The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

By Fr. Conor Donnelly

(Proofread)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence. I ask your pardon for my sins, and grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

St. John the Baptist is the only saint who is honored by the church on both the occasion of his birth and of his death.

Christ’s precursor teaches every one of us by his example of heroic fortitude to fulfill God’s will in our lives, no matter what the obstacles may be.

In the entrance antiphon of today’s mass, it says, “Lord, I shall expound your law before kings and not fear disgrace. I shall ponder your decrees which I have always loved” (Ps. 119:46–47).

The church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist on June 24th. Today she commemorates his dies natalis, the day of his final birth, the day of his death.

King Herod, as St. Mark calls him, ordered his execution.

Herod is one of the most pitiful individuals in the gospel. He ruled during Christ’s years of preaching and his manifestation as the awaited Messiah. He had even met the savior’s precursor.

“Behold the Lamb of God,” the Baptist told some of his disciples (John 1:36). Herod also used to enjoy hearing him speak.

He could have met Christ, whom he longed to see in person, but he committed the enormous injustice of beheading the one entrusted with the mission of pointing him out.

Immoral habits and evil passions led him to the awful crime. They also prevented him from perceiving the truth.

When he finally did meet Christ face to face, he blasphemously proposed the Lord of heaven and earth entertain him and his friends with a miracle.

St. John the Baptist preached what specific individuals needed to hear, given their particular circumstances in society. He spoke to common townspeople, publicans, soldiers, Pharisees, and Sadducees, and even to Herod himself.

Through his humble and austere example of integrity, he affirmed his testimony concerning the arrival of the Messiah.

The Baptist told Herod, “It’s not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18).

He had no fear of the great and powerful, nor did he give importance to their threats. He bore in his heart God’s counsel to the prophet Jeremiah, which is recalled in the first reading of today’s Mass.

“Brace yourself for action, stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence or in their presence I will make you dismayed.

“I, for my part, will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront the whole land.

The kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the country people will fight against you, but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you” (Jer. 1:17–19).

Our Lord asks for our fortitude in everyday things. He wants our exemplary life and our words to be a simple witness of our love for Christ and for his church, without ever giving in to fear or human respect.

St. Mark narrates how Herod had taken John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. She hated the Baptist because he had reproached the tetrarch for the notorious scandal of their illegitimate union.

She therefore sought to kill him.

But Herod liked to hear him speak, knowing that John was a just and holy man, and he feared and protected him.

Her opportunity arose when the king gave a banquet on his birthday and invited the foremost men of the region.

The daughter of Herodias danced in the sight of all and pleased Herod and his guests. The king swore to her, “Ask me for whatever you wish and I will give it to you, even though it be half my kingdom” (Mark 6:22–23).

Prompted by her mother, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist.

Grieved as he was, the king was unwilling to displease her because of his oath and of his guests.

The disciples of the Baptist later took away his body and laid it in a tomb. Many of them would now become faithful followers of Christ.

John the Baptist was completely dedicated to Our Lord. He put all his energy into preparing Christ’s disciples for the master’s arrival, and in the end, he surrendered his very life.

St. Bede comments, there’s no doubt St. John suffered prison and chains as a forerunner of our Redeemer.

Though Herod did not demand that he deny Christ, he did try to oblige the Baptist to remain silent about the truth. We can therefore affirm that the precursor did suffer martyrdom.

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, the martyr considered it a blessing to embrace it for acknowledging Christ’s name in return for the reward of eternal life.

St. Paul says of them, “You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake” (Phil. 1:29).

St. Bede says he tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him. “The sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

Throughout the centuries, followers of Christ have rejoiced in suffering persecutions, tribulations, and unexpected difficulties for the faith.

Many have imitated the example of the apostles. After being lashed, they were enjoined not to speak in the name of Jesus and then released.

“They departed from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing over being deemed worthy to endure trial for the name of Christ.

Far from being intimidated, not for a single day did they cease teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:41–42).

They must have recalled Our Lord’s counsel as recorded by St. Matthew. “Blessed are you when men reproach you and persecute you and speak falsely and say all manner of evil against you for my sake.

Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven. For so did the men persecute the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11–12).

We can make a resolution not to be disheartened or to complain if at some point in our life we have to suffer for being faithful to the call that we have received from Our Lord.

The history of the Church shows that all those who follow closely in the footsteps of Christ experience difficult moments and encounter the cross.

To ascend Calvary and co-redeem with Jesus, there are no easy and comfortable routes.

Even in the early Church, St. Peter writes a letter to all Christians imbued with consolation in the midst of suffering.

It wasn’t a matter of the bloody persecutions that would come later, but of the distressing circumstances many would experience for living in accordance with their faith.

For some, adversity would come through the family. Slaves had to put up with injustices from their masters, and women with the intolerance of their husbands. For others, calumnies, discrimination, or similar affronts arose.

St. Peter reminds the faithful that the difficulties they encounter are not meaningless. They should contribute towards one’s personal purification.

God’s judgment, not man’s, is what counts.

In imitation of Christ, we should keep in mind that during adversity, we can draw down many graces for our persecutors, including faith, as has so often occurred in the past.

He calls these individuals blessed and encourages them to bear their sufferings with joy.

He also invites them to consider that through baptism, the Christian is incorporated into Christ and participates in the Easter mystery.

In the midst of suffering, each one of us can share in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who gives fruition to our daily cross.

Since the time of St. John the Baptist, countless souls have given their lives in fidelity to Christ.

Jesus awakened enthusiasm among his followers. Immediate contact with him infused confidence. These benefits established a certain tone of living faith among the first Christians, which lent their lives solidity and strength.

These attributes are still preserved in the community of the faithful. Christianity has yielded rich and magnificent fruits since its inception.

Christ enjoys the testimony of a nearly 2,000-year history.

In spite of all external opposition and even hidden resistance, the faith has penetrated the inner recesses of hearts and has had an enormous impact on the world.

The Church today is a haven for every noble and sacred value.

One writer says it has passed the test of time that Gamaliel spoke of with astounding success. If it were a mere fabrication of men, it would have fallen into ruin long ago.

We can see the strength of faith and the love of Christ at work in ourselves and in millions who profess him, despite what at times seems overwhelming opposition.

Most likely, Our Lord will not ask for our bloody martyrdom as a witness to the faith. If he should, though, we would gladly correspond with that grace.

Our normal duties, rather, will be our constant cheerfulness in confronting a pagan environment, since calumny, sarcasm, or scorn may come our way.

Our joy will then abound on earth and will be doubled in heaven.

The Church wants to make us realize that the cross is always very close to Jesus and his followers.

As he struggles for perfect righteousness, sanctity in the world, the Christian will meet difficult situations and attacks by the enemies of God.

Our Lord has warned us, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:18, 20).

Since the very beginning of the Church, this prophecy has been fulfilled. In our days too, if we really follow Our Lord, we’re going to suffer difficulties and persecutions, in one way or another, and of different kinds.

St. Augustine says every age is an age of martyrdom. He said, don’t say that Christians are not suffering persecution. St. Paul says “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). He says all, with no one being excluded or exempted.

St. Augustine says, if you want to test the truth of this saying, you’ve only to begin to lead a pious life and you’ll see what good reason he had for saying this.

At the very beginning of the Church, the first Christians in Jerusalem were persecuted by the Jewish authorities. The apostles were flogged for preaching Christ Jesus, and suffered it joyfully.

“They left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41), we’re told in the Acts.

The apostles must have remembered the words of Our Lord when he said, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11–12).

St. John Chrysostom says, don’t say that they didn’t suffer, but that they rejoiced to suffer.

We can see that by the use to which they instantly put their freedom. Immediately after the flogging they gave themselves up to preaching with wonderful zeal.

When Paul came to Rome, Christians were already known by the unmistakable sign of the cross and of contradiction. With regard to this sect, say the Jews of Rome to Paul, “We know that everywhere it is spoken against” (Acts 28:22).

Our Lord, when he calls us or asks us for something, knows all about our limitations and the difficulties which we shall meet along the way.

When the time of difficulty arrives, Jesus will be at our side helping us with his grace. “In the world, you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We shouldn’t be disconcerted if sometimes on our journey towards sanctity, we have to suffer some tribulation, trivial or serious, in a world with so many heathen characteristics.

We can then ask Our Lord for the grace to imitate St. John the Baptist in his courage, in his joy, in his zeal for proclaiming the truth of Christ, even in difficult circumstances.

Persecution can take many forms. During the first centuries, it tried to destroy the Christian faith by physical violence.

At other times, Christians have also been and are deprived of their most elementary rights.

Or attempts are made to confuse simple people by campaigns aimed at undermining their faith.

Even in countries with a great Christian tradition, every sort of obstacle and difficulty is put in the way of parents who wish to educate their children in a truly Christian way.

Or Christians, simply because they’re Christians, are denied a fair chance of advancing in their profession.

In societies which describe themselves as free, it’s not unusual for a Christian to have to live in an obviously hostile atmosphere.

Then there’s hidden persecution, by a sarcastic ridiculing of Christian values, or by pressure of opinion which tries to frighten the weaker brethren into conformity.

It adds up to a bloodless but severe persecution which often makes use of calumny and slander.

In former times, says St. Augustine, Christians were incited to renounce Christ, now they’re taught to deny Christ. Then they were forced, now they’re taught. Then violence was used, now it is deception. Then one heard the shouts of the enemy, now when he prowls around, gentle and insinuating, it’s difficult to recognize him.

Everyone knows how he tried to force Christians to deny Christ. He tried to attract them to himself so that they would renounce him. But they confessed Christ and were crowned by him.

St. Augustine says, now they are taught to deny Christ by trickery because he doesn’t want them to realize that he is drawing them away from Christ.

St. Augustine seems to be talking about our own times. Our Lord also wished to warn his followers not to be disconcerted when they were misjudged, not by the heathen, but by their own brothers in the faith, who usually because of envy, stereotyped reactions, or lack of rectitude of intention, would think that they were offering a service to God by this unjust behavior.

All contradictions, but especially these last, must be endured in the company of Our Lord in the tabernacle.

There, the apostolate in which we’re working will acquire a special fruitfulness.

Circumstances like these mean that Our Lord is calling us in a special way to be united with him through prayer.

There are times when we have to dispel misunderstandings, but always with courage and patience, without ever returning evil for evil.

What’s more, our interior life has need of contradictions and obstacles in order to grow strong and consistent.

With the help of Our Lord, the soul comes out of these trials purified and more humble. We can take the joy of Our Lord in a special way and can say with St. Paul, “I am filled with comfort, with all our affliction, I am overjoyed” (2 Cor. 7:4).

In the opening prayer of today’s mass it says, Lord, grant us the grace to imitate your martyr, who prayed for his executioners, so that we may learn to love our enemies.

A Christian who’s persecuted for following Jesus will draw from this experience a great capacity for understanding other people and a firm resolution never to wound them, never to offend them, never to treat them badly.

Our Lord asks us also to pray for those who persecute us, “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

These words of St. Paul show us how to teach the doctrine of the gospel without losing the charity of Jesus Christ.

The last beatitude finishes with a fervent promise from Our Lord. “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:11–12).

Our Lord is always a generous paymaster. We too have been called to spread Christ’s truth without fear or concealment, being inspired by John the Baptist who died for proclaiming the truth.

We’re told in St. Matthew, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matt. 10:28). The immortality of the soul is one of the most powerful truths of our faith.

Because of this, when it’s a question of proclaiming Christ’s saving doctrine, we can’t give in when we come up against obstacles. We must follow the saying of St. Josemaría in The Way, who says, “Don’t be afraid of the truth, even though the truth might mean your death.”

The day on which Christians are persecuted, slandered, or ill-treated for being disciples of Jesus Christ, is for them a day of victory and profit. “Your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:12).

Even in this life, Our Lord pays with interest. But it’s in the next we can hope, if we are faithful, for an enormous reward. Here, joy can never be perfect. But when we come close to Our Lord through prayer and the sacraments, we enjoy a foretaste of eternal happiness.

St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).

The history of the Church shows that at times tribulation makes someone grow cowardly and cold in his relationship with God. At other times in the country, it ripens sanctity and souls who take up the cross of every day and follow Christ, becoming identified with him.

We always see this double possibility. The same difficulty, illness, misunderstandings, has different effects according to the dispositions of the soul.

If we want to be saints, it’s obvious that our disposition has to be that of always following Our Lord closely, in spite of the difficulties. At times of setback, it’s helpful to foster the hope of heaven. It will help us to be firm in our faith, when we’re faced with any kind of persecution or attempts to confuse us.

St. Teresa of Avila says, “If you always pursue this determination to die rather than to fail to reach the end of the road, the Lord may bring you through this life with a certain degree of thirst, but in the life which never ends, he will give you great abundance to drink, and you will have no fear of its failing you.”

Our joy will then abound on earth and be doubled in heaven. St. Josemaría says we need always to see problems in a positive light. Let obstacles only make them bigger. The grace of Our Lord will not be lacking.

We’re told in the psalms, “Through the very midst of the mountains the waters will pass” (cf. Ps. 104:10). You will pass through the mountains.

But we need faith, a keen and living faith, a faith like Peter’s. When you have it, Our Lord has said so, we will move mountains, humanly insuperable obstacles that rise up against our apostolic undertakings.

Moreover, God’s consolation will never be lacking. If at some point following the path of Jesus is more trying, as it was for St. John the Baptist, we can seek refuge in Our Lady, the help of Christians. She will provide us with protection and shelter us with her cloak.

I thank you, my God, for the good resolutions, affections, and inspirations that you have communicated to me during this meditation. I ask your help to put them into practice. My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

EW