Heaven's Bright Queen - Saint John the Baptist

Eight days later he was circumcised with all the solemnity befitting one so favored by God, and given the name John, which signifies filled with grace. It was the Angel Gabriel who appeared to Zachary in the Temple and told him to call the boy John, just as he told the Blessed Virgin a few months later to call the offspring of her womb Jesus. At length, when the ceremony of circumcising John was over, the tongue of Zachary was loosened, and he broke forth into that beautiful hymn which is recited by every priest in his daily office:

"Blessed be Lord God of Israel, because He hath visited and wrought the redemption of His people: And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us in the house of David, His servant," etc.

The Evangelists tell us nothing of that period intervening between the childhood of John and the time he came forth from the desert "preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sin," except that he was strengthened in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Origen, the great Biblical scholar, speaks thus of the Baptist's sojourn in the desert: "He went into the desert, where the air was more pure, the heavens more open, and God more familiar, till the time of his preaching was come, that he might employ himself in prayer and in the company of the angels. He had neither scrip nor servant, nor so much as a poor cottage to shelter himself from the inclemency of the weather."

Saint Jerome says: "Neither the tenderness nor the riches of his devout parents could hold him in their plentiful house amid dangers from the world. He lived in the desert and disdained to behold other things with eyes which coveted to see Christ. His raiment was coarse, his food locusts and wild honey, all of which things were conducive to virtue and continency."

John prepared himself for his mission then, not in the Temple, as one might expect, but in the heart of the Judean deserts, where he led a life of the greatest austerity, practising the virtues of silence, prayer and mortification almost to an heroic degree. We are told that he never used strong drink and that his food was locusts and wild honey. Now, locusts were something akin to our grasshoppers, and were used as a course of food in Oriental countries. Wild honey could be had in large quantities in the deserts of Judea.

John came forth from the desert to begin his mission when he was almost thirty years old, at that time when Tiberius was emperor and Caiaphas and Annas held sway in the priesthood. He came unannounced, but his preaching soon attracted the people, and so affected them that vast multitudes presented themselves for baptism.

There was something about his face and manner which made them feel that he was a holy man. Some thought he was the Messiah whom the Jewish people were then expecting, others that he was Elias. But he was neither Messiah nor Elias, but the voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight His paths." He was a prophet, and more than a prophet, for other prophets simply foretold the coming of the Messiah, but he pointed out the Messiah, went before Him to prepare the Jewish people for His coming, and finally baptized Him in the Jordan.

He was not clad in the rich and costly garments of the Pharisees, but in the garment of the poorest prophet. His garment was of camel's hair, caught around the waist with a leathern girdle; he wore a long beard, and always appeared bareheaded and barefooted. He did not remain preaching and baptizing in any one place, but went into all the country around the Jordan.

It was probably when John was at the height of his missionary career that Christ came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized. Although Christ and John were relatives, yet John probably did not know Christ, for Christ grew up in Galilee, while the Baptist grew up in the desert, and there was very little opportunity of them meeting. When John saw Christ he immediately recognized His superiority, and refused to baptize Him, saying that he ought to be baptized by Christ instead of Christ being baptized by him. However, at Christ's request, John baptized Him, and as He was leaving the water or had come out of the water: "Behold a voice from Heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased."

If the Baptist had any doubt as to whether this was the Messiah or not, surely it must have disappeared when he saw the Holy Ghost coming down upon Christ and heard the voice saying: "This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:17

John continued his mission of preaching and baptizing until he was arrested by Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee. Wherever he went he freely condemned the evils committed by the people, whether rich or poor, and Herod Antipas came in for his share. It seems that Herod Antipas cast aside his faithful wife and endeavored to contract a marriage with Herodias, his brother's wife, while his brother was yet alive. John so openly condemned this adulterous marriage that he evoked the intense anger of Herodias, who sought every opportunity to get revenge. It was not many months after the imprisonment of the Baptist that her desire for revenge was satiated. Herod gave a banquet, at which her daughter danced so well and afforded him so much pleasure that he swore before all present that he would grant her anything she desired, even if it was half the kingdom. He probably thought she would ask for jewels or something of that sort, but never dreamt that she would ask for the head of the Baptist. However, at the in stigation of her mother and to the great surprise of Herod, she asked for the head of the Baptist, saying: "I will that thou forthwith give me in a charger the head of John the Baptist."

This request the impious Herod granted, being too cowardly to refuse, since he had previously sworn before the whole assembly that she should have whatever she desired. So with a sad heart he ordered the execution of John the Baptist.

It was not long after the orders were given for the execution of the Baptist that his pure soul soared heavenward, there to enjoy forever the beatific vision of a Triune God. Such was the termination of the career of that man who was sanctified in his mother's womb and whom our Saviour called His angel; that man who baptized the King of Glory and was the first preacher of penance and the Kingdom of God; finally, that man who was a virgin, the illustrious model of all virgins, the spring of chastity and the mirror of purity. There were other great saints and prophets remarkable for their virtues and holiness of life, but none have surpassed this truly great man.

"Amongst those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." - Luke 7:28

- text taken from Heaven's Bright Queen, by William James Walsh