Midsummer Nativity of St. John the Baptist

In the Medieval Church, the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist was a second, summertime Christmas. St. John is, in fact, the only saint apart from Christ and the Blessed Mother to have a nativity feast on the calendar. His nativity is exactly six months apart from Christ’s, and just as the birth of Jesus coincides with the winter solstice, His cousin’s nativity marks the summer solstice – the time at which the long days begin to grow shorter. After the Nativity of the Baptist, we start to anticipate the Light of the world in new and deeper ways.

Medieval Catholics considered the Nativity of St. John one of the greatest feasts in the year. They celebrated it enthusiastically with bonfires, processions, and of course, long Vigil Masses full of prayers for a bountiful summer.

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