Vigils reading – Martyrdom of St John the Baptist

reading from Bede the Venerable on

THE MARTYRDOM OF

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

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As a forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, John showed in

his struggle a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture:

“Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of

immortality.” We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful

celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering

and which he adorned with the crimson splendor of his own blood. We do

rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of

martyrdom the testimony which he delivered on behalf of our Lord.

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as

a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him.

His persecutor had demanded not that he deny Christ, but only that he should

keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say:

“I am the truth?” Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely

died for Christ. Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to

the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he

showed that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this

present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the

freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was

locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the

Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light

itself, which is Christ. John was baptized in his own blood, though he had been

privileged to baptize the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father

above him, and to see the grace of the Holy spirit descending upon him. But to

endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for

such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew

eternal joy would be his reward.

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of

nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward

of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly

says: “You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also

to suffer for his sake.” He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones

should suffer for him: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be

compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”