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John the Baptist was the Cousin of Jesus Christ. He was born 6 months prior, and he served as the forerunner or herald of the Messiah and was to prepare for him by fulfilling an Elijah-like role by calling the nation to repentance.
In keeping with that, he baptized people as a sign of their repentance.
He also came to identify and announce the Messiah. According to John the Baptist: “I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel” (John 1:31).
The Church celebrates both is Nativity, on June 24th, and his beheading on August 29th.