June 24, 2026 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Gospel: Luke 1:57–66, 80
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. The passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke proclaims to us the mystery of John’s birth. I take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
In daily life, when a neighbor or a relative welcome a newborn child, we hasten to congratulate them and share in their joy. So too, when a child was born to Zechariah’s household, his neighbors and relatives would naturally have rejoiced with them. At that time, they intended to circumcise the child according to the command God gave to Abraham (cf. Genesis 17:23–27), so that the boy might belong to Israel. They acted thus because they did not yet understand the mission John the Baptist was to fulfill.
But Elizabeth and Zechariah unanimously declared to their neighbors and relatives, “His name is John.” This name had been revealed to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel (cf. Luke 1:12–13). The name John means: “God bestows grace,” manifesting His mercy and revealing His gracious favor. Elizabeth and Zechariah acted as they did because they had already experienced the love God showed them—a love that transformed their lives. No longer did they live according to the patterns of the old covenant alone; now they dwelt in God’s own world, which is to say, in the very love of God.
Today, we rejoice at the birth of John the Baptist, for his coming signifies that the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is near. Therefore, let us lift up our hearts in faith and offer our prayer to God:
O God, who raised up Saint John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord, give your people, we pray, the grace of spiritual joys and direct the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
June 23, 2026 Evening: Vigil Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Gospel: Luke 1:5–17
Today is Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. According to the tradition of the Church, the Vigil Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated this evening. For pastoral reasons, we continue this year to provide reflections for both Masses. The Gospel for the Vigil Mass of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke.
At the opening of the Gospel, Saint Luke introduces us to John’s parents: Zechariah, a priest of God, and Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron. In the time of Moses, Aaron was consecrated as priest (Exodus 28:1–5); yet even such holy spouses were childless. In Jewish society during Zechariah’s time, barrenness or the absence of children was commonly regarded as a punishment from the Lord. But in the eyes of God, this was part of His divine plan. Why so? Because it is precisely in the lives of women once deemed barren that God manifests His wondrous power. Consider the mother of Samson, the wife of Manoah of the tribe of Dan: through her, God raised up Samson to deliver Israel from the Philistines (cf. Judges 13–16). And consider most blessedly the Virgin Mary: though she had no relations with Joseph, through her obedient surrender to the divine will, she miraculously conceived and gave birth to the Savior of humanity, making visible the invisible God.
Today, the words spoken by the angel to Zechariah are filled with profound consolation. He said: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John” (cf. Luke 1:13). The name John is singularly significant: it does not come from Zechariah’s ancestry, but is given by the angel. This signifies that from the very moment of his conception in Elizabeth’s womb, John is destined for a unique mission. He will await the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary, draw comfort from the words spoken by the Savior Jesus Christ through His Mother’s greeting, rejoice with exultant gladness at the presence of the Redeemer, and later, nourished by locusts and wild honey, prepare a holy people for the Messiah of God—a people ready to enter the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus. Therefore, on this most sacred night, let us raise our prayer to God:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that your family may walk in the way of salvation and, attentive to what Saint John the Precursor urged, may come safely to the One he foretold, our Lord Jesus Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
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