In the history of the Church, we typically do not celebrate the birth of the saints, except, of course, for Mary. Rather, we celebrate the birth of a saint into eternal life at their death, which is why it is such a rare thing for us to celebrate a birth today, and not just that, this is the greatest celebration the Church can bestow, that of the rank of Solemnity, complete with its own vigil Mass, so the fact that we are celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist on a Sunday, shows us and testifies to the fact of his great importance in Jesus’ life, the life of the Church, and our own lives as well.

Yet, from the very beginning, it is clear, that St. John was destined for great things. In fact, he stands as one of the greatest models the Church has given us to show us what it means to be an Apostle. Countless people from all over were drawn to him, baptized by him, and followers of him, and yet, given all of this, he never once saw it as a rise in fame, but, rather, as an opportunity to point to the one who is to come. He said it himself: “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”

And, yet, all of this was evident before he was even born, before he even stepped foot into this world. Because, while he was in the womb, he leaped for joy upon Mary’s visitation, pointing and filling his own mother, St. Elizabeth with grace, while also showing the importance of the one who, indeed, dwelt in Mary’s womb. It was a moment when the grace of Mary bestowed grace upon John, who in turn, bestowed grace upon Elizabeth. That is why what is known as the Visitation, when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, is highlighted in the lives of Jesus and Mary, because St. John, even in the womb, recognized Christ, even in the womb was a herald of His coming.

What’s more is when St. John was about to be born and they needed a name, they broke with the tradition of naming the child after the father, but instead named him John, which in Hebrew means “The Lord shows favor.”

This is why all were so amazed that not only had Elizabeth and Zechariah known that this was to be his name but that they had chosen a name that was uncommon in his family. It was another way to show the importance of St. John, how he would be set apart and become a lone voice in the desert. But everyone else didn’t know that yet, which is why they collectively asked the same question: “What, then, will this child be?”

This child was, indeed, to be and has been one of the loudest, most profound and incredibly powerful voices the world has ever known, because, ultimately, St. John’s greatest legacy was, simply, as a voice, as a herald, as one who points away from himself and points directly to Christ. He could almost, in a sense, be seen as the male equivalent to what Mary, herself did, pointing always away from herself to the one who is to come and has come.

St. John’s birth did more than just evoke that question, his birth set the stage for an even greater birth, which, liturgically speaking, is six months away. His birth began his vocation as that voice crying out in the wilderness, as the one pointing to the one greater than himself. Without him, the world may have never known about Jesus, without him, we might never have seen someone so obedient to the Will of God, someone who reflected this same obedience that occurred even before he left the womb.

One of the most beautiful things St. John has ever said is simply this: “He must increase, and I must decrease.” That simple sentence summarizes the entirety of his life, and that simple sentence should be the summary of ours as well. For he teaches us and shows us that all of us are called to be heralds of the Gospel, evangelizers of the message of Christ and those who constantly point toward the kingdom of God.

It is no wonder then that the Church celebrates this nativity, this great birth, and that even, today, we remember him, his birth, his life, his death and the legacy he has left behind for all of us.

Therefore, let us ask his intercession this day for his same zeal, his same fire and desire to bring others to Christ, pointing always away from ourselves and squarely at Him. So that in the words of Isaiah, from our first reading today, we might truly become a light to the nations, bringing His salvation and His hope to the ends of the earth, so that, in the end, like St. John the Baptist, we might become heralds of Christ and evangelizers of souls.