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(Feast day June 24th) 
Saint days are celebrated on the day the saint enters heaven, except for the feast of John the Baptist. His feast day is celebrated on his birthday because unlike the rest, he was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. As to the date of the birth of John the Baptist, nothing can be said with certainty. The Gospel suggests that the Precursor was born about six months before Christ; but the year of Christ's nativity has not so far been ascertained. John's birthday is celebrated June 24th. Elizabeth the saint's mother, and the saint were filled with the Holy Ghost at the salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The infant leaped for joy in her womb as if to acknowledge the presence of his Lord. This accomplished the prophetic words of the angel Gabriel that the child should be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. As the presence of any sin is incompatible with the Holy Ghost, it follows that at this moment John was cleansed from the stain of original sin. Following are Christ's words about John: Luke 7:25 But what went you out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately are in the houses of kings. 7:26. But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 7:27. This is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. 7:28. For I say to you: Amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he that is the lesser in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 7:31. And the Lord said: Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like? 7:32. They are like to children sitting in the marketplace and speaking one to another and saying: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have mourned, and you have not wept. 7:33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. And you say: He hath a devil. 7:34. The Son of man is come eating and drinking. And you say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners. 7:35. And wisdom is justified by all her children. To answer John's question to Our Lord "I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?" Our Lord answers "Suffer it to be so now. For so it becomes us to fulfil all justice." Mark 1:4 John was in the desert baptizing, and preaching the baptism of penance, unto remission of sins. He was preaching around the country of the Jordan River. He said to prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Straight, is in a continuous sequential course without delay and or qualification. He preached honesty in ones station in life. To the publicans he said "Do nothing more than that which is appointed you." To the soldiers he said "Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay. John also reproved the tetrarch, Herod for all the evils which Herod had done, including a relationship with Herodias a sister-in-law. St Luke tells us on top of all his evil, Herod shut up John in prison, Luke 3:20. St Augustine says - Thus was done to death the greatest "amongst them that are born of women", the prize awarded to a dancing girl, the toll exacted for an oath rashly taken and criminally kept. The Jews were shocked at the unjustifiable execution of John. They attributed to Divine vengeance the defeat of Herod at the hand of Aretas, his rightful father-in-law. John's disciples, hearing of his death "came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told Jesus. Which when Jesus had heard, he retired from thence by a boat, into a desert place apart, and the multitudes having heard of it, followed him on foot out of the cities. And he coming forth saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. St John the Baptist, servant of God.
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