São João (St. John): love that proclaims

| June 23, 2026

Thiago Rosa*

Each São João na Roça (typical countryside celebration of St. John’s Day in Brazil), we are invited to turn our gaze toward the simplicity that uplifts. Not only towards the traditions that bring us joy, but to the profound example left by John the Baptist: love that proclaims and faithfulness that doesn’t waiver.

On the calendar of the União do Vegetal, celebrating São João is remembering that, just as the bonfire announced the birth of the Forerunner, the light of our homes and Nucleos must also proclaim the presence of the Divine among us.

The activities by the Department of Spiritual Orientation – from storytelling around the campfire to creating small flags bearing words like love, peace, and unity – are not merely meant for fun. They are seeds planted in the fertile soil of the family, where spirituality becomes lived experience and teaching becomes virtue.

When we gather around the Saint John’s bonfire, we are not just warming our bodies. We are kindling, within ourselves, the flame of remembrance. The remembrance of the commitment John the Baptist undertook: to prepare hearts for the arrival of the Master. And today, every father, every mother, and every child who hears this story is also being prepared. Not for an event in the past, but for an encounter with the Christ who already dwells in every heart. [Marcelo Ucci Pinheiro**] 

–
*Thiago Rosa is responsible for “OE Indica” and member of the Cadre of Mestres at Núcleo Caminho Firme (Palmas-TO, 8th Region);

–
**Marcelo Ucci Pinheiro is a member of Conage and is Responsible for Spiritual Orientation with Children and Youth within the field of the Beneficent Spiritist Center União do Vegetal.