Nativity of St. John the Baptist
John the Baptist has a very important role in the New Testament. All four Gospels tell us something about his life and ministry, and he is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles. The Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote a history of his people about fifty years after the death and resurrection of Christ, has a paragraph about John’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death.
We usually focus on John the Baptist during the Advent season, which is consistent with his role of calling the people to repentance so that they might be ready for the coming of the Lord. This year, we have the opportunity to reflect on John’s role during a different season, as the feast of his birth happens to fall on a Sunday this time. Our Gospel reading for this day gives us some of the story of John’s birth as found in the Gospel of St. Luke. What I will do here is follow John’s story as given to us by Luke and point to certain details along the way. Reflection on these details may enable us to see John as one who prepares the way of the Lord for us in ways we may not have thought of before. Continue reading “Preparing The Way Of The Lord”
