There are relatively few liturgical celebrations that trump Sunday Mass. Every Sunday, even during Ordinary time and the penitential seasons, is treated as a “mini Easter” of sorts, and so even some major feast days don’t take precedence over the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. Today, however, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist instead of the 12th Sunday in Ordinary time, and this might strike us as odd. For most saints, the day of their death is considered their principal feast, as it is the date when they enter into Eternal Splendor with God. Only the Nativities of Our Lord, Our Lady, and St. John the Baptist take such precedence.

 

The reason is that all three of those individuals play truly unique roles in the story of our salvation. In addition to Our Lord’s humility in taking our nature unto Himself, His Blessed Mother is the sole creature who was completely free from original sin after humanity’s fall. We celebrate the nativity of St. John the Baptist with such great fanfare because he is the last great prophet pointing the way to Jesus. He won a following among men and women of his time who were seeking forgiveness, a new way of life, and the coming of the Messiah. St. John’s following was large in number and very devoted to him. But at the very moment the Messiah walked into his life, he immediately started pointing the way to Jesus, and demanding that “He must increase, and I must decrease.”

 

He didn’t keep any of the attention or glory for himself, but completely sacrificed his status as a leader for his status as a prophet. He lived out his mission of drawing others closer to Christ. His nativity is celebrated six months before Christmas, when the days begin growing shorter as John decreases so that Christ may increase. In Florence and other parts of Italy there are fireworks and celebrations on the Nativity of St. John to celebrate his role in helping people throughout the ages to recognize the great gift of God that is Jesus Christ made man.

 

As we reflect on the importance of this feast, we are also invited to meditate on how we are called to share in St. John’s mission as well. Because he relentlessly preached repentance and the coming of God’s kingdom, John was persecuted, hated by the authorities, and eventually killed. If we share in his mission of bringing people to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ with our entire lives, then we will meet similar resistance. But as we celebrate the great forerunner of the Lord, may we as a Catholic community live out our call to bring others to Jesus Christ, that together, we may journey towards God’s plan for each of our lives.

 

Prayers always,

Fr. McCullough