The Mission of St John the Baptist

Today is the Feast of St John the Baptist.

Everyone knows he came to prepare the way for Christ. But what specific mission was given to him and also to his ancestor Elijah? And why is he therefore crucial to the battle against abortion, and against euthanasia too for that matter?

Ecclesiaticus 48:1-14 tells us the mission of Elijah is"To turn the hearts of fathers to their children" and Luke 1:17 says of St John the Baptist, "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people."

We often complain that Fathers are so frequently responsible for causing abortions. But today let us ask St John the Baptist to fulfil his mission in our time and turn the hearts of fathers to their children and let us thank God for those men whose hearts are already turned in love towards their children.

Clare McCullough

Tommorrow, 23rd June, Day of Prayer and Fasting

Wednesday 23rd June 2010, the Vigil of the Feast of St John the Baptist, is this month's National Day of Prayer & Fasting For Life.



A great prayer for Life is urgently needed. Pope John Paul II

And He said to them; This kind (of demon) can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Gospel of Mark 9:29)

On Wednesday 23rd June please pray and fast for the end of abortion
and euthanasia. Your prayer and fasting is urgently needed.

Join us each month in Prayer and Fasting:
Fasting
Fast from all food except bread and water
for the day
Or
Fast from a particular food or luxury, e.g. chocolate, alcohol,
cigarettes, TV.
Fast from whatever you can given your state of health etc, but
make sure it is something that involves a sacrifice to yourself.
Prayer
We are asking people to say a Rosary (or
an extra Rosary if you say it daily already).
You could also offer an extra effort such as going to Mass (or
an extra Mass) on the day, or going to Adoration. You can
even pray before a closed tabernacle if Adoration is not
available near you.

For information on the days of Prayer and Fasting contact;
The Good Counsel Network on 020 7723 1740.
www.goodcounselnetwork.com

And the people of Ninevah believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put
on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least…God saw their efforts to
renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which He
had threatened to bring on them, and He did not bring it. (Jonah 3:5,10)