Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson recounts the final episode in the life of Saint John the Baptist: a bloody conclusion that seems to add an exclamation point to the meaning of his life.

This man lived in the wilderness and became a prophetic character, whose job it was to herald the arrival of Jesus. Although this message was offered to the world, it was the world, in its manifestations of power and frivolity, that eventually destroyed John.

There are not many musical works that directly speak about John the Baptist, but one of recent years that deserves our attention is by Cecilia McDowall, A Prayer to Saint John the Baptist.

This anthem weaves together a traditional plainchant, attributed to Guido of Arezzo, Ut queant laxis, with a poem by Thomas Merton. The text of the chant and the modern poem together produce a richly textured prayer, focusing on John’s life in the desert, his baptism of Jesus, and it even hints of the idea that Jesus in fact turned the waters of the Jordan River into a cleansing flood that would purify the world.

The final phrase “Never abandon us” suggests that John is a model for us in our journey through the world, and one who showed us how to prioritize Christ in our daily life.

The text of this anthem can be found in a recording by the Choir of Saint John’s College Cambridge, for whom the anthem was written, in the booklet for Advent Live—Volume 2, which you can find on this page.

Prayer to Saint John the Baptist, Cecilia McDowall

Yours in Christ,

—Justin