Music spices up the festival
By Howard Mlozi
September 7, a day earmarked by Catholic Christians of Blantyre’s
Malingamoyo Ward to celebrate the Day of John the Baptist, shows
music, prayer and feast at its most moving, mystic and brilliance.
The Catholic faithful, especially the youth, went out of their houses
and join the crowd to make merry together. Christians are laughing
while enjoying all sorts of beverages. They toss the bottles in the
air. A St. John music choir is hammering melodious tunes. All these
meant to remember the role played by John the Baptist, who baptitised
Jesus Christ.
The day is celebrated differently across the world. Elsewhere the
feast day of Saint John the Baptist is observed by splashing water on
passerby or visitors.
But in the populous neighborhood of Chilobwe in Blantyre, people
celebrated the St. John the Baptist through music, feast and prayer.
The celebration started with a luncheon after a holy mass.
“We organized this celebration to commemorate Saint John the Baptist
with families and friends,” said Gabriel Mnima, chairperson of the
organizing committee.
St. John the Baptist was born in 1st decade BCE, Judaea, Palestine,
near Jerusalem—died 28–36 CE. His feast is celebrated on June 24.
He was a Jewish prophet of priestly origin who preached the imminence of
God’s Final Judgment and Baptized those who repented in
self-preparation for it, he is revered in the Christian Church
especially Roman Catholic as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. After a
period of desert solitude, John the Baptist emerged as a prophet in
the region of the lower Jordan River Valley. He had a circle of
disciples and Jesus was among the recipients of his rite of baptism.
Colourful: Time to feast
