While June is the month of the Sacred Heart, this devotion is certainly not restricted to June. There are many ways to deepen our devotion to Christ's Heart, from making the First Fridays part of our lives, to displaying an image of the Sacred Heart in our homes, to praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart. As well, St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is in June, makes an excellent guide to help draw us closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the words of St. John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, spoken in the Canticle, “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way …” (Luke 1:76).
St. John the Baptist is honored with two feast days. His birthday is marked with a special feast day on June 24. The second feast of St. John the Baptist is in honor of his martyrdom, August 29. In fact, due to his special place in salvation history, John the Baptist is one of only three birthdays marked on the Church’s calendar.
His very conception was miraculous. At the Feast of the Visitation, St. John the Baptist was sanctified in the womb. His prophetic and blessed life and powerful witness to the love of God and to the truth creates a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament, from the heart of the prophets to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It is significant that the same week in June that celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart also celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist, he who made straight the way of the Lord through his preaching of the repentance that would prepare for the arrival of Christ. He refused to bend on the subject of the sanctity of marriage; and he died a martyr, a precursor to Christ’s death on the cross.
We know that John the Baptist was dear to God’s heart. “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11)
Drawing closer to St. John the Baptist through Scripture helps to shed light on how better to love and honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Wisdom from his words
Here are three quotes by St. John the Baptist which can help inspire us to draw closer to the Sacred Heart.
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said,
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” (Mt 3:13)
Something to consider: What might your cry be in the desert of this world, the wilderness of this valley of tears? What might you need to make straight your path to the Heart of Christ?
"... he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."' (Jn 1:29)
How do we respond to these words when they are spoken by the priest at Mass? Hopefully, we allow these words to pierce our hearts, turning all our attention to the Lamb of God held up in the hands of the priest.
“He must increase, while I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
This quote shows John the Baptist’s humility, a humility of heart that can help us draw closer to the Sacred Heart, as the Litany of the Sacred Heart reminds, “Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine.”
“Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Mt 3:4)
This quote reminds us of the importance of being set apart for God, and for drawing away to dedicate ourselves to time spent with Him and for Him.
An hour for him
One good way for each of us to do this is by making a Holy Hour. Did you know that one of the Sacred Heart devotions that was given to St. Margaret Mary is that of spending a Holy Hour with Our Lord, spiritually consoling Him in Gethsemane, and that Jesus specifically requested Thursday evenings from 11 pm-12 am as an hour of special graces to spend time with Him there?
Since most of us cannot be in a church at that time, Catholic Holy Hour founded the First Thursday Club, which sends free guided at-home Holy Hours to facilitate this devotion. Sign up here to receive a guided Holy Hour inspired by St. John the Baptist and the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
At the table
To celebrate St. John the Baptist in a delicious way, why not make a simple sheet cake and decorate it with beautiful scallop shells (either chocolate shells made from an affordable and easy to find shell chocolate mold, or real cleaned scallop shells.)
The scallop shell is a famous symbol of the Baptist, and many parishes baptize babies with a scallop-shell shaped vessel of gold.
Also, in honor of John the Baptist, find out the date of your Baptism if you don't already know it. Just call the church where you were baptized, and they will gladly look it up for you. I once heard a wise bishop say in a homily that the date of our Baptism is even more important than our birthday. So once you find out the day you were baptized, mark the calendar and plan to celebrate!
St. John the Baptist, pray for us!
