Lu 1, 6467

Lu 1, 68

79

And the child grew, and L 1, 80 was strengthened in Spirit; vant. and was in the deserts until (3) As He spoke by the the day of his manifestation mouth of His holy to Israel. Prophets, who are And the same John had from the beginning: his garment of camel's hair, (4) Salvation from our and a leathern girdle about enemies, and from his loins: and his meat was the hand of all that locusts and wild honey. hate us. And John was clothed

Mt 3,4

Mk 1, 6

Mt 11, 18

Lu 1, 15

Lu 7,33

Иt 11, 719

He that hath ears to hear,

with camel's hair, and al
leathern girdle about his let him hear.

loins: and he ate locusts and But whereunto shall I es-
wild honey.
teem this generation to be

John came neither eating like? It is like to children
nor drinking, and they say: sitting in the market-place,
He hath a devil.
Who, crying to their com
He shall drink no wine nor panions, say: We have piped
strong drink; and he shall be to you, and you have not
filled with the Holy Ghost. danced: we have lamented,
John the Baptist came and you have not mourned.
neither eating nor drinking For John came neither
wine, and you say: He hath eating nor drinking; and
a devil.
they say: He hath a devil.
And when they went their The Son of man came
way, Jesus began to say to eating and drinking, and they
the multitudes concerning say: Behold a Man that is a
John: What went you out glutton and a wine-drinker,
into the desert to see? a reed a friend of publicans and
shaken with the wind?

But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings.

But what went you out to see? a prophet? Yea, I tell

sinners. And Wisdom is
justified by her children.

He was a burning and a
shining light, and you were
willing for a time to rejoice
in his light.

Beheadment.)

Jn 5, 35

I meditated on Thy com- Ps 118, 47
mandments, which I loved.
you, and more than a Prophet. (See Introit for his Feast of
For this is he of whom it
is written: Behold, I send The just shall flourish like Ps 91, 13
My Angel before Thy face, the Palm-tree: he shall grow
who shall prepare Thy way up like the Cedar of Libanus.
before Thee.
Israel shall spring as the Os 14,6

Amen I say to you, there Lily, and his root shall shoot
hath not risen among them forth as that of Libanus.
that are born of women a

greater than John the Bap-3.-HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY.
tist; yet he that is the lesser
in the Kingdom of Heaven
is greater than he.

And from the days of John
the Baptist until now the
Kingdom of Heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent
bear it away.

A

VOICE CRYING IN THE WIL-
DERNESS. PREACHES PEN-
ANCE AND GOOD WORKS.
REPROVES THE PHARISEES.
HIS POPULARITY. TAKEN
FOR THE MESSIAS. TEACHES
HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY.

In those days cometh John Mt3, 1-J
For all the Prophets and the Baptist preaching in the
the Law prophesied until desert of Judea,
John:

And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come.

And saying: Do penance : for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Mk 1,4-5

Lu 3, 1-6

For this is he that was He said to the multitudes Lu 3, 7-18
spoken of by Isaias the Pro- that went forth to be bap-
phet, saying: A voice of one tised by him: Ye offspring
crying in the desert: Prepare of vipers, who hath showed
ye the way of the Lord, make you to flee from the wrath to
straight His paths.
come?

John was in the desert, Bring forth therefore fruits
baptising and preaching the worthy of penance, and do
baptism of penance unto re- not begin to say: We have
mission of sins.
Abraham for our father.

And there went out to him For I say unto you, that God
all the country of Judea, and is able of these stones to
all they of Jerusalem, and raise up children to Abraham.
were baptised by him in the For now the axe is laid to
river of Jordan, confessing the root of the trees. Every
their sins.
tree therefore that bringeth

In the fifteenth year of not forth good fruit shall be
the reign of Tiberius Cesar, cut down, and cast into the
Pontius Pilate being gover- fire.

nor of Judea, and Herod And the people asked him,
being Tetrarch of Galilee, saying: What then shall we
and Philip his brother do?

Tetrarch of Iturea and the And he answering said to
country of Trachonitis, and them: He that hath two
Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilina, coats, let him give to him

Under the High Priests that hath none; and he that
Annas and Caiphas, the hath meat, let him do in like
Word of the Lord was made manner.

unto John the son of Zachary, And the publicans also
in the desert.
came to be baptised, and said
And he came into all the to him: Master, what shall
country about the Jordan, we do?
preaching the baptism of
penance for the remission of
sins.

But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.

As was written in the And the soldiers also asked
Book of the sayings of Isaias him, saying: And what shall
the Prophet: A voice of one we do? And he said to
crying in the wilderness: them: Do violence to no
Prepare ye the way of the man, neither calumniate any
Lord, make straight His man; and be content with
paths.
your pay.

Every valley shall be filled, And as the people was of
and every mountain and hill opinion and all were think-
shall be brought low: and ing in their hearts of John,
the crooked shall be made that perhaps he might be
straight, and the rough ways the Christ,

plain.

John answered, saying

And all flesh shall see the unto all: I indeed baptise
Salvation of God.
you with water; but there
M

Is 49, 2

Is 49, 4
Mt 3,5-6

Mt 14, 5

Mt 21, 32

shall come One Mightier than counted John that he was a
I, the latchet of Whose shoes Prophet indeed.

I am not worthy to loose;| And they answering say to
He shall baptise you with the Jesus: We know not. And
Holy Ghost and with fire: Jesus answering saith to
Whose fan is in His hand, them: Neither do I tell you
and He will purge His floor; by what authority I do these
and will gather the wheat in- things.

to His Barn, but the chaff The people was of opinion Lu 3, 15
He will burn with unquench- and all were thinking in their
hearts of John, that perhaps

able fire.

And many other things he might be the Christ. exhorting did he preach to

the people.

And this is the testimony Jn 1, 19of John, when the Jews sent

28

Levites to him, to ask him:

He hath made my mouth from Jerusalem Priests and
like a sharp sword: in the

shadow of His hand He hath Who art thou?
protected me, and hath made And he confessed and did
me as a chosen arrow: in not deny: and he confessed,
His quiver He hath hidden I am not the Christ.

me.

My work is with my God. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:

And were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Having a mind to put him to death, he feared the people, because they esteemed him as a Prophet.

And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the Prophet? And he answered: No.

They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? what sayest thou of thyself?

He said: I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness:
John came to you in the Make straight the way of the
way of justice, and you did Lord, as said the Prophet
not believe him. But the Isaias.
publicans and the harlots be-
lieved him but you seeing
it did not even afterwards
repent, that you might be-
lieve him.

And they that were sent were of the Pharisees.

And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou baptise, if thou be not

Mk 11,30- The baptism of John, was Christ, nor Elias, nor the it from heaven or from men? Prophet?

33

Answer Me.

John answered them, say

But they thought with ing: I baptise with water;
themselves, saying: If we say, but there hath stood One in
From Heaven, He will say, the midst of you Whom you
Why then did you not believe know not.
him?

If we say, From men, we fear the people. For all men

The Same is He that shall come after me, Who is preferred before me, the latchet

Jn 10, 41

Mk 2, 18

Lu 11, 1

Jn 1, 6-8

Mk 1, 7-8

Lu 3, 16

of Whose shoe I am not wor-
thy to loose.

These things were done in
Bethania beyond the Jordan,
where John was baptising.

Many resorted to him, and they said: John indeed did no sign.

The disciples of John used to fast.

shall baptise you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire.

The next day again John Jn 1, 35. stood, and two of his disciples.

And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God.

And the two disciples heard Him speak, and they followed Jesus.

And Jesus turning, and

Lord, teach us to pray, as
John also taught his disci- seeing them following Him,
ples.
saith to them: What seek
you? Who said to Him,
4.—HIS TESTIMONY OF CHRIST. Rabbi (which is to say, being
ANDREW HIS DISCIPLE FOL- interpreted, Master), where
LOWS JESUS. JOHN BAP-dwellest Thou?

TISES BY DIVINE COMMAND He saith to them: Come

(1) IN THE JORDAN, (2) AT and see. They came, and
BETHANIA, AND (3) AT
saw where He abode, and they
ENNON. PREDICTS THE stayed with Him that day:
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY now it was about the tenth
GHOST, OF WHICH HIS IS hour.

BUT A TYPE. DECLINES IN And Andrew the brother
HUMILITY ΤΟ BAPTISE of Simon Peter was one of
CHRIST, BUT DOES SO UN- the two who had heard from
John, and followed Him.

DER OBEDIENCE.

40

There was a man sent from
God, whose name was John.
This man came for a wit-
ness, to give testimony of the
Light, that all men might is preferred before me, be-
believe through him.

John beareth witness of Jn 1, 15
Him, and crieth out, saying:
This was He of Whom I spoke:
He that shall come after me

cause He was before me.

He was not the Light, but John answered them, say- Jn 1,26-27 was to give testimony of the Light.

ing: I baptise you with water;
but there hath stood One in

There cometh after me the midst of you Whom you
One Mightier than I, the lat- know not.
chet of Whose shoes I am not The Same is He that
worthy to stoop down and shall come after me, Who
loose.
is preferred before me, the
latchet of Whose shoe I am
not worthy to loose.

I have baptised you with
water; but He shall baptise
you with the Holy Ghost. The next day John' saw in 1,29-36
John answered, saying Jesus coming to him, and he
unto all I indeed baptise saith: Behold the Lamb of
with water; but there shall God; behold Him Who taketh
come One Mightier than I, away the sin of the world.
the latchet of Whose shoes I
am not worthy to loose. He

This is He of Whom I said:
After me there cometh a Man