Nativity of St. John the Baptist
- Fr. Scott Haynes
- Jun 24
- 6 min read
Fr. Scott Haynes
“He shall be great before the Lord: and he shall be filled with the
Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.”—Luke 1:15
On June 24, the Church celebrates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, a solemnity filled with prophetic anticipation, sacred joy, and spiritual mystery. Unlike other saints, whose feast days mark the day of their heavenly birth (i.e., their death), John the Baptist is honored on the day of his birth into this world, signifying his unique role in salvation history. Only three nativities are kept in the Church’s liturgical calendar with such honor: Jesus Christ (Dec. 25), the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept. 8), and Saint John the Baptist (June 24). This already tells us something profound: John’s coming into the world was marked by God with singular importance.
The Mystery of the Visitation and the Womb-Sanctification of John
Saint John the Baptist was sanctified before birth at the Visitation, when the Blessed Virgin Mary, newly pregnant with the Son of God, visited her cousin Saint Elizabeth. Saint Luke writes:
“And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.” (Luke 1:41)
The Church has long understood this leaping of John as his moment of sanctification, as he was touched by the presence of the incarnate Word in the womb of Mary. Saint Ambrose writes:
“He exulted before he was born; and before he saw the light, he recognized the Light. He could not restrain himself, and he who was not yet born attempted to speak.”[1]
Saint Augustine echoes this, saying:
“It was not the unborn John who leapt, but the grace of Christ which did so within him.”[2]
In this silent yet exuberant moment, the Messiah, hidden beneath the virginal veil of Mary’s flesh, came to sanctify His forerunner, still dwelling in the darkness of the womb. Here we see the first act of the sanctifying power of the Incarnation—Christ purifies not only the world, but even the unborn who are called according to His purpose.
Zachary, the Mute Prophet, and the Naming of John.
Before John’s birth, his father Zachary (Zechariah), a priest of the division of Abia, encountered the angel Gabriel while offering incense in the Temple. Gabriel told him that his barren wife would bear a son, and that:
“Thou shalt call his name John.” (Luke 1:13)
Zachary doubted and was struck dumb for his disbelief:
“Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words.” (Luke 1:20)
There is great symbolic richness in this silence. Zachary represents the Old Covenant, which had become old and sterile. His inability to speak shows that the Law without faith is mute. But when he confirms the angel’s message at the birth of his son—writing “John is his name” (Luke 1:63)—his tongue is loosed. The New Covenant bursts forth in praise, for now the voice that will prepare the way of the Lord is born.
Saint John Chrysostom observed:
“The tongue is loosed because a voice is born. The father speaks because the son, the voice crying in the wilderness, has arrived.”[3]
John is born as the last and greatest of the prophets, a bridge between the Old and New Covenants. He is the one of whom Jesus said:
“Amongst those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” (Luke 7:28)
The Forerunner of Christ and the Light of the Summer Solstice.
The feast of John’s nativity is placed on June 24, near the summer solstice. From this day forward, the days begin to shorten, a liturgical and cosmological sign of John's own words:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Just as Christ’s birth on December 25 heralds the return of light to the world—the days lengthening after the winter solstice—so John’s birth, six months earlier, marks the decreasing of daylight, symbolizing John’s role to give way to the true Light.
The Church Fathers saw this alignment with awe. Saint Augustine marveled at the cosmic witness given to these two births:
“The day is made longer at the birth of Christ, and shorter at the birth of John. This means: Christ must increase, but John must decrease.”[4]
Traditions of Fire, Water, and Benediction
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is rich in popular devotions and ancient traditions. In many European countries, especially France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, people light bonfires on the eve of June 24, known as St. John's Eve. These “Saint John's Fires” are rooted in ancient Christian customs, symbolizing the light of Christ which John heralded. In Ireland, such fires were lit on hills and in villages, and families would gather for song, prayer, and blessing.
In Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Lithuania, herbs, flowers, and water are blessed in John’s honor, because tradition holds that he baptized with water, and that nature was especially sanctified by his birth. Some regions also perform symbolic river baptisms on this day.
In Latin America, especially Brazil, “Festa Junina” honors St. John with dancing, music, and rustic decor, often tied to the harvest season.
In parts of Italy, particularly in Florence and Genoa, parades and processions commemorate the saint, who is often regarded as a patron of cities due to his powerful intercession and proximity to Christ. These customs underline the immense joy of John’s birth, the purity he symbolizes, and his powerful connection to light, water, and prophecy.
A Voice Crying Out
Saint John’s whole life was a paradox: he was humble yet bold, solitary yet heard by multitudes, poor in clothing yet rich in grace.
He is often called the Precursor, or Forerunner, the one who came to prepare a people ready for the Lord (Luke 1:17). He points away from himself—“Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29)—and thus teaches the way of humility.
Saint Bede the Venerable reflects:
“John showed in his own life and death the very pattern of humility and truth: by not usurping Christ’s title, by bearing witness to the Light, and by decreasing so that Christ might increase.”[5]
This feast is not only about remembering a birth long ago. It is a call to rediscover our own role as forerunners—to prepare the way for Christ, by prayer, penance, and proclamation of the truth.
The Echo of the Annunciation
There is a mystical symmetry between the Annunciation and the Visitation. Mary, at the Annunciation, receives the Word of God. At the Visitation, that Word goes forth to sanctify—hidden, silent, but divine. John’s leap is the first human response to the Incarnation.
This teaches us that Christ’s presence is powerful even in hiddenness, and that Mary's mission was from the beginning to carry Christ to others, making her the first missionary.
Saint Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Ghost, exclaims:
“And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43)
It is a moment of grace, and of prophetic recognition. John begins to fulfill his vocation while still unborn.
The Birth of a Prophet, the Seed of Martyrdom
John’s destiny is marked from birth. He is born to be a prophet, to live in the desert, to call people to repentance, to recognize Christ, and to lay down his life in witness to the truth. His very name, given by the angel and confirmed by his father, means “God is gracious.”
And God was indeed gracious in giving us such a prophet, a man who dared to say to kings: “It is not lawful for thee to have her” (Mark 6:18), and who rejoiced to hear the Bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29). The fire of Elijah burned in his soul, and the humility of a true servant shaped his mission.
Conclusion: The Herald of Hope
As we celebrate the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, we are invited to:
Rejoice in the sanctifying presence of Christ even in the womb,
Trust in the Lord’s promises despite doubts, as Zachary eventually did,
Humble ourselves before the Lord’s greatness,
Prepare the way of the Lord in our own lives,
And reignite the fire of faith, like the bonfires of old that lit up the hills on St. John’s Eve.
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