The Ancient Feast of Birthday of St. John the Baptist: The Forerunner of the Gospel

About this sermon

Today we celebrate the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, one of the most ancient feasts in the Christian calendar and one of only three birthdays commemorated by the Church: those of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. John the Baptist. In this sermon, we explore why the Church has honored the birth of St. John the Baptist since the earliest centuries of Christianity. As the Forerunner of Christ, John was chosen by God to prepare hearts for the coming of the Messiah and to herald the beginning of our redemption. Drawing from the Gospel of Luke, we examine the Annunciation to Zechariah, the miraculous conception of John, the contrast between Zechariah's doubt and Our Lady's faith, and the profound symbolism surrounding John's mission. Like the prophet Elijah, John was sent to call God's people back to repentance and prepare them for the Kingdom of God. This reflection also considers the role of prophets throughout salvation history and the continuing need for courageous voices who speak the truth in a world that has lost its way. May St. John the Baptist help us prepare our hearts to receive Christ more fully and remain faithful to the Gospel. Topics Covered: • Why the Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist • The three birthdays commemorated in the liturgical calendar • The Annunciation to Zechariah • The miraculous conception of John the Baptist • John as the new Elijah • The mission of the Forerunner • The role of prophets in salvation history • Conversion, repentance, and preparation for Christ • The Kingdom of God and the Gospel message • Lessons from the Nativity of St. John the Baptist "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." — Luke 3:4 00:00 Opening Prayer & Feast of St. John the Baptist 00:27 Why the Church Celebrates Saints' Feast Days 01:01 One of Only Three Birthdays in the Liturgical Calendar 01:32 Why John's Birth Was Celebrated Before Christmas 01:54 The Beginning of Our Redemption 02:11 John the Baptist: The Forerunner of Christ 02:27 The Annunciation to Zechariah 03:14 Zechariah's Doubt and Unbelief 03:47 Zechariah's Silence and Spiritual Retreat 04:10 The Naming of John and Restoration of Faith 04:34 Miraculous vs. Supernatural Birth 05:00 John's Mission to Prepare the Way 05:16 John the Baptist and the Prophet Elijah 05:40 The Role of Prophets in God's Plan 06:06 Prophets Who Suffered for the Truth 06:21 Why the World Still Needs Prophetic Voices 06:37 Preparing Our Hearts for Christ 06:45 Final Blessing Please say 3 Hail Marys for the priest. 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintJohnTheBaptist #NativityOfJohnTheBaptist #Catholic #TraditionalCatholic #CatholicSermon #GospelReflection #ChristianFaith #CatholicTeaching #ForerunnerOfChrist #FeastDay #Luke1 #Repentance #Conv