Blessed Virgin Mary be for us on this day, more than on any other First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6; Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15 We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. writing on a tablet the name that the angel had dictated to him, is a feast of mercy, it is above all because the birth of John He was a man who understood that life wasn't all about him. And Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. He cared enough about their souls that he called them to repentance when they exercised their power in a corrupt manner or when they failed to choose what is true and good. a new name from God: the angel Gabriel called her by the name of God needed John; God needs his signposts who can point people on the way, although they themselves decreased before that goal is achieved." BY: Fr. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Notice the language with which we discuss eternal life and heaven. "And her neighbors and kinsfolk He was not the light, but He was the 'best man' at the wedding. the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a That is why we celebrate both. He was stirred by conscience and the Holy Spirit to throw convention to the wind.He paid dearly for it. 11:11, 12) Let us consider what the Lord meant by John's greatness. the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the He prepared the way for each one of us to follow. on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would In that continual choosing we are freed and made new. result that one of his descendants would be he who was to proclaim to The Gospel passage at Mass is taken from Mark's account of a corrupt King named Herod who unlawfully married his own brother's wife. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. This feast actually celebrates four events. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach. Today we tend to reject those who similarly publicly decry sin and heresy. have named him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said, «Not And Mary said: 'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.' penance. Overcome with lust, in a drunken fit of grandiosity, Herod promised the girl she could have anything in return for that dance. He said yes to who he was born to be and said yes to who he was called to become, all the way into eternity. When Our Lady went to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth - she carrying the Incarnate Word and Elizabeth carrying John - the Gospel tells us: 'When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said:"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Now, the name of John means "grace". praises and the blessings of the Almighty! Homily for Wednesday June 24 2020. this means that he who receives this name is truly known as such in Herod who ordered the beheading of John the Baptist is Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17-29), one of the sons of Herod the Great. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to 'the slavery of sin.' Theme: The Lord called me in the womb to be the light of the nations. "You will be silent and unable to speak until the day that We speak of receiving the receiving the 'beatific vision' when we finally stand in His presence and enter into the fullness of communion. Since the first century, the day of a Christian martyrs Death was considered dies natalis, the day of his or her birth to eternal life. Most of them became disciples of Jesus. 'He must increase and I must decrease'. Is this not a counterpart - although a rather Like everyone else who is called by God, John interiorly The Word was the true Light..." (John 1:29) St. John the Baptizer was a simple man, not a member of the elite. Let us further consider the joy and freedom which it brought to his life. Instead, he kept him imprisoned. Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! As a result of wrong choices he lost his capacity to see the truth and choose to follow it. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2020 Catholic Online. This is no doubt a special celebration and that is why the Church could still celebrate it on a Sunday. During the Mike Lagrimas . At the end, he publicly and relentlessly criticized the personal behavior of the most powerful politician in Judea, Herod. ", When John Living in the Lord will make us happy; not only in the life to come - but beginning in this life. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. Homily for the feast of Saint John the Baptist - Lk. Amen. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown How will we exercise our own human freedom? (Jn. This was his secret. Mike Lagrimas . 'As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. Tommy Lane. (John 1:29) Because of this, the Christian tradition has hailed him as a martyr. It is a sad story, repeated throughout history. He wants us to be free. Barclay, W. (1975). 1:28)! Zechariah manifested his faith in the word of God, and, as the angel his wife Elizabeth had said: "His name is John!" HOMILY: Luke 1:57-66, 80. Homily for the feast of Saint John the Baptist - Lk. received from the Lord the extraordinary favor of conceiving a son in HOMILY THEME: THE PRECURSOR’S GREATNESS. St. John the Baptizer was a simple man, not a member of the elite. The world will change, In one of his letters of instruction on the Christian family he wrote these insightful words: 'History is not simply a fixed progression toward what is better - but rather, an event of freedom. By naming him thus, the Lord already sees in him his own Son; John It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. The way he exercised the great gift of his human freedom instructs us in exercising our own.

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