{Last year I had a post about the upcoming feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. As today is the feast of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, martyrs, I thought I would put the thoughts I had there back up, with a few little changes to suit the timing, for your consideration.}
Say, it's better to light a candle — or light a bonfire! — than curse the darkness. By all means, celebrate today. And then…
Friday, June 24, is a high holy day (a solemnity): the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. But it’s a day that has slipped out of memory, and I’d like to propose to you that we all do something to rescue it — for the sake of this world of ours, and to give glory to God in his amazingly detailed plan of salvation.
How about having a bonfire, as those of old did? Or something as close to one as you can manage, if it’s cold, or too drought-ridden, or what have you, where you are?
Last year at this time, the Supreme Court was preparing to hand down a decision on the fate of marriage in this country. This was a cause for real prayer, fasting, and repentance. And it still is.
Yes, repentance — because the poor souls who want to undermine the proper arrangement of things are merely taking to the logical conclusion attitudes, actions, and laws that supposedly moral people have lived with for a long time. Attitudes like approving of cohabitation and blinking at pornography; actions like separating the marital act from its haven, the marriage bond; laws allowing killing the child in the womb and accepting that a marriage can be broken without recourse — in short, doing away with all those walls that seemed so confining but really, kept the people together and protected the weak.
What did we think was going to happen?
We need to ask forgiveness. We need to help our leaders in the Church see that it’s their duty to be sorrowful for bringing all this about, or at least cooperating out of a false sense of charity.
A reader had pointed out that these two feasts, today's and the 24th's, are quite significant and germane to this very issue.
So, so true.
We need to rise to the occasion.
Read this marvelous essay by Fr. James Schall on “On a Small Point of Doctrine.” In it he explains that yes, More (and Fisher) resisted to the death for something that hardly seems worth it, it’s so small a point — but it is worth it.
“We sometimes think that it might be nobler to die upholding the truth of the Incarnation than in upholding, say, chastity, as Maria Goretti did. But the truth is that Catholic teaching is a whole; the denial of any one of its teachings, when logically stretched out, undermines the whole order. And someone will always be found to stretch it out. Not only is this teaching of the coherence of the whole true on the revelational side of Catholicism’s content, it is also an integral whole on its philosophical side. Both reason and revelation belong together in one coherent whole. Indeed, we can say that if even one central doctrine, taught or understood as infallible, is, in fact, clearly untrue, the whole edifice falls. Belief would be no longer feasible.”
“More was a scholar who saw the intimate connection between mind and reality. He saw that the function of the Successor to Peter is to uphold clearly, wisely, and compassionately, the truths handed down to be explained and affirmed in every age. He saw that he must “witness” to this “abstract truth,” even if he must stand alone, and lonely, in an obscure cell to do so. Had his “witness” not been so firm, Henry might well have laid claim to rule, not only the city, but the mind.”
John the Baptist is a most opportune saint to remind us of the beauty of the intimate sisterhood of women (the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth) and the sacredness of the child in the womb (“For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy”).
It helps us ponder the Incarnation and indeed the nuptial meaning of the human body.
His birth is celebrated at a time that has been called “Summer Christmas” — for June 24th is six months before December 24th (remembering that Jesus was born at the deepest night), and just after the summer solstice, as Christmas is just after the winter one.
You see how God shows us, in His cosmos, the meaning of “I must decrease, He must increase.” In this way, Christianity rightly claims the workings of the whole universe for her own, rescuing them from the grip of the pagans, who have a limited understanding of nature and can’t help perverting it.
Traditionally, Catholics have a bonfire on the vigil of this feast, the night of the 23rd. There are many lovely customs associated with the celebration. One is to throw any palms leftover from Holy Week right in the fire.
You can read about this feast on Catholic Culture: their bonfire post is taken from this very book by Mary Reed Newland, the writer who most impressed upon me as a young mother the need to stay close to the liturgical year of the Church. I know you will love her!
(Sophia Press has re-issued her book (last year I had a giveaway and that's when I originally wrote this post) — it makes a great companion to our book, The Little Oratory.)
In fact, in our book we didn’t go to great lengths to include every liturgical celebration in detail, simply because we knew there is Newland’s book for you to consult (as well as the excellent Catholic Culture posts, curated by Jennifer Gregory Miller).
Learn about Thomas More: Read Thomas More: A Portrait in Courage, an inspiring biography that can be shared with the family, and watch the great movie A Man for All Seasons (quotable and definitely the Chief’s favorite movie ever!). Consult Catholic Culture for some ideas for your celebration. (The image of St. Thomas More on my kitchen corner cupboard is painted by David Clayton. Contact him at his site to find out how to get one.)
Maybe make tomorrow, the 23rd, a day of penance and prayer. Really pray for our lawmakers, judges, and executives. Pray for our bishops and the Holy Father. Let’s decide to give up something for the sake of our country and our freedom, and for the courage of our leaders in faith.
Then, either tomorrow evening, the vigil, or Friday evening, have a great bonfire! Invite your friends and neighbors! Let the penance cease! Let’s ask John the Baptist to show us the way to living in love and justice.
This — prayer, fasting, repentance, celebration — is how we transform the world.
Katie says
One of my daughter’s birthday is June 24th – she will be thrilled to know it is Summer Christmas. I like the idea of having a bonfire and burning the palms from Holy Week ( I always seem to have lots) but what should we do with the ashes?
Becky says
Not to be redundant, but…several used copies of The Year and Our Children on bookfinder.com for under $5 including shipping. I am not associated with this website, just enthusiastic about finding good used books for a good price.
Nancy says
Great ideas to celebrate! Have invited friends to celebrate and will be lighting the fire pit.
Mary Cooney says
How I admire the courage of these three martyrs! Thank you for pointing out a wonderful way to celebrate their feasts!
Deborah Bloomfield says
Thanks for the suggestion! We had a bon fire for St. John the Baptist!