The Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist six months before the birth of Jesus. John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were old and thought they would never have children. However, their prayers were answered. An angel told Zechariah that, not only would they have a son, but that their son, John, would prepare a way for the Lord, for the Christ. John eventually realized that Jesus was the Lord, the Messiah, the Christ. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, which marked the beginning of Jesus going around teaching and proclaiming a new way of living…a way of love.