About

St. John the Baptist was the son of Zachariah, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of the Blessed Mother. He was born after the Archangel Gabriel told Zachariah that his wife would bear a child even though they were advanced in age. John lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea and when he was thirty, began to preach on the banks of the Jordan calling the people to repent of their sins and be baptized because the Kingdom of Heaven was close at hand. He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John baptized Him, saying, “It is I who should be baptized by You.” When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. Fearful of his popularity, Herod Antipas had him arrested and imprisoned. Herod later had him beheaded to fulfill a vow he made to Salome, daughter of Herodias, with whom Herod had entered into an unlawful marriage. John inspired many of his followers, including Andrew and John, to follow Christ when he designated Him “the Lamb of God.” John the Baptist is the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the Messiah. His feast day is June 24th and the feast for his beheading is August 29th.