Father Kevin O’ Sullivan commentaries 1957, St. John the Baptist, Elias and God’s Kingdom When John the Baptist appeared at the Jordan River, proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand (cf. Mt. 3:1-12; Mk. 1:2-8; Lk. 3:2-18) the Jews flocked to hear him. The expectation of the Promised Redeemer, the Messias, was strong at this time, and here was a Prophet announcing his proximate arrival and calling on the people to repent of their sins in order to be prepared to receive Him. To stir their souls to a desire for moral purification John baptized his followers. It was not the sacrament of baptism instituted later by Christ, and had no value except in as far as it was accompanied by true interior sorrow for sin; its value in other words was dependent on the interior act of contrition. The Temple authorities in Jerusalem hearing of the multitudes who were flocking to John became interested, and perhaps alarmed, and they sent a delegation of Priests and Levites down to the Jordan to interrogate the Baptist.
Beheading St. John the Baptist August 29 « Catholic Endtime Truths
Beheading St. John the Baptist August 29 « Catholic Endtime Truths
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