June 24 // Nativity of St. John the Baptist

The Readings for Sunday
Reading I: Isaiah 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
Reading II: Acts 13:22-26
Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80

The Church’s celebration of John the Baptist’s birth on June 24th dates back to the 5th century when December 25th was established as the date of Jesus’ birth. John was six months older than Jesus, (Luke 1:24-26). Although John the Baptist appears in all four Gospels as the one who announces the coming of the Christ, Luke’s is the only Gospel which identifies him as a relative of Jesus and tells the story of his birth.   

When the angel Gabriel had announced to the priest Zechariah that he would become the father of a man who would be “great in the eyes of the Lord”, (Luke 1:15), Zechariah protested that he and Elizabeth were too old to have a child and that even if he did become a father, he might not live long enough to see the promises about his son come to fulfillment. Due to his apparent lack of trust, the angel made him mute. 

And Zechariah was still mute when his and Elizabeth’s son was born. It was the custom to name one’s child after someone in the family, but Elizabeth announced that his name would be John, which means “the Lord has shown favor.” Zechariah confirmed this name in writing and was able to speak again.   

The beautiful Canticle of Zechariah where he says of his son “and you, O child, shall be called prophet of the Most High,” (Luke 1:76), is not included in our Gospel today, but we do hear that John grew up and went to the desert to prepare for his prophetic mission.(You can listen to a beautiful version of the Canticle here.)

The traditional dates of Jesus’ birth and John the Baptist’s birth have special meaning for Christians in the northern hemisphere. Jesus was born just as the days began to lengthen after the winter solstice. The Light had come into the world. John, therefore, was born right after the summer solstice when the days began to get shorter. He himself was not the Light, but his mission was to testify to the Light.   

In a world that sometimes seems quite dark, how can we testify to the Light that is Jesus? Will his Light continue to shine through us?