you know, solemnises the day on which they were reborn to everlasting beatitude, after ending the trials of this life and gloriously triumphing over the world. For all these, the final day of their lives, the day on which they completed their earthly service is honoured.

But for John the day of his birth, the day on which he began this mortal life is likewise sacred. The reason for this, is, of course, that the Lord willed to announce to men His own coming through the Baptist, lest if He appeared suddenly, they would fail to recognise Him.
John represented the Old Covenant and the Law. Therefore, he preceded the Redeemer, even as the Law preceded and heralded the new dispensation of grace.”