Saint of the Day - The Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29th)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 2023-08-28

Every August 29th, various Christian churches including the Catholic Church commemorate the beheading of St. John the Baptist as a Holy Day, for he was the one who baptized and prepared the way for Jesus.

Early Life

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of how the Angel of the Lord spoke to a priest named Zechariah that his old wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to a baby they would call John.

The Gospel of Mark introduces John as a fulfillment of a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah about a messenger of God being sent ahead and a voice crying out in the wilderness. John is described as wearing clothes of camel's hair and living on locusts and wild honey. 

John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. As the Son of God emerges from the water, Jesus sees the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends on him "like a dove", and he hears a voice from heaven that says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased".

The Beheading of John the Baptist

The Gospel of Matthew mentions how John the Baptist criticised King Herod Antipas for marrying his brother's ex-wife Herodias which led to him getting arrested and imprisoned. Herod wanted to kill John but was afraid of the people.

A non-biblical source, Jewish historian Josephus, suggested that the real reason Herod had John the Baptist killed was the great influence John had over the people which could lead to a rebellion. Many Jews believed the military disaster that later on fell upon Herod was God's punishment for his unrighteous behavior towards John.

Traditional accounts suggest that it was Herodias who had John killed. During the celebration of Herod's birthday, Herodias's unnamed daughter dances before Herod, who is so pleased that he offers anything she asks for in return. When the daughter asked her mother what she should request, she was told to demand the head of John the Baptist on a plate. Josephus says that Herodias had a daughter by the name of Salome.

Ultimately, John the Baptist was executed by beheading at the request of Herodias' daughter. His disciples buried his remains and told Jesus.

Feast Day

The liturgical commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is said to be almost as old as that commemorating his birth, which is one of the oldest feasts, if not the oldest, introduced into both the Eastern and Western liturgies to honor a saint.

The Roman Catholic Church as well as the Lutheran Church celebrates the feast every August 29th. Other churches designate this day as a commemoration rather than a feast day.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the Decollation of St. John on the Saturday of Easter Week, while the Syriac Orthodox, Indian Orthodox, and Syro-Malankara Catholic Churches commemorate his death every January 7th.

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Images attributed to the following:
- By Titian - Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
- By Caravaggio - Self-scanned, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
- By Piero della Francesca - aiwaz.net, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons