Luke 1,57-66.80 – Nativity of Saint John the Baptist – Mass of the Day – Solemnity
«What will this child be?». It is the question that today’s Gospel puts on the lips of the people in front at the birth of John the Baptist. And it is a question that, ultimately, concerns every human being. Because each of us comes into the world as a promise, as a possibility yet to be discovered.
The real challenge in life is not to become someone else, but to have the courage to become fully yourself. The feast of the birth of John the Baptist not only celebrates the arrival of one of the greatest saints, the last of the prophets and the precursor of Christ. Celebrate the mystery of a unique and unrepeatable vocation. From the beginning its history is marked by the defense of its identity. Even the choice of name breaks with the expectations of family tradition. Giovanni must not be a copy of anyone. It must be Giovanni.
It is beautiful to observe how Elisabetta and Zaccaria preserve this uniqueness. They do not try to bend their child to their plans, their expectations or the desires of others. They accept that God has an original design for them. And perhaps this is one of the highest forms of love. Loving someone means helping them become what they are called to be, not what we would like them to be.
Wednesday 24 June 2026 – (Nativity of Saint John the Baptist – Mass of the Day – Solemnity)
