Happy
Birthday to Saint John the Baptist!
We celebrate the birthdays of only three people in the church's year:
the birth of Jesus, of Mary, his mother and the birth of John the Baptist.
We first hear about John in the Gospel of Saint Luke. John's mother,
Elizabeth, longed for a child, but thought she would never have children,
as she was too old. Saint Luke tells us that the angel who told Mary
she herself was going to have a baby, also told her that Elizabeth would
have a son very soon. Elizabeth was related to Mary. Mary set out to
visit Elizabeth and Saint Luke says that when she arrived, the baby
inside Elizabeth jumped for joy on hearing Mary's voice. Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit, knowing that Mary has been blessed by God.
When he grew up, John spent time living in the desert.Then he began
preaching to the people, telling them not to do wrong any more. He knew
he was preparing the way for someone greater than himself, someone sent
by God to save the people. He baptised people in the river.
One day, Jesus came to be baptised.. Saint Luke says that at that moment,
the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus, in the shape of a dove and a voice
was heard saying that Jesus was God's son. That moment was the beginning
of Jesus's teaching, bringing people to God.
John the Baptist had baptised people with water. His teaching told people
not to sin. Now a new teaching had begun; Jesus told people to believe
that God loved them.
Because of Jesus, when we are baptised, we receive the Holy Spirit,
which joins us to God.
Because of this, Jesus tells his followers that John was the greatest
person born, but in the kindom of God, everyone would be greater than
John. That was a way of explaining that all those baptised in the new
way would be joined to God. That means you and me! Aren't we Lucky!
Here is a picture of John baptising Jesus- but does it remind you of
the baby John leaping inside his mother as well?
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