Our Patron Saint

(The stained glass window of the Baptism of the Lord in our church.)

Our parish is named for St. John the Baptist, sometimes called St. John the Baptizer. St. John was Jesus' cousin, the son of Mary's cousin Elizabeth. St. John played an incredible part in the early parts of Jesus' ministry. What can we learn from St. John? Let’s find out!

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 
-John 1:6-9 (All Scripture references from New American Bible Revised Edition)

The first time we meet John is in Elizabeth’s womb, where he does what he spends the rest of his life doing – announcing the coming of Jesus! Even as an unborn baby, John was responding to the presence of God. We can tell this is an important indication of the sanctity of life in the womb. This story also shows us what happens when Mary goes to someone – she brings Jesus and the Holy Spirit to Elizabeth and John, and their lives would be forever changed!

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 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. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
-Luke 1:39-45

(Picture right: Jump for Joy, by Corby Eisbacher)

St. John started preaching before Jesus began His ministry. By doing this, he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, which had been made about 800 years before! St. John sure knew how to shake things up and stand out from the crowd, but it’s amazing to see what kind of impact he had on the people who heard about him.

In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea [and] saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
“A voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight his paths.’”
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
-Matthew 3:4-6

The whole region around the Jordan were going to him - that's a lot of people whose lives were changed. After preaching and arguing with Pharisees and baptizing anyone who let him, his shining moment arrived – Jesus had come to be baptized. Despite all the renown he had gained, despite how many people were looking to him as a teacher and leader, look at how humble his response to Jesus is. St. John was a man who knew who he was, who God is, and how to be obedient to God’s will.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
-Matthew 3:13-17

(Picture left: Icon of the Baptism of the Lord in our parish office)

Isn't it amazing how John's role in the story is always to point to Jesus and give Him glory? We as a parish are honored to be under the patronage of such a great saint, and we have a lot to learn from him about how to build lives that always point to Christ.

But John’s role doesn’t stop after Jesus’ baptism. He continues to point people to Jesus, which leads to their conversion and relationship with Him. Look at what John says here:

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.
-John 1:35-39

Wow! Did you catch that? “Behold the Lamb of God.” The lamb of God, or the Passover lamb, is what Jewish families would sacrifice at the time of Passover as an offering for their sins. St. John is saying that Jesus is the ultimate sacrificial lamb who will take away the sins of the world - and this was years before Jesus was crucified or even started talking about His death. This incredible statement that John makes to his disciples inspires them to go follow Jesus. Try praying with this passage. How can it inspire you to follow Jesus more closely? How can you point others to Jesus each day?

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!