Liturgical living simplified: Feasting with St. John the Baptist

Photos by August Walkowski

What does your birthday mean to you? Is it just another day or simply an opportunity to live in the spotlight and be pampered? Or is it more solemn, a time to reflect on the day when you fully came into this world and were set on the path that God had planned for you since the beginning of time? 

The Church only acknowledges three birthdays over the course of the whole liturgical year: the birth of Christ, the birth of the Blessed Virgin, and the birth of St. John the Baptist. That should signify to us that this feast day is something pretty special — and it is! 

What we know about St. John the Baptist

What do we know about St. John the Baptist? Scripture tells us that he’s the cousin of Jesus, who was born six months before him. We know that in his adult life he was considered to be a bit fervent, wore camel’s hair, and lived on locusts and wild honey for sustenance. We also know he was eventually imprisoned and murdered by King Herod in the fortress of Machaerus.

St. John the Baptist’s mission was to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord: to announce to them that their long-awaited Messiah was coming, and to exhort them to ready themselves and their hearts. This is foretold by John’s father, Zechariah. At the moment of his presentation, he said: 

“You, My child shall be called

The prophet of the Most High,

For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins.”

Just before Jesus began his public ministry, he sought John for baptism. John, feeling unworthy, said that it was the Lord who should be baptizing him. Yet, Jesus requested baptism not because he needed to be forgiven of any sins but so that he could purify the waters in order that they might purify us all. With this sacrament, the heavens opened up, the Holy Spirit descended, and the voice of God was heard: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). With his ultimate act being completed, John the Baptist “decreased” and allowed Christ to increase — his mission was fulfilled. 

So why has the Church set apart St. John the Baptist’s Nativity as a special solemnity? Tradition says that John the Baptist, while conceived with the stain of original sin, was sanctified by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth when he leapt for joy at the arrival of Mary carrying Jesus. This moment of sanctification meant that John was born without original sin; the only others born this way are Jesus and Mary (who were both conceived without original sin), and their nativities are also celebrated and set apart in the Church. John was chosen by God and set apart in the womb to prepare the way for Christ.

Creating personal traditions

St. John the Baptist is more than just an important biblical figure in the Walkowski household. He is one of the patrons of our firstborn son, John Ávila, and has been praying and interceding for him and us since before our son’s birth. Thus, we love that the Church encourages us to celebrate him on June 24, the solemnity of his nativity. (The memorial of his death is remembered on August 29, making him one of the few saints with two feast days.)

As always, preparations for feast days can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. I think of feast days as acting like sacramentals for us; they’re an opportunity to be reminded of the saint in question, ask for their prayers, and get to know them a little better. With some saints, like St. Catherine of Siena, we know a good deal about them, and that can help us decide on how we will celebrate. With biblical saints, we don't always have an excess of knowledge about them or traditions associated with them (like St. Joseph). So it’s up to us to make our own traditions for our families, little annual treats and observances that can be looked forward to all year long. 

Celebrating the feast day

As I mentioned before, you can pick and choose how you celebrate based on what inspires you or what you’re able to do. Here are a few suggestions: 

• Feature a prayer card and a little bowl of honey-flavored candies in a prominent area of your home. 

• For the adventurous, buy packages of dried bugs for sampling. (Not my first choice, but maybe you have brave kids!)

• Watch episode one of Season Four of “The Chosen” or a portion of “Jesus of Nazareth” that highlights St. John. 

• Bake a dessert that features honey prominently. (That’s how my family will celebrate. See below.)

• Have a bonfire on the vigil of St. John the Baptist’s Feast Day.

On St. John the Baptist’s feast day, I will be making the Wild Honey Cake from the Word on Fire Catholic Kids’ Cookbook. If you don’t own a copy, below is a link to a video where two lovely ladies go over the ingredients and steps! Alternatively, you can find some other honey cake recipes with a quick Google search. 

However you plan to celebrate, I encourage you to give St. John the Baptist some of your time this year. Jesus himself referred to him as the greatest of those born to women (cf. Luke 7:28), and he was the first to acknowledge Christ while he was still in the womb. He’s the patron saint of baptism and converts, and he spent his life preaching the arrival of God, preparing those who otherwise wouldn’t be ready. May we use his feast as an opportunity to enliven in us a thirst to bring more souls to God and to never dilute the teachings of the Church in doing so! 

As a convert to Catholicism, August has a great desire to share her love for the Lord and all of the ways he’s been present in her life before, during, and after her conversion. While studying video game art and animation, as well as graphic design, she met her now-husband, Joseph. After almost a decade together and five years of marriage, they welcomed their firstborn son, John Ávila, last September. As a full-time mom, August enjoys spending her free time baking, reading, painting, and being outside with her husband and son. She desires to inspire others to embrace their crosses and find happiness amid both blessings and sufferings.