When the father of Saint John the Baptist, Zechariah was asked how he wanted his son to be called, he couldn’t speak, because he had remained dumb, and wrote on a tablet that his son was to be called John. In that instant, Zechariah recovered his speech, a sign that it was precisely the name God wanted. John means bearer of grace and mercy. He was Jesus’ cousin, and his task was to announce that the Messiah, Our Saviour, had arrived.
Years ago I read this letter, which was presented in a competition to write a letter to one’s favorite Saint.
“Dear Saint John the Baptist:
For a long time, I have wanted to ask you: how must I behave to be a good saint as you were? I know you are Jesus’ cousin, and that you helped Him a lot. You taught people things about the Kingdom of God, and that they had to be good Christians. I, too, would like to be a good Christian, and I ask you for much help so that it can be one, and get to Heaven. I ask you to help me to be courageous, to speak of Jesus as you did, and not be afraid. I’m certain that with your help I’ll be able to overcome the obstacles I’ll have in my life. Thank you for interceding for me.
Greetings,
John Vázquez”
That’s how a pupil of the Tabladilla School of Seville wrote to him, the Saint we celebrate today. The author of that letter was only eleven years old, but he had understood the essential. The only important thing is that we get to Heaven. This is what Saint John the Baptist preached, and this is what John asks his namesake.
He is usually called the Precursor, which means that he is the one who announces that the Messiah has arrived; he is Jesus’ presenter. He tells us that at last, the hour of Salvation has come, the hour of the Redemption. He gives us an example with his life. His works demonstrate his virtues, such as courage, humility, the capacity to endure hunger thirst, cold, and heat, not letting himself be dominated by the easiest way. All this means that he preaches with great authority, giving example of what he asks one to do. We must also speak like this of Jesus, with this courage, not being afraid of what others say. Thus John deserved to be the one who baptized Jesus, and who received great praise from Him. It was, perhaps, Jesus’ greatest praise, when He said that among those born of woman no one is greater than John the Baptist. He died for saying the truth, and his head was severed in vengeance for what he said to Herod, that he could not have as spouse his brother’s wife. We must also be among those that proclaim Jesus to our families and friends. We can remember Saint John the Baptist in every Mass when we hear: This is the Lamb of God; it’s what Saint John announced. He also said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease. It’s a task for our life — that Jesus be noted increasingly in us by what we say and what we do. We pray to Saint John to help us to love Jesus more and to respond to Him with generosity in face of the pandemic’s difficulties.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
