นักบุญยอห์น บัปติสต์ |
ศตวรรษที่ 1 (ฉลอง 24 มิถุนายน) |
ยอห์น เป็นบุตรของท่านสมณะเศคาริยาห์
และนางเอลีซาเบธ เทวดาคาเบรียลได้ประจักษ์มาหาท่านเศคาริยาห์ขณะอยู่ในพระวิหาร
และแจ้งให้ทราบล่วงหน้าถึงการเกิดของยอห์น (ลก.1:1-25) เมื่อยอห์นเติบโตขึ้นก็ได้ไปจำศีลภาวนาอยู่ในทะเลทราย
ไม่ดื่มสุราเมรัย รับประทานตั๊กแตนและน้ำผึ้งเท่านั้นเป็นอาหาร จาริกสั่งสอนประชาชนทั่วไปที่แม่น้ำจอร์แดน(มก.1:4-8)
ยอห์นประกาศว่า "ท่านทั้งหลาย จงใช้โทษบาปและกลับใจเถิด เหตุว่าพระราชัยสวรรค์ใกล้เข้ามาแล้ว
ข้าพเจ้าเป็นเสียงร้องในที่เปลี่ยว จงเตรียมทางให้ตรงเพื่อรับเสด็จพระคริสตเจ้า"
ประชาชนจำนวนมากได้รับศีลน้ำชำระบาปจากยอห์น (มธ.3:1-6) พระเยซูเจ้าทรงขอให้ยอห์นโปรดศีลน้ำแก่พระองค์(มธ.3:13-15)
ท่านยอห์น กล้าตำหนิและตักเตือนกษัตริย์เฮโรด
ที่ได้ทรงเอาภรรยาน้องชายของพระองค์เอง (น้องสะใภ้) มาเป็นมเหสี ท่านจึงถูกจับเข้าคุก
และถูกประหารชีวิตโดยการตัดศรีษะ (มธ.14:1-10) พระเยซูเจ้าได้ตรัสถึงจอห์นว่า
"ไม่มีประกาศกองค์ใด ที่ยิ่งใหญ่ไปกว่ายอห์น บัปติสต์" (มธ.11:10-11)
John the Baptist
Also known as
Joannes Baptista; John the Baptizer; John the Forerunner; Juan Bautista
Memorial
24 June (birth)
29 August (death)
Profile
Cousin of Jesus Christ. Son of Zachary, a priest of the order of Abia whose
job in the temple was to burn incense; and of Elizabeth, a descendent of Aaron.
As Zachary was ministering in the Temple, an angel brought him news that Elizabeth
would bear a child filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment of his birth.
Zachary doubted and was struck dumb until John's birth.
Prophet. Began his ministry around age 27, wearing a leather belt and a tunic
of camel hair, living off locusts and wild honey, and preaching a message
of repentance to the people of Jerusalem. He converted many, and prepared
the way for the coming of Jesus. Baptized Christ, after which he stepped away
and told his disciples to follow Jesus.
Imprisoned by King Herod. He died a victim of the vengeance of a jealous
woman; he was beheaded, and his head brought to her on a platter. Saint Jerome
says Herodias kept the head for a long time after, occassionally stabbing
the tongue with his dagger.
Died
beheaded c.30 at Machaerus; buried at Sebaste, Samaria; relics in Saint Sylvester's
church, Rome, Italy, and at Amiens, France
Name Meaning
God is gracious; gift of God (John)
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
baptism; bird dealers; diocese of Charleston, South Carolina; Colletorto,
Italy; converts; convulsions; convulsive children; cutters; diocese of Dodge
City, Kansas; epilepsy; epileptics; farriers; French Canadians; F?rstenberg,
Germany; Genoa, Italy; hail; hailstorms; Jordan; Knights Hospitaller; Knights
of Malta; lambs; Leioa, Spain; Macau, China; Maltese Knights; monastic life;
Monza, Italy; motorways; Palermo, Sicily; diocese of Paterson, New Jersey;
Penzance, Cornwall, England; diocese of Portland, Maine; Pozzallo, Sicily;
printers; Puerto Rico; Quebec; Ragusa, Sicily; Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, Loiret,
France; San Juan Indian Pueblo; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Sassano, Italy; diocese
of Savannah, Georgia; spasms; tailors; Teising, Germany; Torino, Italy; Umbria,
Italy; Wenden, Germany; Wenings, Germany; Wroclaw, Poland
Representation
cross in hand; lamb; severed head on a platter; skin of an animal; slender
cross
Images
Gallery of images of Saint John [21 images, 544 kb]
Readings
The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such
commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we celebrate
the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even
if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate
on it with great depth and profit.
John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the
new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he
speaks of "the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist."
Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As
a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the
new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother's womb.
For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother's womb at the arrival of blessed
Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he
was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ's precursor, before they
ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits
of our human frailty.
When John was preaching the Lord's coming he was asked, "Who are you?"
And he replied: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness."
The voice is John, but the Lord "in the beginning was the Word."
John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning,
is eternal.
from a sermon by Saint Augustine on the birth of John the Baptist
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So they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, the one who was with you across
the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming
to him.' John answered and said, 'No one can receive anything except what
has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that
I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the
bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices
greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease'
John 3:26-30
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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, but 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.
Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming
birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed
that Christ also would suffer.
Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this
present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached
the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men. He
was locked away in the darkness of prison, through he came bearing witness
to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by
that Light itself, which is Christ.
To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden
for such men as John; rather is was easily borne and even desirable, for he
knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was ever at hand, such men
considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal
life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says:
"You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but
also to suffer for his sake." He tells us why it is Christ's gift that
his chosen ones should suffer for him: "The sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in
us."
from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable on the death of John the Baptist
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Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable
to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and
kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet
he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his
birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers and the
leading men of Galilee. Herodias's own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant
it to you."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I
want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he
did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn
gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took
his body and laid it in a tomb.
Mark 6:19-29