June 24 - Saint John the Baptist or John the Baptist is the prophet of the Most High who announced the coming of Jesus as the Lamb of God. He also baptized Jesus on the banks of the Jordan River, hence his name Baptist because he baptized. He is the forerunner of the Messiah.
Of the four evangelists, only Saint Luke tells of the birth of John the Baptist, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Elizabeth and Mary the mother of Jesus are cousins, and the announcement of the birth of Jesus and John is similar: by the revelation made by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to Zechariah that he would have a son and that his name would be John, so that the child would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the same dignity as Elijah. Zechariah was skeptical, because his age was quite advanced, and the archangel Gabriel announced that Zechariah would be mute until the birth of the child. At the birth of John, Zechariah praised God in a hymn and also proclaimed the liberation of the people and the mission of his son John. According to St. Luke 1, 76, "You also, little child, shall be called a prophet of the Most High. You shall walk before the Lord and prepare his ways."
According to John's mission, he worked for the repentance of the people. He brought those who were considered sinners into a new world. He announced that judgment was imminent. He taught people to share and repent, through respect for others and work. When he baptized in the Jordan, he called all to repentance and all received baptism; there was no longer separation of religion or class. John declared that he baptizes with water for repentance, but that he who comes after him, who is more powerful, will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Mt 3, 11). That's what makes him a trailblazer. And it's in scripture.
The message that John and Jesus convey in the Gospel can be clearly distinguished, even though both speak of the kingdom of God and the need for repentance. John proclaims the flames, while Jesus offers mercy. John's life is isolated like that of Elijah, but Jesus invites sinners to eat with him. John uses the image of the harvest, but Jesus speaks of the sowing. It should be noted that John the Baptist died a martyr in the year 30 and that the Church remembers his martyrdom on August 29th when we will know more about the death of John the Baptist.
