The three births that we celebrate in our Church’s liturgical calendar are the Birth of Jesus at Christmas, the Nativity of Mary on September 8, and today’s celebration of the Nativity of John the Baptist. We honor St John the Baptist today because he marks a turning point in the history of our salvation. John is the last of the major prophets of Ancient Israel. John is the first to proclaim Jesus to the world as he announced his coming as our Savior and Redeemer. John announces Jesus to us as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, words that we proclaim each time we gather around the Table of the Lord for the Holy Eucharist at Mass.
As we honor John the Baptist today, we recognize the importance of religious freedom in our country. John proclaimed God’s word against the backdrop of a powerful Roman empire. Herod feared John the Baptist and his message so much so that John was ultimately imprisoned and beheaded for living out his faith according to God’s will. Herod did not want to hear the truth in the words of John the Baptist. As we have seen our religious freedom under attack in our own country in recent years, perhaps the honesty, diligence, and fortitude by which John the Baptist lived out his faith is a good example for all of us to reflect upon.
We pray for the intercession of John the Baptist today. We unite our prayers with his prayers today. May we pray for the courage and fortitude that propelled John the Baptist to action, to stand up for our faith and for the freedom to practice our faith.
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