Ordinary Time: August 29th
Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Other Commemorations: St. Sabina, Martyr (RM); St. Mary of the Cross (Jeanne Jugan), Religious (RM)
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The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24, today honors the anniversary of his martyrdom. Besides our Lord and our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are thus celebrated. Today's Gospel relates the circumstances of his execution. He had the courage to blame Herod to his face for the scandal of his illegal union with his sister-in-law Herodias, whose husband was still alive. Herodias contrived to make Herod imprison him and took advantage of an unexpected opportunity to obtain through her daughter Salome the beheading of the saint.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Sabina. The titular church of St. Sabina of the Aventine is a gem of Christian architecture. It owes its origin to the generosity of a Roman lady of the name of Sabina who gave to the Christian community the house that she possessed in this aristocratic quarter of Rome. The martyrologies also commemorate another St. Sabina who died in Umbria. The identity of name has caused confusion between the two women.Martyrdom of John the BaptistIn addition to the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), the Church, since the fourth century, commemorates the martyrdom of Christ's precursor. According to the Roman Martyrology, this day marks "the second finding of his most venerable head." The body of the saint was buried in Samaria. In the year 362 pagans desecrated the grave and burned his remains. Only a small portion of his relics were able to be saved by monks and sent to St. Athanasius at Alexandria. The head of the saint is venerated at various places. That in the Church of St. Sylvester in Rome belongs to a martyr-priest John. Also in the Dominican church at Breslau the Baptist's head is honored.
- Read more about this feast at Franciscan Media, CatholicSaints.Info and A Catholic Life and at Anastpaul.
- Read this article, St. John the Baptist: Martyr for the Truth about Marriage.
- Watch this informational video at Gloria TV.
- It is uncertain where the head of St. John the Baptist is. There are 4 purported heads around the world. There is also the relics of his arm and finger. It is hard to sift through authentic relics at times. It was a lucrative attraction to have popular saints' relics and sacred objects. The pilgrimages to venerate the relics financially helped regions. And with the destruction of various churches and abbeys during revolutions (such as in France) and persecutions (such as in England), it makes the provenance even harder to track down.
St. SabinaAccording to legend, Sabina was born in Vindena, Umbria, and became the wife of a notable person having the name Valentine. She was converted to the faith by her maid Serapia, a Christian virgin. When Serapia died a martyr's death (her feast occurs on September 3 in the Roman Martyrology), Sabina gave her servant's holy body an honorable burial. On that account she was cast into prison by Emperor Hadrian and brought before the judge Elpidius. "Are you Sabina, illustrious by family and marriage?" he asked. "Yes, I am," came the reply, "but I thank my Savior Jesus Christ that through His servant Serapia He has freed me from the power of hell." Due to her contempt of the gods, she was condemned to death. Christians buried her body in the same grave as her teacher in the faith.
- Read this account of St. Sabina from Butler's Lives of the Saints.
- Make a virtual visit to the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome. This is another site to visit.
- See origins and transformations over the years for Santa Sabina.
- The Church of Santa Sabina is well-known because it is the first Station Church of Lent, opening on Ash Wednesday. It has been a few years since the pope came on Ash Wednesday, but Pope Benedict XVI visited on February 22, 2012. The last time was in 2020. Pope Francis was returning for 2022, but had to cancel due to health reasons.
St. Mary of the Cross (Jeanne Jugan)St Mary of the Cross (in the world: Jeanne Jugan) was born at Cancale, in Brittany, France, on 25 October 1792 in the turbulent period of the French Revolution. She was the sixth of eight children, four of whom died in infancy. Their fisherman father was lost at sea when Jeanne was only four. From her mother and the place of her birth, Jeanne inherited a lively, deep faith and a profound determination that could overcome any difficulty. The political climate and the family's financial plight prevented Jeanne from going to school. She learned to read and write from some ladies of the Third Order of St John Eudes who were numerous in the region.
- Read more about St. Jeanne Jugan here and here.
- Learn about the Little Sisters of the Poor founded by Jeanne Jugan.