Question: The French version of the prayer after Communion for the Mass on the memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist on August 29 says:
“Grant, O Lord, as we celebrate the heavenly birth of Saint John the Baptist, that we may revere, for what it signifies, the saving Sacrament we have received and, even more, may rejoice at its clear effects in us. Through Christ our Lord.”
The modern translation follows quite closely the Latin text: “Concede nobis, Domine, beati Ioannis Baptistae natale recensentibus, ut et salutaria sacramenta quae sumpsimus significata veneremur, et in nobis potius edita gaudeamus ....”
The expression “heavenly birth” (natale recensentibus) raises questions for me. Can John have been born (entered) into heaven on the day of his martyrdom, that is, before the death of Christ? I learned that he didn't but rather that Jesus first entered into glory. And Jesus "descended into hell" by dying to deliver souls and bring them with him to heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church at No. 1023, on the subject of heaven, quotes Pope Benedict XII and refers to Lumen Gentium (note 10: DS 1000, cf. LG 49). According to Benedict XII: "By virtue of our apostolic authority, we define the following: According to the general disposition of God, the souls of all the saints … and other faithful who died after receiving Christ's holy Baptism (provided they were not in need of purification when they died, ... or, if they then did need or will need some purification, when they have been purified after death ...) already before they take up their bodies again and before the general judgment — and this since the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into heaven — have been, are and will be in heaven, in the heavenly Kingdom and celestial paradise with Christ, joined to the company of the holy angels. Since the Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, these souls have seen and do see the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature."
It is therefore clearly stated that the entry into heaven of the righteous who died before the death of Christ could not have taken place before the death of Jesus. I thus conclude that John the Baptist could not enter heaven on the day of his martyrdom, but only with all the others after the death of Jesus. — L.P., Trois-Rivières, Québec
