The Roman Catholic Church will observe Monday, Aug. 29, the Memorial of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista), the precursor and cousin of Jesus Christ.
At the St. John the Baptist Parish in Taytay, Rizal, the feast day mass will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Triduum masses and prayers in his honor were held from Aug. 26 to 28.
Special masses will also be offered at the St. John the Baptist Parish (Quiapo Church) in Manila, as well as at the St. John the Baptist Parish (Pinaglabanan Church) in San Juan City, and at the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. John the Baptist in Lian, Batangas, among many other churches named in honor of the first-century Jewish preacher.
Also known as the last of the Old Testament prophets, the liturgical commemoration of the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is as old as the feast of his nativity, which is celebrated on June 24 with more elaborate and festive rites that include the dousing of water.
As recorded in the Gospel of Luke, the circumstances of his birth were in preparation for the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Aside from the Roman Catholic Church, the biblical event is also commemorated by the Eastern Catholic Churches, Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and Anglican Communion.