John the Baptist: bridging the Old and New Testaments

By Heidi

June 24 is the Solemnity of The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  Today we celebrate the birth of the man who, as Saint Augustine tells us, “represents the boundaries between the two testaments, the old and the new.”  All of the events surrounding the birth of the Baptist suggest that the obscurity of the Old Testament prophesies are to be revealed and illuminated by the one who John is to proclaim, who John had already been proclaiming as he leaped in the womb of his mother Elizabeth at Mary’s arrival.  Leaping like David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant.  Even from the womb John points us past the signs to the ultimate realities.  This is why we celebrate his birth with a Solemnity!

John points us out of the wilderness, out of confusion, to the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah and the prophets.  Words that often were mysterious, and attain their deepest meaning only in the light of Christ’s salvific mission.  And us too, he points us past the mundane to Jesus, in whose light even the most obscure life is elevated and glorified.

Of course evil hates clarity and light.  The enemy of your soul will always try to confuse your vocation, obscure your accomplishments and highlight your failings. Even John the Baptist experienced moments of confusion and doubt as he faced down evil in his martyrdom (Matthew 11:2).  From his place of imprisonment John lived out what he had been preaching to all who would listen:   He turned to the Lord; he asked Him for reassurance and in the Lord’s response he was satisfied.  Even in his doubt he fulfilled his mission which is so beautifully portrayed in so many paintings;  in sending his messengers to Jesus, John was pointing to Him and showing us all the way out of our own confusion and self-doubt.


Continue reading at Journey to Wisdom.

Ordinary Time... not so ordinary

By Robert Batch

Baptism of Jesus Stained glass by Willement
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Well, I have returned back to Steubenville, Ohio, and I must admit knowing that it is my last semester, makes everything seem very special in a way.  Even the ordinary things that one may not take as very “special”  I guess when you come to the last few months of being in a place that you have spent so much time in, and you see the end in sight you treasure those moments, hours, and days.

Today being the Baptism of The Lord, we not only celebrate the Lord’s Baptism, but as Catholics we also know that this will conclude the Christmas Season.  As we enter into the Ordinary Season, we must remember it is not a time where we become “lazy” in our faith, or complacent.  Rather it is through the ordinary days, and ordinary moments in our faith journey that we trust in the Lord more, and grow deeper in our faith.

A challenge that comes with being human, is dwelling on our faults and failures, especially when we don’t have festivities of Christmas season to distract us.  Let us remember on this this day of the Baptism of the Lord, Jesus walked into the waters not knowing sin, but bearing the weight of our sin.  He walked in the water not knowing death, but overcoming our spiritual death.  The Baptism of the Lord is a time to Rejoice in the Lord’s Mercy, love, and Truth.  As a body of Christ let us remember we create the Universal Church, who welcomes all sinners (even ourselves) to love, mercy, and truth.  



Continue reading at Robert's blog Love is Calling.

Though in sight of men he suffered...

 By Heidi

Salome with the Head of the Baptist by Caravaggio (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons).

The title of this post is a quote from the third chapter of Wisdom, and it is fitting that Saint Bede the Venerable used it in his homily of St. John, you can read it in the Office of Readings for the Memorial of the Beheading (or Passion) of John the Baptist. As I was reading through Saint Bede’s homily today this paragraph just stopped me in my tracks.

“There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for Him.  His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, only that he should keep silent about the truth.  Nevertheless, he died for Christ.  Does Christ not say:  “I am the truth”?  Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.” 

Things have not changed have they?!  Usually we are not asked to outright deny Christ, we are simply expected to be quiet about Him.  However, do not be surprised if our silent compliance leads to the demand to deny Our Lord explicitly.  Which makes today a good day to ask for the intercession of Saint John the Baptist, for the wisdom to know when to speak, and the courage to follow through.  The concluding prayer for this powerful Memorial is:

O God, who wills that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ your son, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

I pray that all of us grow in the courage to place our hope in the immortal Truth, who is Christ.

Heidi blogs at Journey to Wisdom.