June 24 - Nativity of St John the Baptist

The story of the birth of John the Baptist is told in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. His birth narrative is entwined with Luke's telling of the birth of Jesus, with striking similarities and significant differences between them.

The climax of the nativity of John the Baptist comes in the words of his once-mute father, Zechariah, who prophetically utters what we now call the Benedictus. The beautiful text of this song, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," will be familiar to any who attend Morning Prayer services (on p. 9 of the BCP and p. 88 in the BAS).

To hear this beautiful and familiar song in a new way, here it is in different Bible translations:

New International Version

The Message

Amplified Bible

Contemporary English Version

and from the Wycliffe New Testament

Comments

[John Rye]

One easy way to remember John the Baptist's famous comment 'He must increase and I must decrease' is that from St. John Baptist Day the days get shorter by four minutes until Christmas after which they get longer every day by the same amount.