🕁 The Nativity of the Honourable and Glorious Prophet John, Forerunner and Baptist of Christ.
All-Night Vigil Feast. Apostle’s Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.
Romans 13:11b-14:4; Luke 1:1-25, 57-68, 76, 80.
Read Romans 13:11b-14:4
St. Paul gives a powerful reminder: “It is now the hour for you to awake from sleep.” The Apostle is not speaking about physical sleep, but about spiritual complacency, being too relaxed about your faith. A Christian cannot remain indifferent, drifting through life as though God were distant or salvation were something for the future alone, and for certain people only. Christ has come, and therefore every day is an opportunity to live more fully in His light.
Paul continues: “Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” The image is striking. Once again, the Christian life is not passive; it is a daily spiritual struggle against everything that separates us from God. We are called not merely to avoid evil, but to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian life is not lived only on the defensive, constantly fighting against sin. It is also lived on the offensive, actively seeking virtue, prayer, mercy, and communion with God. The more Christ fills our hearts, the less room remains for darkness.
This message fits beautifully with today’s feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Even before his birth, John was chosen to prepare the way for the Lord. His entire life was a call to wake up spiritually. His preaching in the wilderness was simple and direct: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2). He challenged people to leave behind the darkness of sin and turn toward God.
John himself lived what St. Paul describes. He did not seek comfort, honor, or popularity. His mission was to point others to Christ. His famous words, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30), reveal a heart completely clothed in Christ.
As we celebrate the birth of the Forerunner, we are invited to examine our own lives. When it comes to my spiritual life, where have I become complacent? May St. John the Baptist help us hear once again the call to repentance, so that, putting on Christ each day, we may walk as children of the light and be ready to meet the Lord whenever He comes.