The Passion of Saint John the Baptist

We recall the decollation, or beheading, of St. John the Baptist on August 29th. King Herod the Great’s granddaughter, Herodias, married her half-uncle, Herod Philip, and bore a child, whom she named Salome. Subsequently, Herodias divorced Herod Phillip, and married his half-brother, Herod Antipas, who had divorced his first wife to take up with her. St. John publicly disapproved of Herod Antipas’ adulterous act, which lead to John’s imprisonment, and ultimate beheading, by the king, upon the request of his step daughter, Salome. 

The life of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Christ, can be easily paralleled with the life of our Lord. St. John spoke without fear, despite external and worldly pressures to accept and normalize sin, the births of he and Jesus were foretold by the Archangel Gabriel, they both spent time in the wilderness, preached the Kingdom of God and repentance, revealed the hypocrisy of religious authority, and faced opposition from political figures, including Herod. St. John the Baptist was martyred for his commitment to God’s truth, as was his cousin, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. A story of fortitude and integrity, the Passion of St. John is a touchstone among Catholics, especially today.