The ministry of John the Baptist reached its peak when Jesus came to him to be baptised in the Jordan River.
John’s outspoken condemnation of Herod Antipas for marrying his brother’s wife, led to his imprisonment. After Herod’s stepdaughter, Salome, danced for him on his birthday, he promised to give her whatever she asked for. Prompted by her mother, Salome requested John’s head on a platter. Despite his reluctance, Herod ordered John’s execution to honour his promise.
The Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist on 24th June is one of the few saints’ feast days that commemorate a birth rather than a death. It is a time for Christians to reflect on John’s message of repentance and his role in heralding the coming of the Messiah.
Within Royston Cave there is a carving which is thought to be similar to the seal of the Augustinian Priory that used to stand in Royston. The seal shows John the Baptist on the left, and standing next to him is Thomas Becket. The seal wax impression was attached to a Deed of Supremacy which is currently preserved in the Public Record office.
The combined imagery of John the Baptist and Thomas Becket on the Priory’s seal conveyed a powerful message of spiritual authority, sanctity, and the protection of church rights.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII declared that “Thomas Beckett was no longer a saint but a rebel and a traitor…. and that his name and remembrance should be erased from all documents” hence the church that now stands where the Priory once stood is only known now as St John’s.
It has been suggested that the alignment of the cave has connections to St John. The Eastern ventilation shaft may have been aligned to match the direction of the rising sun on the day of 24th June, to coincide with the feast day. This was a practise often made when a church or sacred site was dedicated to a saint.
Royston Cave’s St John midweek special will be running at 11am, 11.45am and 12.30pm on Tuesday 24th June.
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Emma, Royston Cave Manager
For more information: info@roystoncave.co.uk | www.roystoncave.co.uk
Royston Cave, Melbourn Street, Royston SG8 7BZ
