Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist (June 24) L/12

Jer 1: 4-10; I Pet 1: 8-12; Lk 1: 5-17 (Vigil Mass)

Anecdotes: # 1: John’s birthday in Church history and tradition: This one of the oldest feasts on the Church calendar. In the early Church, as in medieval times, this was one of the biggest feasts of the year. As was done on Christmas, three masses were offered, one at midnight, and two in the morning. All over Europe, fires were lighted on mountains and hilltops on the eve of this feast. The people had parties and lit bonfires in honor of John because our Lord called him a “burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35). These fires, sometimes called St. John’s fire, were lit on St. John’s Eve and burned until at least midnight. These fires were also a sign of Christ the Light, and a reminder that we, too, are called to be a light for the world. In Catholic sections of Europe, people prayed together to Saint John for his intercession that the summer might be blessed in homes, fields, and country. Finally, they performed some of the traditional folk dances, usually accompanied by singing and music. In addition to celebrating around outdoor fires, other customs included decorating one’s home with flowers, making floral wreaths (which were sometimes sent down a river as a symbol of Jesus’ baptism), placing sprigs of St. Johnswort around the house much as we do Palm Sunday palms, and eating strawberries. This feast, placed three months after the feast of the Annunciation, and six months before Christmas, also served the useful purpose of supplanting the immoral pagan feasts of the Summer solstice. St. John the Baptist was highly honored throughout the whole Church from the beginning. Proof of this is, among other things, the fact that fifteen churches were dedicated to him in the ancient imperial city of Constantinople.

# 2: The crippled Doctor who transformed tragedy into sacrificial service: Take the story of Mary Varghese. Mary Varghese was a brilliant young Indian surgeon. Crippled as a result of a car accident, she was able to feel and move only her arms and her head. But she believed God could still use her, and she became interested in lepers. In the words of John Lane, "She realized she could transform their wasted stumps into something like hands and feet. Mary Varghese underwent major surgery herself so that she could be made to sit upright in a wheelchair. In her operating room at Vellore, she reconstructed hands and feet and faces the type of surgery that can be performed from a wheelchair, a type of surgery she would never have done if she had not been deprived of her normal strength. What for many would be catastrophe, for Mary Varghese became opportunity." (John E. Lane, Expository Times 96 [Fifth Sunday in Lent, 19], 145-146). That is what the parents of John the Baptist Zachariah and Elizabeth did by transforming the painful memory of their childlessness into service in the Temple of God.

Introduction: Usually we reflect on two advents and two angelic messages during the Advent season, namely, the advent of John the Baptist and the advent of Jesus. This year the feast of the birth of John (which occurs June 24), falls on a Sunday and replaces the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. That is why we hear, again, the angelic message announcing the birth of Christ’s forerunner. The archangel Gabriel informed the childless Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. Today’s gospel describes how Zechariah got the divine message in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while he was offering incense. Jeremiah’s call is cited in the first reading to connect it to the call and prenatal purification given to St. John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets in today’s gospel: “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,  and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” In the second reading, Peter guarantees his people that whatever the Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets, including John the Baptist, about Christ the Saviour has been fulfilled. In today’s gospel, we hear again the angelic message about the birth of John the Baptist. The angel informed Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John, would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. Today’s gospel describes how Zechariah got the divine message in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while he was offering incense. But he doubted the words of the angel and hence, was rendered mute until the words of the angel had been fulfilled.

First reading: Jer 1: 4-10:  Jeremiah began his ministry in Jerusalem around 627 BC. He witnessed the final years of Jerusalem before it fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC. He came from a priestly family from the town of Anathoth, a few kilometers north of Jerusalem and formerly in the territory of Northern Israel. The length of his ministry covered a period of 40 years (627 BC - 587 BC). There are similarities and differences in the “Calls” of the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). These “Calls” are initiated by God who tells the future prophet what he will be doing, often with some form of assurance that God will be with him.  In Jeremiah’s case, (Jer 1:4-10), God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you“(Jeremiah 1: 5). The clear message from God is emphasized by the use of the strong and frequent verbs in v.5 - I formed you, I knew you, I set you apart, I appointed you. Jeremiah had the reassurance all through his ministry that he was called by God to be a prophet. Sometimes, the person called protests, as did Jeremiah: “Ah, Lord God!” I said, “I know not how to speak; I am too young” (Jeremiah 1: 6). The Lord God demolished this objection and spelled out for His prophet both His own aid and the prophet’s mission. The prophet experiences a compulsion and a drive to do what God asks, once he has surrendered his will to God and accepted His call. Jeremiah’s call is cited in the first reading to connect it to the call and prenatal purification given to St. John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets in today’s gospel: “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit  even from his mother’s womb  and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”

Second reading: I Pet 1: 8-12: Peter had been in the company of Jesus for three years and he was now writing to people who, though they had never seen Jesus, still loved Him. To ‘believe in’ Jesus means to trust and obey him, although we cannot see him. It means more than believing facts about him. People who believe in Jesus have joy in their spirits. This joy comes from God. We understand “salvation” in three ways: in the past, in the present, and in the future. ·Salvation in the past, occurs when people first become Christians. Salvation in the present is the process of their learning to trust God each day and to receive the help He offers them.  Salvation in the future is their receiving of all of God’s promises in heaven. The prophets of God lived before the birth of Jesus Christ, and they brought messages from God to the people. They could not understand all the things that God told them. Nor did they know when these things would happen. But all that the prophets spoke about Jesus came true. Hence, Peter guarantees his people that whatever the Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets, including John the Baptist, about Christ the Saviour has been fulfilled.

Exegesis: Two exceptional birthday celebrations: 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 the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. John the Baptist. All other persons were stained with original sin at birth, and hence, were displeasing to God. But Mary, was, from the moment of her conception, free from original sin (for which reason even her very conception is commemorated by a special feast). John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother. When Mary visited Elizabeth, John recognized the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb and leaped for joy (Luke 1:41). This is the dogmatic justification for today's feast.

The annunciation of John’s birth: Traditionally, the Birth of Jesus is celebrated on 25 December. That means that the Birth of John is celebrated six months earlier on 24 June. The appearance of Gabriel to Mary, being assumed to be nine months before the birth of Jesus, is celebrated on 25 March and called the Annunciation, and the appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah in the Temple is celebrated by the East Orthodox on 23 September. Zechariah was one of the 1800 priests serving the Temple of Jerusalem. They were divided into 24 groups of 75 each. Thirty priests of each group were to serve the Temple for worship services each day, and only one of them got the rare chance of offering incense inside the Holy of Holies. It was while performing this priestly function that Zechariah received the vision of the angel and was summarily, if temporarily, punished for his lack of faith in the angel’s message.

 John the Baptist in history and in the gospels: According to the Jewish historian Josephus (who wrote after 70 AD), John the Baptist was a Jewish preacher in the time of Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD). The gospels present John as a wild desert preacher dressed in leather-belted camel skin and eating locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and a coming judgment, and challenged people to accept baptism as a sign of their repentance for their sins. He took up Isaiah’s cry, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He called the multitudes who thronged to him a “brood of vipers,” demanding, “produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance” (Luke 3: 7-8). He warned them of God’s wrath and threatened with hellfire those who prided themselves on their religious heritage. “Exact no more than the appointed rate” he advised tax collectors. “No intimidation! No Extortion! Be content with your pay” (Luke 3:14), he exhorted the soldiers. He had the humility to reassure the people that he was not the messiah. Mark says all Jerusalem and Judea made their way to him, and as they were baptized in the Jordan, they confessed their sins (Mark 1:5). He baptized Jesus amid the attending crowds, yet recognized that he was uniquely sent by God. John is most remembered as the forerunner who prepared for the coming of Jesus. After Jesus’ baptism, once again John turned people’s attention to Jesus as he declared, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (John 3:30). John extended His mission of preparing for the Messiah by actually introducing His future disciples to Jesus as the promised Messiah:  “Look, there is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29). No wonder, Jesus later complimented John in the superlative saying, “among those born of women no one is greater than John” (Luke 7:28).    John died a martyr’s death because, with the prophetic courage of his convictions, he criticized his immoral King, Herod Antipas, for that King’s double violation of the Mosaic Law: Herod had divorced his lawful wife and married his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, Herod’s own niece.

Life messages: 1) We should not take our small misfortunes as big tragedies. We should imitate Zechariah who remained optimistic, continuing in prayer and service. 2) We need to get rid of the barrenness of our heart, cleanse it daily, liberate it from evil attachments and prepare it for the rebirth of Jesus. 3) We need to be good parents and grandparents, offering incessant prayers for our children and grandchildren.

Joke of the week: 1) A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her the story of John the Baptist from the Children’s Bible Story Book.  From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?"
"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."
"Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?"
"Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."
Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't He?"

2) Here is the story of two rival medieval French monasteries. Each claimed that it possessed the head of St. John the Baptist. The monks of the big monastery used to explain this uncomfortable fact to the critics saying that the big skull they had belonged to St. John as a man whereas the smaller skull kept by the other monastery belonged to St. John as a boy! (“Relic Worship” New York Times, January 16, 1861)

                                  

 

(Scriptural Homilies” no. 136 by Fr. Tony akadavil@gmail.com) L/12

Additional anecdotes: 1) “Others listen, but they don't really hear:" Flannery O'Connor, the South Georgia novelist, was a semi-invalid. She was confined to her home and she raised peacocks. One day a repairman came to her farm and she invited him to stop his work to watch her peacocks in the barnyard. She was enthralled with their beauty and she wanted to share it. She described how "the bird turned slightly to the right and the little planets above him hung in bronze, then he turned to the left and they were hung in green." As the peacocks walked away, she asked the repairman, "Well, what did you think of that?", to which he responded, "Never saw such long ugly legs! I'll bet that rascal could outrun a bus!" Some people look and listen, but they don't really see. And that's the way it is with us, isn't it? Others, Jesus said, "listen, but they don't really hear." That is what happened to Zechariah when the angel spoke to him. Zechariah was startled -- surprised - that the angel would speak to him.

# 2:  “God explains himself very well!" In his novel, The Clowns of God, Morris West has Jean-Marie, the Pope, say, "The biggest mistake we have made through the ages is to try to explain the ways of God to men. We shouldn't do that. We should just announce Him. He explains Himself very well!" Well, He does. God explains Himself in his action, and Zechariah knew that as we do. Zechariah knew about the mighty acts of God in the history of his people -- the deliverance from Egyptian captivity -- the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea -- the gift of God of the promised land -- and God's activity through judges , kings, prophets. Zechariah knew the story. He knew that God acted -- that God intervened and sometimes that intervention was dramatic -- sometimes very personal. Yet, here the Angel was speaking to him, and he was startled. It is no less true with us.

Synopsis of Birthday homily of St. John the Baptist (Vigil Mass)

Introduction: Usually, we reflect upon two advents and two angelic messages during the Advent season, namely, the advent of John the Baptist and the advent of Jesus. This year the feast of the birth of John (which occurs June 24), falls on a Sunday and replaces the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. That is why we hear, again, the angelic message announcing the birth of Christ’s forerunner. The archangel Gabriel informed the childless Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John, would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. Today’s gospel describes how Zechariah got the divine message in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while he was offering incense.

Scripture lessons: Jeremiah’s call is cited in the first reading to connect it to the call and prenatal purification given to St. John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, in today’s gospel: “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” In the second reading, Peter guarantees his people that whatever the Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets, including John the Baptist, about Christ the Saviour has been fulfilled. In today’s gospel, we hear again the angelic message about the birth of John the Baptist. The angel informed Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John, would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. The gospel describes how Zechariah got the divine message in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while he was offering incense. But Zechariah doubted the words of the angel and, hence, was rendered mute until those words had been fulfilled.

Life messages:

1) We should not take our small misfortunes as big tragedies. We should imitate Zechariah who remained optimistic, continuing in prayer and service.

2) We need to get rid of the barrenness of our heart, cleanse it daily, liberate it from evil attachments and prepare it for the rebirth of Jesus.

3) We need to be good parents and grandparents offering incessant prayers for our children and grandchildren.

Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist (June 24) L/12

(Sunday Mass: Is 49: 1-6; Acts 13: 22-26; Lk 1: 57-66, 80)

Anecdote: Be the finger of John the Baptist: Karl Barth the great 20^th century Calvinist theologian would wake up early in the morning, read the newspaper, and stare at a painting by Grunewald called Crucifixion. Jesus is hanging from the cross, apparently dead, while Mary and others mourn. John the Baptist, holding the Scriptures and leaning away from Christ, is pointing to Jesus on the Cross. Before he would teach theology or write in his famous work Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth would meditate on this painting, particularly on John the Baptist. He said that, as a Christian (whether a theologian, pastor, teacher, mother, doctor, storekeeper, etc.), our job is to be the finger (and only the finger), of John the Baptist. The only thing we should do – indeed, the only thing we can do – is simply point to Jesus on the cross. This scene painted by Grunewald is the sum of all history, from Creation in the past to eternity. And we are that finger, and within that finger rests the weight of salvation.

Introduction: We celebrate the feast of John the Baptist's birth this Sunday because of his prominent role in the history of salvation as the forerunner of the Messiah.  It was he who prepared Israel to receive their long awaited Messiah by preaching repentance. Since John was the forerunner of Jesus who prepared Israel for her Messiah, the “Servant” messianic prophecy of Isaiah is given as the first reading. The passage expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and as a light to the nations who was named and sanctified from his mother’s womb. The second reading describes the mission of John the Baptist. It tells us how John the Baptist, in all humility, publicly acknowledged his role as only the Messiah’s herald, whose role was to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah by inviting the people to receive the baptism of repentance. Today’s gospel describes the birth of John the Baptist and his circumcision and naming ceremony on the eighth day. In the presence of friends and relatives, Zechariah miraculously regains his power speech after declaring in writing, “John is his name.” The name John means “God is gracious The remaining part of the chapter 1 in St. Luke’s gospel describes records Zechariah’s prophecy of the role his son is to take in the history of salvation.

First reading: Is 49: 1-6: 49: 1:  Since John was the forerunner of Jesus who prepared Israel for her Messiah, the “Servant” prophecy of Isaiah is given as the first reading. These verses come from the so-called "Servant Songs" of Second Isaiah. This passage was chosen most obviously for its reference to the servant having been named from his mother’s womb (see Luke 1:60). But the passage also expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations. At the same time his status as servant makes him subordinate to Jesus. The author wrote these verses during the final days of the Babylonian exile. Christians understand this as a Messianic prophecy where the Servant is Christ. God gives his Servant two commands: 1) gather the Diaspora and bring them back to the land of Israel, and 2) be a light to the nations. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled this mission. He is the Servant, and faith in him gathers the faithful together making Jesus the light to the nations. As mentioned in the prophecy, Jesus' name and office were given to him before he was even born, first to his mother Mary (Luke 1:31-33) to his stepfather Joseph (Matthew 1:20-21. 49: 2: 49:2). Isaiah compares the Servant to a “sharpened sword” and a “polished arrow. This Servant Jesus will bring salvation to the Gentiles, too.

The second Reading: Acts 13: 22-26: The second reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, is part of a speech given by Paul in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. The passage, describing the mission of John the Baptist and telling of his pivotal role in salvation history, won a place in the Gospel proclamation of the early Christians. In the passage, John the Baptist in all humility publicly acknowledged that his role was only that of a herald for the Messiah. As such, he had the task of preparing Israel to receive the Messiah by inviting them to receive the baptism of repentance. "John heralded [Jesus'] coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel."  The reading also explains that Jesus of Nazareth was the Savior, descended from the family of Jesse as foretold by the prophets.

Exegesis: Parallels and contrast between John and Jesus in St. Luke’s infant narratives: Both births are miraculous. John was born of his aged parents and Jesus from a virgin. The births of both were announced by the angel: John’s in the Holy of Holies in the Temple and Jesus’ in a village house. The mission of John was to be the forerunner of the Messiah and the mission of Jesus was to be the saving Messiah. Luke highlights the greatness of Jesus and the subsidiary position of John as the precursor of the Messiah and the herald of God’s coming kingdom.

 John’s birth: Since the birth of a boy was an occasion of great joy among the Jews, Zechariah’ s neighbors and relatives and local musicians gathered at the courtyard to celebrate the occasion. At the announcement of John’s birth there was great rejoicing and the musicians broke into music and songs. In Elizabeth's house there was a double joy because at last she had a child in her old age and because that child was a son.

 Circumcision and naming ceremony: When friends and relatives had assembled for the naming ceremony, to their great surprise, Elizabeth said that her son must be called John. Zechariah, consulted by the relatives and friends,  concurred, writing “John is his name,”  on a tablet. At that moment, his muteness was miraculously healed, and he began to praise God. John is a shorter form of the name Jehohanan, which means "Jehovah's gift" or "God is gracious." It was the name which God had commanded the child be given, and it described the parents' gratitude for this unexpected joy. The miraculous birth of the child to the elderly parents, the miraculous healing received by Zechariah and his prophetic hymn about the mission of his son prompted the people gathered there to ask the question, "What will this child turn out to be?"

Life messages:  1) We need to pray for our parents and be thankful to them for the gift of life, the training they have given us and the love and affection they have lavished on us.  Let us ask God’s pardon if we are, or were, ungrateful to them, do/did not take proper care of them in their illness or old age or ever inflicted pain on them.

 2) We need to remember and pray for our godparents who, by baptism, made us children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, heirs of heaven and members of the Church. 

3) We need to have the courage of our Christian convictions as John the Baptist did, and we need to become heralds of Christ as John was, by our transparent Christian lives.

 Joke of the week (birthday jokes)

1)      Some employees bought their boss a gift for his birthday. Before opening the gift, the boss shook it slightly, and noticed that it was wet in the corner. Touching his finger to the wet spot and tasting it, he asked, "A bottle of wine?"
His employees replied, "No."
Again, he touched his finger to the box and tasted the liquid. "A bottle of scotch?"
"His employees replied again, "No."
Finally the boss asked, "I give up. What is it?"
His workers responded, "A puppy."

2)       It's a hot day, and there's a traveling salesman passing through a small town in Texas when he sees a little old man sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of a house. So he stops and says to the little old man, "You look as if you don't have a care in the world! What's your formula for a long and happy life?" And the little old man says, "Well, I smoke six packs of cigarettes a day, I drink a quart of bourbon every four hours and six cases of beer a week. I never wash and I go out every night; I don't get to bed until four in the morning." And the guy says, "Wow, that's just great. How old are you?" And the little man says, "Twenty-two."

3)       A little boy was kneeling beside his bed with his mother and grandmother and softly saying his prayers, "Dear God, please bless Mummy and Daddy and all the family and please give me a good night's sleep." Suddenly he looked up and shouted, "And don't forget to give me a bicycle for my birthday!!" "There is no need to shout like that," said his mother. "God isn't deaf." "No," said the little boy, "but Grandma is."

(Scriptural Homilies” no. 136 by Fr. Tony akadavil@gmail.com) L/12

Fr. Anthony Kadavil, St. John the Baptist Church, POB 417, 12450 Hwy 188, Grand Bay, AL 36541

Synopsis: Birthday homily of St. John the Baptist (Sunday Mass)

Introduction: We celebrate the feast of John the Baptist's birth (June 24), in place of the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time today because of his prominent role in the history of salvation as the forerunner of the Messiah.  It was he who prepared Israel to receive their long-awaited Messiah by preaching repentance.

Scripture lessons: Since John was the forerunner of Jesus who prepared Israel for their Messiah, the “Servant” Messianic prophecy of Isaiah is given as the first reading. The passage expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations who was named and sanctified from his mother’s womb. The second reading describes the mission of John the Baptist. It tells us how John the Baptist in all humility publicly acknowledged his role as being only the Messiah’s herald. His role was to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah by inviting the people to receive the baptism of repentance. Today’s gospel describes the birth of John the Baptist and his circumcision and naming ceremony on the eighth day. In the presence of friends and relatives, Zechariah miraculously regained his power speech after declaring in writing, “John is his name.” The name John means “God is gracious.” The remaining part of the chapter 1 in St. Luke’s gospel describes records Zechariah’s prophecy of the role his son is to take in the history of salvation.

Life messages:  1) We need to pray for our parents and be thankful to them for the gift of life, the training they have given us and the love and affection they have lavished on us.  Let us ask God’s pardon if we are, or were, ungrateful to them, do/did not take proper care of them in their illness or old age or ever inflicted pain on them.

 2) We need to remember and pray for our godparents who, by baptism, brought us to the Church to be made children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, heirs of heaven and members of the Church. 

3) We need to have the courage of our Christian convictions as John the Baptist did, and we should become heralds of Christ as John was, by our transparent Christian lives.