Celebrate the

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Attend a Mass that day at 6:45 AM or 12:00 PM

The birth of John the Baptist is celebrated shortly after the summer solstice (June 20), as the days get shorter until the winter solstice (December 21).   The lengthening of daylight after Christ's Nativity, and the shortening of daylight after John the Baptist's Nativity, correspond with John's famous words, "He must increase.  I must decrease" (John 3:30).   Even the times and seasons proclaim the Gospel!

Pope Francis: John the Baptist teaches us to bear witness to Jesus

Pope Francis reminds the faithful that 24 June is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist,

and invites everyone to draw closer to God.

By Vatican News

“Today is the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist,” he said. “Let us learn from the one who was the forerunner of Jesus the ability to bear witness to the Gospel with courage, beyond our own differences, while preserving the harmony and friendship that form the basis of any credible proclamation of the faith.”

The Pope also said, in his address to the Spanish-speaking faithful, that both Saint John the Baptist and King David knew how to draw people’s attention to the true God. 

He prayed that their example might be a source of encouragement for the faithful, so that “we may seek God’s friendship through prayer, and our example might help bring God to men and women, and men and women to God.” 

God in the beauty of creation

Turning his thoughts towards the current temperate season in the Northern Hemisphere, Pope Francis expressed hopes that the summer might be “a time of serenity and a beautiful opportunity to contemplate God in the masterpiece of His creation.”

He prayed that the summer season might be “a peaceful time of rest, enjoyment of the beauty of creation, and strengthening of the ties between us and God.”