From infancy, Saint John the Baptist was guided by the Holy Spirit to lead a life of solitude and contemplation in the wilderness. This life of prayer and penance prepared him for a vital mission that began when he was thirty.
Dressed in simple attire that symbolized penance, John began preaching to the masses about the importance of repentance and the imminent arrival of the Messiah. His powerful message resonated with many, and he was seen as a true messenger sent by God. He urged people to recognize their sins and seek redemption to be ready for God’s mercy.
However, his candid preaching led to a confrontation with the powerful. When Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, unlawfully married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, John did not hesitate to condemn their actions as sinful. Enraged, Herod, influenced by his illicit desire and anger, imprisoned John.
About a year into John’s imprisonment, Herod hosted a grand feast. Salome, Herodias’ daughter from her first marriage, danced so enchantingly that Herod promised her any reward she desired. Guided by her vindictive mother, Salome demanded John the Baptist’s head on a plate.
Even Herod was taken aback by this gruesome request. Yet, he reluctantly agreed, and a guard was dispatched to execute John. After the deed was done, his head was presented to Salome, who then handed it to her mother. It is said that in her malice, Herodias even pricked the tongue of the saint with a needle. Thus, the brave herald of Christ met his tragic end, about a year before Jesus himself was crucified.
Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
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Saint John the Baptist pray for Us
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Dear St. John the Baptist, please intercede for me, for all of us who claim Jesus as LORD, for HOLY BOLDNESS, especially in the face of a people who “defy laws both divine and human” especially in the area of marriage and the sanctity of life, that I/we would proclaim the TRUTH with courage, fully trusting in God. That I/we would crucify my/our need for public approval and the glory of men, fully realizing who and whose we are.
AMEN
St. John the Baptist, hail to Jesus!!!
The little that St. John the Baptist had been able to proclaimed in the coming of our GOD’s devine son shall forever remain accuntable among religious and shall also be written in the BOOK of life. Thanks, good Saint John.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us!
O St. John the Baptist, help us to decrease ourselves and increase in Jesus’ mighty name.
Saints John the Baptist, Elizabeth, Zechariah, pray for us. Fearless and fruitful, steadfast and obedient. Sharing family bloodline with Christ, when shed for us, this blood links Baptism to the Cross. May we all understand and embrace our roles as Catholics who must give all in obedience to and cooperation with the divine will. Amen.