Best known as the cousin of Jesus, St. John the Baptist was miraculously born to his aged parents Zechariah and Elizabeth. John began his ministry in the wilderness, preaching repentance and baptizing people in the Jordan River. It was in the Jordan that John baptized Jesus. This is the event that is featured on our sock design; John pouring water over Jesus during sunset as he is wading in the Jordan and being bathed in holy light.
John was known for his strict ascetic lifestyle, wearing clothing made of camel's hair and subsisting on a diet of locusts and wild honey. John’s penitent example has continued to inspire generations of Christians; the Rite of Baptism has become an important sacrament in the Church.