Nativity of St. John Baptist
In the ancient tradition of the Church, there are only three persons whose birthdays are liturgically celebrated: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His Mother, and John the Baptist.
John the Baptist's birthday is June 24, six months before the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.
The birth of John the Baptist is so important that the evangelist Luke begins his gospel with it – in fact, with its prelude. We are told of his parents who were pious people, but God had not blessed them with children.
Second Sunday after Trinity
The Gospel for the Second Sunday after Trinity tells of three men who were invited to a great supper but could not go because they had something more important to do – at least that’s what they thought. One had acquired a piece of land, another had bought five yokes of oxen, the third was on his honeymoon.
First Sunday after Trinity. St. Barnabas
The Epistle for the First Sunday after Trinity speaks of love. Love, in the sense of the Holy Scripture, is not a feeling or even good deeds by which we serve our fellow man. Love should be our nature. God is love, says St. John, and we are the children of God, created in His image and likeness. We can have no greater or nobler goal than to grow into the fullness of love so that we would see God, who is love, face to face, and reflect His love so that everyone around us can share in it.
Trinity Sunday
The message of the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity is twofold: on the one hand, it testifies to the greatness of the Triune God, and on the other hand, it reminds us that the God in whom we believe has loved us so much that He has given His only-begotten Son for our redemption. He sent His Spirit to regenerate us as His children and lead us to eternal life, where we too can join in the most wonderful liturgy before the throne of God and His Lamb in heaven.