St Gabriel Windows

St Gabriel Windows
Photocopy c. 2013 Jamie Laubacher

Friday, June 23, 2006

Saint John's Eve

The Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptizer (24 June), aka St. John's Day, is one of the quarter days, four Catholic holidays at the beginning of each season of the year, which were communally celebrated during the Age of Faith. The other quarter days are Christmas, Lady Day (Annunciation) and Michaelmas (Sept 29).

The Forerunner of the Messiah is a very important saint; Eastern Christians consider him the greatest saint after the Holy Mother of God (though Western Christians tend to give that distinction to St. Joseph). Our Lord once said of His cousin: "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist" (Mt. 11:11).

St. John himself humbly understood that his role was to prepare the way for Christ, and then to step aside. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). How fitting it is that his feast should fall during the time when the days begin to slowly decrease, after the summer solstice. (follow this LINK to more)

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