Nativity of John
The Nativity of John the Baptist is a Christian feast day celebrated annually on June 24. This day commemorates the birth of John the Baptist, who is recognized as a prophet in Christianity and is considered a significant figure in the Gospel narratives. John the Baptist is known for his role in preparing the way for Jesus Christ and for baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. The feast day is observed with liturgical celebrations in various Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. The celebration of John’s birth is seen as a pivotal event in the story of salvation, as it marks the beginning of the ministry that would lead to the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah.
John the Baptist was born to Saint Elizabeth, who was a kinswoman of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:36), making Jesus and Saint John related, as well. The most common term of relation suggested for the two is “cousin,” though the exact degree is unknown.
The Nativity of John the Baptist is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian church, being listed by the Council of Agde in 506 as one of that region’s principal festivals, where it was a day of rest and, like Christmas, was celebrated with three Masses: a vigil, at dawn, and at midday. [8]
In the personality of John the Baptist we see a perfect interplay of destiny, choice and discipline in the making of a missionary.
John the Baptist spent his adult life preparing the way for Jesus, and proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.”
The feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist is transferred to June 23 in the Roman Rite; in the 1962 rite, the feast is transferred to June 25 instead.
The scene in the fresco cycle of the life of John in the Tornabuoni Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence is probably the most famous, created by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his workshop between 1485 and 1490.
In addition to the birth of John the Baptist, the Byzantine Rite also has the following commemorations of the life of John the Baptist:
- January 7 – The Synaxis of St John the Forerunner (main feast day, immediately after Theophany (Epiphany) on January 6) * February 24 – First and Second Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner * May 25 – Third Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner * August 29 – The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner * September 23 Conception of St John the Forerunner and the Commemoration of Sts.
Nevertheless, the fact of the feast falling around the time of the solstice is considered by many to be significant, recalling the words of John the Baptist with regard to Jesus: “He must increase, but I must decrease”. [12]
