The Nativity of St. John the Baptist: Saint Study
Today is St. John’s Eve. I hope you were able to make a bonfire (the traditional way to mark the day) and, like I suggested here, some s’mores (a less traditional but still, in my opinion, highly appropriate way to mark the day)!
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is very important—so important that it is celebrated in the current church calendar as a solemnity, the highest rank for a liturgical feast day. But unlike Christmas, of course, and even Our Lady’s birthday, which is celebrated on September 8, St. John the Baptist’s birthday seems like rather an odd choice for the third of three birthdays marked in the liturgical year. But his birthday is significant in that it is always pointing us towards Christ: the Nativity of St. John is celebrated exactly six months before Christmas; and it is most fitting that his birth should be marked as the summer light is slowly diminishing—for as St. John says in the Gospels, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
St. John the Baptist is ever pointing us towards Christ, the Lamb of God, and it seems only appropriate that we should honor the child who proclaimed the Gospel even from the womb.
I hope this saint study is helpful to you and your children. As always, I’ve included a biography, map study, picture studies, and more! And the PDF is available for you at the bottom of the post.
I would love to hear from you in the comments! In the meantime, look out for the last post of the month on Ss. Peter and Paul.
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
A Guide to the Nativity of St. John the Baptist for Families
Feast Day: June 24