John the Baptist

How to Activate Your Small Catholic Business’s Uniqueness

/ chicoinematt

Do you want your business to stand out in the sea of Internet-noise?

Be like John the Baptist. Do something different.

Eat locusts with a dab of honey. Record yourself chomping on these crunchy bugs. 😋

Don’t worry, I said you can have honey on it.

Now, if aren’t near a grassy field you can order dried locusts online (link in the comments).

😳

🦗

🙄

You might be reading this thinking, “Surely, you must be kidding!?”

I’m only half-kidding— about the locusts.

*Reader breathes a sigh of relief*

But I was serious about being LIKE John the Baptist.

Do something different.

I mean with your blogging strategy on your website.

“But we post once a month.”

We live in a fast-paced world. And it’s weird.

Heck, people video record themselves eating things much stranger than locusts (and in a much greater volume than John the Baptist did with those bugs)

Posting once a month isn’t enough to distinguish your business from every other one.

Going back to weirdness…

Last month, the priest at my local parish talked about how we need to keep the weirdness in Catholicism. This was in the context of our Corpus Christi procession.

Being weird isn’t bad.

It captures people’s attention.

John was weird with his Nazarite vows and yelling “Repent” or “Behold, the Lamb of God”.

And if you have a small Catholic business, we are compelled to preach the oddness of the Gospel.

This doesn’t mean making up new doctrines or stretching the truth.

But it does mean being different.

And if you don’t have a current blog on your website the first step to being different is starting one.

I provide blog writing services for small Catholic businesses.

Reach out to me if you want your business to stand out and attract new customers. More details by clicking on: https://thesimplecatholic.blog/writing-services/

And the best part?

I won’t ask you to eat locusts…unless you want with them with honey. 🍯

Thank you for sharing!

Saint John the Baptist: The Humble Harbinger to Jesus

/ chicoinematt

Every year on June 24th, Catholics celebrate the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, honoring his birth. It is a unique celebration, as Saint John is the only saint, aside from the Virgin Mary, whose birth is celebrated in the liturgy. This special observance is closely connected to the profound mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God.

The Humility of Saint John

Saint John the Baptist, as the last prophet of the Old Testament and the one who inaugurated the New Testament, played a significant role in God’s plan of salvation. The four Gospels emphasize his figure, particularly as the prophet who identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Anointed One of the Lord. Despite his crucial role in preparing the way for Jesus, Saint John always remained humble and acknowledged the increasing prominence of Jesus in his own diminishing role.

The Witness to Truth

Even before his birth, Saint John demonstrated his unique connection to Jesus. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph #523,

“St. John the Baptist is the Lord’s immediate precursor or forerunner, sent to prepare his way. ‘Prophet of the Most High’, John surpasses all the prophets, of whom he is the last. He inaugurates the Gospel, already from his mother’s womb welcomes the coming of Christ, and rejoices in being “the friend of the bridegroom”, whom he points out as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. Going before Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah”, John bears witness to Christ in his preaching, by his Baptism of conversion, and through his martyrdom.”

Pope Benedict XVI noted, the Gospels place great emphasis on Saint John the Baptist, who, as the final prophet of the Old Testament, identified Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Saint John’s birth is intrinsically linked to the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, making him a witness to the divine truth.

Embracing the Bizarreness of the Gospel

Saint John the Baptist’s unconventional appearance and lifestyle in the desert might have seemed peculiar to those who did not believe. However, as Pope Benedict XVI pointed out in his Angelus on June 24, 2012, Saint John’s role as the prophet who concluded the Old Testament and introduced the New Testament was of utmost significance. His distinct clothing and dietary choices served as visible signs of his commitment to proclaiming God’s message and preparing the way for Jesus, even if they appeared unusual to the outside world.

Emulating Saint John

In our own lives, we are called to be like Saint John the Baptist. We are not expected to adopt his peculiar habits, but rather to follow his example of humility and witness to the truth. Saint John’s words, “He must increase while I must decrease,” resonate deeply. They remind us to let go of our pride and self-centeredness, allowing Jesus to take center stage in our lives.

The Humanity of Jesus

A profound illustration of the relationship between Jesus and Saint John can be found in Matthew 14:22-36. This passage, as Pope Benedict XVI highlighted, shows Jesus’ humanity through his experience of grief and loss following the beheading of his cousin and friend, Saint John. Even in moments of great sadness, Jesus sought solace in prayer and demonstrated the power of faith by performing miracles.

Conclusion

As we celebrate the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, we are reminded of his humility and his vital role as a witness to the truth of God’s plan for salvation. Just as Saint John recognized Jesus as the Messiah, may we also embrace the divine truth in our lives and strive to emulate his humility and unwavering commitment to God. Let us allow Jesus to increase in our lives as we decrease, making room for His love and grace to transform us.

Thank you for sharing!

How Matthew 14 is the Best Illustration of the Humanity of Jesus

/ chicoinematt

Peter walks on water

Matthew 14 is a jam-packed chapter. It begins with the beheading of John the Baptist. Next, Jesus feeds the large crowd of 5000. Finally, Peter walking (and sinking) in water occurs in Matthew 14: 22:36.

Context matters

The miracle of Jesus walking on the sea waters is astonishing by itself. But it takes on a whole new and deeper meaning when looking at the events leading up to it.

Jesus was in a state of mourning. His cousin and friend, John, was murdered by King Herod. Christ is fully God AND fully human. In his human nature, Jesus experienced human emotions. Losing John the Baptist most certainly caused him deep sadness.

Beheading of John the Baptist- Matthew 14

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How have you reacted when a family member or friend dies?

When my grandpa passed away a few years ago I needed a bit of alone time to process his death. And I also needed time to pray.

Likewise, Jesus sought solitude to properly grieve. Saint Matthew tells us, “Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself” (Matthew 14:13). The evangelist doesn’t detail how long Jesus stayed alone but the crowds followed Christ in the next verse. Experiencing hunger and there not being enough bread to feed everyone, Jesus intervened and multiplied the loaves and fish to satisfy the people’s hunger pains.

Feeding of the 5000- Matthew 14

According to Matthew 14: 22-23, “Immediately, He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”  Jesus persisted in seeking a time and place to pray to God the Father. He still needed time to pray. 

That’s the context leading up to Jesus (and Peter) walking on water.  Later this week, I will go over a few of the insights I gained from this Gospel story during Mass and my priest’s homily.

Stayed tuned for the rest of the story! Become an email subscriber to receive Catholic content from The Simple Catholic in your inbox.

Thank you for sharing!

Why Catholics Must Have Bible A.D.D Part 8— Elijah and John the Baptist

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on August 5, 2017.

Possessing both a Bachelor of Arts in history and a continued passion for the subject, I constantly remind myself to view persons and events in a large historical context. According to the English poet John Donne in his poem No Man is an Island,

No man is an island,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friend’s

Or of thine own were:

Any man’s death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind,

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

manisland

No person lives in isolation free from the influences of others humans and world events. Viewing connections between the Old and New Testaments is no different. Events and characters throughout the history and religious development of Judaism forged the way for the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Why Catholics Must Have Bible A.D.D. series, I have portrayed that contextual reading is not merely a preferred, but an essential component to understanding and unlocking the fullness of Jesus’ gospel message. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,

Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament.106 As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New (CCC 129).

Today, I wish to share the relationship between the famous Old Testament prophet Elijah and how he is a predecessor and prefiguring of John the Baptist.

Tackling Tyrants

Elijah and John the Baptist both faced wicked monarchs in their respective times. The Old Testament prophets vehemently opposed the evil ways of Queen Jezebel and King Ahab. In 1 Kings 21, Elijah was able to get the king to repent of and humble himself before the Lord.

John the Baptist also squared off against an evil ruler—King Herod. Standing up to the king, John chastised Herod’s lusting his brother’s ex-wife Herodias. The prophet’s continual condemnation of Herod’s evil led to John’s beheading.

wilderness-photo.jpg

Desert Dudes

Both prophets spent enormous amounts of time praying and fasting in the desert. According to 1 Kings 19:1-14, Elijah flees to the desert to escape the wrath of Queen Jezebel after he destroyed the prophets of the idol Ba’al. The prophet spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness. His period of fasting culminated with his famous encounter with God in the stillness and quite voice.

Fast forward to the New Testament and John the Baptist lives in a similar manner. Matthew 3 tells of John preaching in the desert of Judea—clothed in camel hides and eating locusts. His speech against false worship is similar is tone to Elijah. The Baptist chastised the Pharisees and Sadducees by saying,

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.f 10Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Harbingers of Greatness

As profound and mighty prophets both Elijah and John the Baptist were in their own regard, they ultimately paved the way for someone greater to follow—Elisha and Jesus respectively. Elisha’s superiority is exemplified in providing greater miracles and ultimately being a foreshadowing of Jesus himself. The successor of Elijah, healed lepers, multiplied food, and resurrected the widow’s son. All of these miracles are things Jesus performed—simply on a grander manner.

The liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church places the feast day of John the Baptist on June 24th. It is interesting to note that this placement is close to the summer solstice and the time of the year where the day slowly starts to grew less and less. Christmas, the birthday of Jesus, occurs after the winter solstice. During the darkest periods of the year, there exists hope on December 25th as the daylight is increasing. John the Baptist tells us his role in salvation history. The prophet states, “He must increase while I must decrease!” (John 3:30).

John also defers to Jesus in Mark 1:7-8 when he says, “And this is what he proclaimed: ‘One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.'”

john the baptist

Thank you God for the strong and passionate witnesses to the truth in the persons of Elijah and John the Baptist!

Related Links

Why Catholics Must Have Bible A.D.D Part 9- Akedah of Isaac and the Passion of Christ

Why Catholics Must Have Bible A.D.D Part 7- Joshua and Jesus

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Thank you for sharing!