St. John the Baptist is one of the greatest saints to ever live. Who else got to literally prepare the way of the Lord? But he’s also one of the weirdest saints to ever live. Here are 7 reasons he’s King of the Weird Saints.
1. He wore nothing but camel hair
You’ve heard of hair shirts, well, St. John the Baptist started this trend when he decided to exclusively wear camel hair. You think this year’s fashion show was weird? St. John the Baptist said, “Hold my locusts.”
2. He ate nothing but wild honey and locusts
All St. John B know is preach, eat locust chip, and prepare the way of the Lord.
3. St. John the Baptist was first in humility
Kind of a weird thing to be first in, and no one who’s actually humble would ever say they’re the best at it, but St. John really was the ultimate model of humility. “I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal”?? Does. Not. Get. More. Humble. Than. That.
4. He leapt purposefully in his mother’s womb
This is the story of the Visitation, of course, when Mary went to visit St. Elizabeth and John leapt in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus. But what fetus really does that without stimuli? Babies leap in the womb, certainly, but usually because they hear a familiar voice or feel the touch on their mother’s stomach. John just knew Jesus was there and leapt. It was truly the first Eucharistic Adoration.
5. Herod’s daughter hated him
Not many of us are cool enough to attract the attention of nobility, especially when we aren’t looking for it, but St. John the Baptist did. Herod’s daughter hated him so much that she asked for his head, so her dad gave it to her on a silver platter. Takes the silver spoon idea in a whole new direction.
6. St. John the Baptist looked like a crazy man
The man dressed in camel’s hair, ate locusts, and rarely bathed–– he looked like a crazy person! Most teachers in his day were clean, wore normal clothes, and spoke in higher academic language. John was the opposite. It’s no wonder he both attracted a lot of people and turned a whole bunch more (see above) off.
7. According to custom, his name shouldn’t have been John
He should’ve ben named after his father, Zechariah, but an angel came and told Z otherwise. I can think of one other time that happened…
Happy Feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist!
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