The veneration of John the Baptist has deep roots. Our Lord Himself extols John saying: “among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist.” So when we honor John the Baptist, we follow our Lord’s example.
Why did Our Lord honor John? The Lord extolled him for his courageous witness, his faithfulness to the mission God had given him: preaching repentance, helping souls prepare themselves to accept Christ as Lord. In his preaching mission, John was a precursor to the Lord himself, who preached repentance and faith.
The Baptist’s mission, like Our Lord’s also culminated in a violent death: for speaking the Truth of God, John was beheaded. John was not ordered to deny Jesus, like so many of the later martyrs, rather, he was ordered to keep silent. Thomas Aquinas explained, “For this reason the Church celebrates the martyrdom of Blessed John the Baptist, who suffered death, not for refusing to deny the faith, but for reproving adultery”
The King had entered into an adulterous relationship, and John publicly condemned this. Even though such relationships are commonplace these days, they are still contrary to the laws of God, the law written into the human heart. Adultery is sinful whether in the 1st century or 21st century.
Like John and like Our Lord, the Church in our time witnesses to the Truth about Marriage. We are attacked for this witness. But we must stand true. For as marriage as an institution disintegrates, so does civilization. Marriage matters: marriages of kings and marriages of peasants, marriages of doctors and lawyers, marriages of construction workers and teachers.
Spouses are called to lifelong fidelity, not only for their own good, the good of their children, but also, the good of society.
Pope Francis recently spoke of the duty of the Church to promote and defend marriage in his recent exhortation: “The Church has always held it part of her mission to promote marriage and the family and to defend them against those who attack them”
How are we called to promote and defend marriage? To certainly pray for happy, healthy, holy marriages, to pray for troubled marriages. The Church is certainly present to spouses in troubled marriages, helping them and guiding them to resources like counseling and marriage retreats to help them work through troubled times. And we speak the truth to those in adulterous relationships and those Catholics who have entered into irregular unions, those married outside the Church. We gently encourage our family members and friends in these relationships to seek to make their lives right with God through the Church.
The Baptist, who suffered greatly, was faithful until the end. His example and his prayers help us to overcome our weaknesses and fears, including our culpable silence, to spread the Truth of the Gospel, for the Glory of God and Salvation of souls.
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For Pope Francis, and all the clergy, and all Christians, that
we may witness to the truth of the Gospel faithfully, courageously, and
compassionately.
For married couples: that they might give witness to the
beauty of their sacrament through their love for each other and in doing so, be
an instrument for the conversion of others. And For married couples
experiencing difficulties in their relationship: that they may persevere in
love and faithfulness to each other.
For healing for all families and children affected by
divorce, and for all the divorced who have left the Church, and for those who
believe that they no longer have a place in the Church, that they may return
and find the compassion and fellowship that awaits them.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and
parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious,
and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord,
and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through
Christ our Lord.
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