Homily on Theophany by St. Luke of Simferopol

The Baptism of Christ, the Great Feast of Theophany (Source)

Homily on Theophany by St. Luke of Simferopol

The Gospel reading of Theophany provides a word of Christ of great importance. And on this I wish now to turn your attention for a bit.

This great event of the Theophany of the Lord was preceded by the preaching on the banks of the Jordan River by John, the Forerunner of the Lord, the greatest among those born of women. His fiery preaching of repentance, for which he prepared beforehand for twenty years in the desert of Judea, attracted to him a great multitude of people. The fiery word of his preaching set ablaze the hearts of men, whom he baptized in the waters of the Jordan to purify their sins.

But on that great day, to his great astonishment, among the others who were coming to be baptized was Him Who he had never seen, but was Him Whom he revealed would come to baptize him with the Holy Spirit. And having fallen at His feet, he told Him with reverence: "I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?" (Matthew 3:14)

We, hope are truly baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire, could not understand why the sinless Son of God went to His servant John and asked to be baptized by him with the baptism of repentance, in order for Him to be loosened from sins that He did not possess, if Christ had not responded to the question of the Forerunner in this way: "Let it be so, for thus we will fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15)

O, our Lord! We venerate You and Your Forerunner, and we thank You from the depths of our hearts for teaching us to respect and honor "all righteousness", and to hate any type of injustice, for this comes from the devil. Every righteousness, even the most insignificant righteous act, is blessed by God. You received baptism from John in the Jordan River for the remission of sins, because You wished to fulfill whatever was seen beforehand in the plan of God. The descent into the waters of the Jordan served as a seal of repentance for those who were coming to be baptized. For repentance from one's whole heart in those who received the baptism of John, received from God remission of their sins...

Therefore, the baptism of John was righteous. Our Savior was not speaking only about this righteousness to John, however, in order to silence him and to answer his question, but He was speaking about every righteousness, in other words, regarding the plan of God. With His Divine Word, He sanctified and blessed every truth and simultaneously condemned every injustice.

Think, my beloved, people of the spirit as myself, communicants of the little flock of Christ, how much injustice exists in the word! What a great sin is war, when the faithful, and especially Christian people kill each other! If the murder even of one person is punished by death in many peoples, then, how much will our Lord punish those who have led the murder of tens of millions of people?! Any sin is injustice, and war is the greatest injustice, which we all must despise...

The Baptism of our Lord has for us an exalted meaning as well, for we have the revelation of the Holy Trinity. At the instant when the Lord stood up from the water, from Heaven was heard the voice of God the Father, Which bore witness to the Son, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17) And the Holy Spirit "in the form of a dove", descended from Heaven upon the head of the Pre-eternal Son of God. This Theophany has great importance, as it is also called besides the Baptism of the Lord. He Himself, the tri-hypostatic God, revealed the divinity of His Second Person, of the incarnate Word of God. God--Father and Holy Spirit as well--were revealed as well to mankind together with the Savior of the race of men...

O, Son of God! O, our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ! To Your works of love, to Your countless wonders, please do another wonder: draw close with Your right hand to my stony heart and turn it to a "heart of flesh". Amen.

-From the Words and Homilies of St. Luke of Simferopol, Vol. II., Published by Orthodox Kypseli

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"O all-praised John, and universal Apostle..."

St. John the Forerunner (source)

  
O all-praised John, and universal Apostle, the good news of Gabriel, and the root from the barren womb, and the most-beautiful adornment of the desert, and true friend of Christ the Bridegroom: entreat Him, that He might have mercy on our souls.
-Idiomelon from the feast of the Nativity of St. John

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. John the Forerunner: The Wild Flower that adorns the World

St. John the Forerunner (source)

  
Behind the Prophet, see the ascetic.
Behind the Baptist, see the virgin.
Behind the Great, see the humble.
Behind the Saint, see John.
Behind every Saint of the Church, there is a whole life of struggles, efforts, tears. There is hidden a life of prayer and asceticism, simplicity and obscurity.
It is not that which we know of St. John the Baptist and the Forerunner of our Lord. It is that which we do not know about him that contributes to making him Great before men and Saints. It is all that our Triune God knows of him.
This fascinates me about St. John...that he is an incredible wild flower that adorns the world, and that the world does not know...
-by Fr. Pavlos Papadopoulos
  
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

 

"O Forerunner and incarnate Lamp of the Savior..."

St. John the Forerunner (Source)

  
O Forerunner and incarnate Lamp of the Savior, the offspring of a barren woman, and friend of Him Who was born of a Virgin, who leaped for joy to worship Him as a babe in the womb, and who baptized Him in the waters of the Jordan, entreat Him, we pray you, O Prophet, that we might escape from the coming storms of this life.
-Doxastikon of the Stichera from the Feast of the Synaxis of St. John the Forerunner

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"O Forerunner of the Savior, you censured the king that he might not work lawlessness..."

The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner (Source)

  
O Forerunner of the Savior, you censured the king that he might not work lawlessness, through the games of a lawless woman, but Herod fell upon you and cut off your head. Because of this, your name is praised from the rising of the sun until its setting. As one having boldness before the Lord, entreat ceaselessly that our souls be saved.
-Doxastikon of the Aposticha from the Feast of the Beheading of the Precious Forerunner

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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"The great Forerunner shines forth today..."

The Nativity of St. John the Forerunner (source)

  
The great Forerunner shines forth today, from fruitless loins, coming forth from Elizabeth, he who is the Prophet greater than all the Prophets. There is none like him, nor will there come another after, for after the light of the lamp that is the Forerunner follows the surpassingly radiant voice of the Logos, and the Bridegroom of the Bride, the Lord Who prepares a people for Himself, and cleanses them beforehand by the Spirit through the water. [John is] the root of Zacharias, and the beautiful fruit of the desert, the preacher of repentance, the cleansing of offenses, he who preaches to those in Hades of the Resurrection from the dead, and who intercedes on behalf of our souls.
-Idiomelon of the Stichera for the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner, by St. Andrew of Crete
  
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"John, who outran Your birth and Your passion..."

St. John the Precious Forerunner and Baptist of Christ (source)

  
John, who outran Your birth and Your passion, came through a sword to the lowest parts of the earth as Prophet and Messenger of Your entrance also there, crying as voice of the Word, you dead, highly exalt the Giver of life, you blind, the Giver of light, you prisoners, the Deliverer Christ.
-from Ode VIII of the First Canon of the Saint
  
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

"The voice of the Word of grace has come..."

The Nativity of St. John the Forerunner (source)

  
"The voice of the Word of grace has come: The preacher of the Light of Light! He is born from the barren womb of Elizabeth. Rejoice, people; he comes, preparing the way of salvation for us. He leaped in the womb and worshipped his Master: the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and grants us great mercy."
-Idiomelon of the Aposticha in the Second Tone
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Hymn IV on the Nativity of Christ, by St. Ephraim the Syrian

The Nativity of Christ (source)

  
Hymn IV on the Nativity of Christ, by St. Ephraim the Syrian
This is the month which brings all manner of joy; it is the freedom of the bondsmen, the pride of the free, the crown of the gates, the soothing of the body, that also in its love put purple upon us as upon kings.
This is the month that brings all manner of victories; it frees the spirit; it subdues the body; it brings forth life among mortals; it caused, in its love, Godhead, to dwell in Manhood.
In this day the Lord exchanged glory for shame, as being humble; because Adam changed the truth for unrighteousness as being a rebel: the Good One had mercy on him, justified and set right them that had turned aside.
Let every man chase away his weariness, since that Majesty was not wearied with being in the womb nine months for us, and in being thirty years in Sodom among the madmen.¹
Because the Good One saw that the race of man was poor and humbled, He made feasts as a treasure-house, and opened them to the slothful, that the feast might stir up the slothful one to rise and be rich.
Lo! The First-born has opened unto us His feast as a treasure-house. This one day in the whole year alone opens that treasure-house: come, let us make gain, let us grow rich from it, ere they shut it up.
Blessed be the watchful, that have taken by force² from it the spoil of Life. It is a great disgrace, when a man sees his neighbor take and carry out treasure, and himself sits in the treasure-house slumbering, so as to come forth empty.
In this feast, let each one of us crown the gates of his heart. The Holy Spirit longs for the gates thereof, that He may enter in and dwell there, and sanctify it, and He goes round about to all the gates to see where He may enter.
In this feast, the gates are glad before the gates,³ and the Holy One rejoices in the holy temple, and the voice resounds in the mouth of children, and Christ rejoices in His own feast as a mighty man.
At the Birth of the Son the king was enrolling all men for the tribute-money, that they might be debtors to Him: the King came forth to us Who blotted out our bills,⁴ and wrote another bill in His own Name that He might be our debtor. The sun gave longer light, and foreshadowed the mystery by the degrees which it had gone up.⁵ It was twelve days since it had gone up, and to-day is the thirteenth day: a type exact of the Son's birth⁶ and of His Twelve.
Moses shut up a lamb in the month Nisan on the tenth day; a type this of the Son that came into the womb and shut Himself up therein on the tenth day.⁷ He came forth from the womb in this month in which the sun gives longer light.
The darkness was overcome, that it might proclaim that Satan was overcome; and the sun gave longer light, that it might triumph, because the First-born was victorious. Along with the darkness the dark one was overcome, and with the greater light our Light conquered!
Joseph caressed the Son as a Babe; he ministered to Him as God. He rejoiced in Him as in the Good One, and he was awe-struck at Him as the Just One, greatly bewildered.
"Who hath given me the Son of the Most High to be a Son to me? I was jealous of Thy Mother, and I thought to put her away, and I knew not that in her womb was hidden a mighty treasure, that should suddenly enrich my poor estate. David the king sprang of my race, and wore the crown: and I have come to a very low estate, who instead of a king am a carpenter. Yet a crown hath come to me, for in my bosom is the Lord of crowns!"
With rival words Mary burned, yea she lulled Him, [saying,] Who hath given me, the barren, that I should conceive and bring forth this One, that is manifold; a little One, that is great; for that He is wholly with me, and wholly everywhere?
The day that Gabriel came in unto my low estate, he made me free instead of a handmaid, of a sudden: for I was the handmaid of Thy Divine Nature, and am also the Mother of Thy human Nature, O Lord and Son!
Of a sudden the handmaid became the King's daughter in Thee, Thou Son of the King. Lo, the meanest in the house of David, by reason of Thee, Thou Son of David, lo, a daughter of earth hath attained unto Heaven by the Heavenly One!
How am I astonied that there is laid before me a Child, older than all things! His eye is gazing unceasingly upon Heaven. As for the stammering of His mouth, to my seeming it betokens, that with God its silence speaks.
Who ever saw a Child the whole of Whom beholdeth every place? His look is like one that orders all creatures that are above and that are below! His visage is like that Commander that commandeth all.
How shall I open the fountain of milk to Thee, O Fountain? Or how shall I give nourishment to Thee that nourishest all from Thy Table? How shall I bring to swaddling clothes One wrapped round with rays of glory?
My mouth knows not how I shall call Thee, O Thou Child of the Living One: for to venture to call Thee as the Child of Joseph, I tremble, since Thou art not his seed: and I am fearful of denying the name of him to whom they have betrothed me.
While Thou art the Son of One, then should I be calling Thee the Son of many. For ten thousand names would not suffice Thee, since Thou art the Son of God and also the Son of man, yea, David's Son and Mary's Lord.
Who hath made the Lord of mouths to be without a mouth? For my pure conception of Thee wicked men have slandered me. Be, O Thou Holy One, a Speaker for Thy Mother. Show a miracle that they may be persuaded, from Whom it is that I conceived Thee!
For Thy sake too I am hated, Thou Lover of all. Lo! I am persecuted who have conceived and brought forth One House of refuge for men. Adam will rejoice, for Thou art the Key of Paradise.
Lo, the sea raged against Thy mother as against Jonah. Lo, Herod, that raging wave, sought to drown the Lord of the seas. Whither I shall flee Thou shalt teach me, O Lord of Thy Mother.
With Thee I will flee, that I may gain in Thee Life in every place. The prison with Thee is no prison, for in Thee man goes up unto Heaven: the grave with Thee is no grave, for Thou art the Resurrection!⁸
A star of light which was not nature, shone forth suddenly; less than the sun and greater than the sun, less than it in its visible light, but greater than it in its hidden might, by reason of its mystery.
The Morning Star cast its bright beams among the darknesses, and led them as blind men, and they came and received a great light: they gave offerings and received life, and they worshipped and returned.
In the height and the depth two preachers were there to the Son: the bright star shouted above; John also preached below, two preachers, an earthly and a heavenly.
That above showed His Nature to be from the Majesty, and that below too showed his Nature to be from mankind. O great marvel, that His Godhead and His Manhood each was preached by them.
Whoso thought Him earthly, the bright star convinced him that He was heavenly; and whoso thought Him spiritual, John convinced him that He was also corporeal.
In the Holy temple Simeon carried Him, and lulled Him, [saying,] "Thou art come, O Merciful One, showing mercy on my old age, making my bones to go into the grave in peace. In Thee shall I be raised from the grave into Paradise!"
Anna embraced Him, and put her mouth to His lips, and the Spirit dwelt upon her own lips. As when Isaiah's mouth was silent, the coal⁹ which approached his lips opened his mouth; so Anna burned with the Spirit of His mouth, yea, she lulled Him, [saying,] "Son of the Kingdom, Son of the lowliness, that hearest and art still, that seest and art hidden, that knowest and art unknown, God, Son of Man, glory be unto Thy Name."
The barren also heard, ran, and came with their provisions: the Magi came with their treasures, the barren came with their provisions. Provisions and riches were suddenly heaped up in the house of the poor.
The barren woman cried out, as at that which she looked not for, Who hath granted me this sight of thy Babe, O Blessed One, by whom the heaven and earth are filled! Blessed be thy Fruit, which made the barren vine to bear a cluster.
Zacharias came and opened his venerable mouth and cried, "Where is the King, for whose sake I have begotten the Voice that is to preach before His face? Hail, Son of the King, to whom also our Priesthood shall be given up!"
John approached with his parents and worshipped the Son, and He shed glory upon his countenance; and he was not moved as when in the womb! Mighty miracle, that here he was worshipping, there he leaped.
Herod also, that base fox, that stalked about like a lion, as a fox crouched down, and howled, when he heard the roaring of the Lion, who came to sit in the kingdom according to the Scriptures. The fox heard that the Lion was a whelp, and as a suckling; and he sharpened His teeth, that while He was yet a child the fox might lie in wait and devour the Lion ere He had grown up, and the breath of His mouth should destroy him.
The whole creation became mouths to Him, and cried concerning Him. The Magi cried by their offerings! the barren cried with their children, the star of light cried in that air, lo! the Son of the King!
The Heavens were opened, the waters were calmed, the Dove glorified Him, the voice of the Father, louder than thunder, was instant and said, This is my beloved Son. The Angels proclaim Him, the children shout to Him with their Hosannas.
These voices above and below proclaim Him and cry aloud. The slumber of Sion was not dispersed by the voice of the thunders, but she was offended, stood up, and slew Him because He aroused her.
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Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Elder Iakovos Tsalikis on Fasting

St. John the Forerunner and Baptist of Christ, who fasted his entire life in the desert (source)

  
"Fasting is a commandment of God. Because of this, we should also fast, my children. I have not neglected fasting in my 70 years. My mother taught me fasting from childhood. I am not being a hypocrite, my children, when I fast, but I am doing that which my parents taught me and that which I keep until today, my children. Fasting has never brought sickness upon me.

Physicians and Bishops say that frugal fasting is very beneficial to man. Once, a doctor told me: "Father, don't eat for five days, nor even drink a drop of water, because we will do a test to see what is going on with your body." Therefore I fasted for five days. It had done great things to me. How much more are we benefited when we fast for our soul! Because within our body inhabits an eternal soul. Therefore, let us take care for our soul, which is truly an immortal thing.

Let us fast, my children, do not listen to those who say that fasting is nothing, and that this is something from monks. This is not from monks, my children, forgive me, God says this. The first commandment of God is fasting, and our Christ fasted.

We can say that we are fasting, and eat so much. Now, what fasting are we doing, my children? When we eat, forgive me, so much food, even if it is without oil. It is sufficient that man have his health and the desire to fast.

Once, someone came to me and said: "My priest, they told me that fasting doesn't exist." "And who told you that there was no fasting? Go tell the Priest to open the Bible and see that which discusses fasting: 'without prayer and fasting' (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29), which our Christ says, and other things.' And the demons, and sicknesses, and all the passions are cast out with fasting. The Holy Forerunner, what did he eat in the desert? What did the Venerable David eat? With an antidoron, he passed the whole week in his cell of asceticism."
-Elder Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia
  
(amateur translation of text from source)
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Encomium on the Beheading of the Precious Forerunner, by St. Theodore the Studite

St. John, the Precious Forerunner and Baptist of Christ (source)

  
Encomium on the Beheading of the Precious Forerunner, by St. Theodore the Studite

Dear God-fearing Christians, the feast which we have gathered here to celebrate together today is radiant and filled with divine joy. It is rightly called radiant because it shines from the very name of him whom we are honouring today, since he is called the lamp of the light. He is not, of course, a lamp who illumines us with material light, because then his radiance would not be enduring and constant and would be lost every time some obstacle moved in front of it. But it is light that shows the brilliant radiance of divine grace in the depths of the hearts of those who have gathered to celebrate his memory and who elevate their minds to think upon the sufferings of the righteous man, so that gazing with the eyes of our souls upon his blessed martyrdom, we shall be filled with spiritual joy.

  

But our eyes rejoice at the sight of the blood of every saint, our ears delight to hear their messages of salvation and our lips reverence them. Because their loss grants perfect participation in the immortal and true life. I do not, of course, mean merely a drop of blood, but anything at all from their holy members- a single hair or anything they wore or touched with their hands- is desirable and valuable for those who have decided to believe and to worship God in the proper manner. This is why people who have something like this in their homes or church- that is a complete relic or a part thereof, even a very small piece- consider it a special honour and are proud of it, as if it were a treasure which advances their sanctification and ensures their salvation. And so they approach the reliquary containing the sacred dust with great reverence and touch with awe the sacred relics which are untouchable because of their sanctity.

  

What more do I need to say than to refer generally to the blood of all the apostles, the martyrs and prophets, which various gory murderers shed in many different ways and which now circles the earth like a rich river and extinguishes impiety?

  

Such was the blood of the Forerunner and Baptist of Christ, of whom we are speaking today, which he shed from his sacred neck like precious myrrh, which perfumes the whole world. This blood was not engendered by hedonistic gluttony, nor by wine, nor by any of the other foods which fatten the greedy and give them pleasure.

  

It was created by the grace of abstinence, which the saint practised from his infancy until his martyr’s death. And as the Lord said, John neither ate nor drank (Matth. 11, 18-19).

  

This blood was shed before the blood of the Lord, the immortal chalice. Because it was needful that the Forerunner of the Light, who with his radiant birth from a barren mother illumined everyone on earth, should become an effulgent herald also to those who were below the earth, that is in Hell.

  

This blood has boldness before the Almighty Lord, more than the blood of the righteous Abel. Because every action has within it a mystical voice, which is not produced by the vocal chords but which becomes evident from the power invested in it by the person who performs the action.

  

This blood is more deserving than that of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and so on), more valuable than the blood of the prophets and more sanctified than the blood of all the righteous. Because it is more wonderful even than the blood of the apostles and of the martyrs. Now these words are not mine; they’re from the Great Word, Jesus Christ, Who gave this testimony concerning the Honourable Forerunner.

  

It is blood which adorns the Church more beautifully than any decoration with variegated and rare flowers. It was shed for justice at the end of the era when the old law was in force, and became a flower which stands at the entrance of the presence of Christ.

  

But let us continue now to tell, on the basis of the Holy Gospels, how this blood was shed, by whom and for what cause. According to the Gospel, Herod arrested John, bound him and cast him into prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip. Because John had told him: “You’re not allowed to live with her”. So he wanted to put John to death but was afraid to do so, because all the people considered him a prophet (Matth, 14, 2-5).

  

Let’s see first who this Herod was, because there are two people with the same name, which is confusing, and we have to be clear who we’re talking about. This one is Herod the Tetrarch. His father, also Herod and the murderer of the Innocents, had died long before [In 4 B. C. Herod I actually had four sons named Herod].

  

But why did John upbraid him? Because he had abandoned his lawful wife, the daughter of King Aretas, and was living, illicitly, with the wife of his brother Philip. He could, of course, have married her legally, if she hadn’t already had children by his brother, because Mosaic law allowed this in order to provide heirs. But since she wasn’t childless, he couldn’t. She had a daughter who was also called Herodias, the offspring of a viper, the devil’s tool in her perdition. This is why John, quite rightly, rebuked him. This castigation, however, was not hubristic and was not spoken in order to wound Herod’s soul and dignity, but it was more of a reminder, the aim of which was to bring him to his senses.

 

So what did he say to Herod? “You’re not allowed to live with her”. He reminded him of the divine law, as if saying to him: “Look and see what the Law orders you to do. If there are two brothers and one of them dies without issue, the widow is not allowed to marry a stranger. The brother of the deceased shall marry her and the child who is born will take the name of the deceased, and thus his name will not be lost in Israel (Deut. 15, 5). That’s what the law says. But you’ve taken the wife of your brother and she already has a child. Don’t transgress against the ordinance put in place by the legislator. And don’t soil your royal purple with inadmissible incest. Don’t be seen to be doing something illegal when you should be giving your subjects an example of willing and glad observance of the law. And if you do fall into this error, you’ll be punished, because those in high office are punished more severely”.

  

But since he’d only recently come to power, Herod forgot about God. He was furious, boiling with rage, and would not accept the rebuke. He did not imitate David, who, when he was chastised by the prophet Nathan for the sin of adultery, said: “I have sinned before you, Lord” (II Kings 12-13). And the Lord forgave him, because of his humility. Herod, on the other hand, had John arrested, bound and cast into prison (Matth. 14, 3). So the one who was a prisoner of the passion of lewdness arrested him who lived in the most sublime freedom, because of his holy life. He who was bound by the magical cords of debauchery, put bonds on him who was liberated from all things, living as he did outside any binding relationship. He who was, in practice, sinking deep into the mire, put in prison him who was the guard and herald of the Church.

  

For the sake of Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip (Matth. 14, 9). For the sake of Herodias, who shared the morals of Delilah, a true tool of the devil. Because it was she who encouraged him who shared her bed- or illicit love we should really say- and made him furious with John. She told him: “I’m a queen and I can’t be made a laughing-stock by the son of Zachariah. Imprison the tongue that’s breaking my bones. Stab, at once, him whose words are wounding my soul like arrows”. And although he wanted to put him to death, he didn’t do so because he was afraid of the people, who considered John a prophet and respected him as such (Matth. 14, 5). Because if people in power want to do something illegal, they can’t execute it as soon as they’ve thought of it, for two reasons: first because they’re ashamed and fear their subjects; and second because they wait until the opportunity arises to put into effect the hatred in their souls without risk to themselves.

  

So while they were celebrating Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter came out in front of them and danced. She pleased Herod very much and he swore to grant her anything she wanted (Matth. 14, 6).

On the day when he ought to have been thanking God for bringing him into the light of this life, he chose the works of darkness.. This was a day meant for spiritual joy, not for dancing, and certainly not for women dancing in front of men. What did this dance produce? The oath. And from that? Murder. Root out evil and lawlessness will not flourish. But if evil does take root, it’ll bear fruit, that is, it’ll be put into effect. Herodias’ daughter danced in the midst of the guests and pleased Herod. What else would the harlot-trained girl have learned from her mother, other than to dance provocatively and with such skill as to please Herod greatly. This is why he swore an oath to grant her whatever she wished. This is how rashly the tongues of people run away with them when they lose themselves in the passions of degradation: they blurt out in front of everyone, without thinking, whatever comes into their mind. The girl, schooled by her mother, brought about the hideous decapitation of Saint John, which the venomous Herodias had been wanting to achieve for a long time. I imagine she would have said: “This is the chance we’ve been looking for, my child. You’ve managed, with your dancing feet, to get him to offer me what I wanted. You’ve ended my pain with your skilful song. Let’s bury the man who’s rebuking us. Go quickly and tell Herod: ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter’ (Matth. 14, 8). What a ferocious and murderous demand! Even though she didn’t have the right to think and enjoy the spectacle of the murder, she outdid everyone in cruelty. What a crazed murderess! Not content with decapitation, you arranged for the head to be brought to you on a platter. What a depraved and debauched woman! Your brutality outstrips even that of blood-stained Jezebel.

  

The Gospel tells us that the king was saddened. But because he had sworn an oath and had promised in front of his guests, he ordered that she be given the head. He sent to the prison and had John beheaded. Then they set the head on a platter and brought it to the girl and her mother (Matth. 14, 11).

  

What an evil end to a diabolical coil! Who aimed the stroke of the deathly sword at the saintly head? A lawless servant, who like another Doeg, did not imitate those Jews who with circumspection and bravery stood up to King Saul when he ordered them to murder God’s prophets. “And they brought the head of John on a platter”. What should we call this revel? A banquet or the scene of a murder? What should we call the addle-pated guests? Fellow diners or blood-stained participants?

  

What an unprecedented sight! What a sinful sight! On the one hand, they were offering chicken and, on the other, a platter with the head of a prophet. From one side, rich clear wine was flowing and from the other the blood of a righteous man was gushing.

  

How terrible it is for me to say it and dreadful to express!

  

“And they gave it to the girl and she took it to her mother”. What a sinful sight! Alas! How utterly macabre! The invaluable head was exchanged for a worthless action; the pure and inviolate head, worthy of respect even from the angels, was given for an accursed and impious act. And she handed it to her mother as if she were giving her well-cooked food. To her who in her manic fury had directed the death, as if the child were saying: “Here you are, mother, meat of the flesh of him who lived on earth as if fleshless. Drink the blood of the faster. Once and for all we’ve now shut the mouth of him who rebuked us”.

 

According to the Gospel, his disciples then came, took away his body and buried it (Matth. 14, 13). Those of you who love history, look at how the burial of this righteous man is depicted and gives the lie to those enemies of the holy icons, who are also enemies of the truth. Fix the story in your minds and draw useful conclusions. How they took the saint, bound in heavy chains, from the prison How the executioner, like a wild animal, raised the sword against the holy head. How, after the beheading, the myrrh-exuding head was offered to the raving Herodias. And also how the sacred body was buried by the hands of his disciples, who all stood there, in tears, with a pain that tore at their souls. How one embraced the feet of the saint, another tried to fit the head back on to the motionless body and another sang funeral hymns while censing the body.

Now I’m there in my mind’s eye and can see the funeral of the righteous man taking place in an atmosphere of peace, as is mentioned in the Prophet Isaiah [57, 1-2: “See how the just man has perished and no one takes it to heart, and righteous men are taken away and no-one considers it. For the righteous man has been removed by injustice. His burial shall be in peace”]. I envision that angelic face, whose eyes have set like two shining suns and on which all the beauty of his soul has been imprinted. Without any fleeting and earthly breath, but full of the overpowering fragrance of divine grace. I kiss those holy hands, which never touched sin and the finger that pointed people to Christ, Who took upon Himself the sin of the whole world. I fall down before those beautiful feet, which told the good news to people and through which the way of the presence of the Lord was prepared. Bring me, so that I may reverence it, the honourable chain with which the most precious and angel-like of men was bound. Bring me the venerable platter on which the revered head- more precious than gold and jewels- was placed. Had I been there, I wouldn’t have omitted to pay my respects to the murderous sword which sliced through the holy neck, nor would I have hesitated to cover with kisses the ground where the treasure was laid, in the certainty that this, too, would bring me divine grace. Blessed grave and joyous tomb-stone, that cover the thrice-blessed corpse and wrap the body more precious than a mass of emeralds and pearls.

  

So at this scene there were the visible company of his disciples and an invisible host of angels, praising, glorifying and hymning John, bearing to eternal joy him who lived as a bodiless angel and foretold the coming of the Messiah. He who was a genuine friend of the Lord, who guided the Church to the celestial Bridegroom, the undimmed lamp of the ineffable light, the living voice of God the Word, who was superior to the prophets, greater than any man ever born of woman. The burial of this righteous man, then, was peaceful, as we’ve described it, a harbinger of joy and salvation to the whole world.

  

So did the insane Herod manage to escape punishment for his profanity for the rest of his life on earth? Of course not. On the contrary, because of this misdeed, all his subjects rose up against him and he was deposed. In this way, God wanted to frighten and admonish later kings, to prevent them committing similar crimes. But to return to our theme, let us acclaim this day as is proper.

  

Today, John the Forerunner is praised because he sacrifices his head for the truth, and Herod the transgressor is ridiculed and mocked. Today, John the Forerunner is lauded by all for his stern rebuke, and the insane Herod is dishonoured through his adultery. Today, the head of John the Forerunner is offered as a sacred sacrifice on a platter, and the adulteress Herodias, against her will, receives eternal condemnation. Today, the blood of John the Forerunner is shed because he observed the divine law and he who opposed the Baptist by breaking the law is rightly driven out. Today, because of forthrightness towards Herod, John the Forerunner is beheaded for upholding righteousness.

  

This is the way the kings of the earth learn not to put away their lawful wives and they condemn him who did so. Today, John the Baptist plants a landmark in the ground and urges all men to be satisfied with their lawful wife and to go no further than that. Today, John the Forerunner descends into Hell and the dead receive the glad tidings of the presence of Christ. Today, the heavens rejoice over the decapitation of John the Forerunner, who was sacrificed for God’s justice; while people on earth celebrate with hymns of thanksgiving. And in my view, the Honourable Forerunner is watching us from the heavens and rewarding with divine gifts those who praise him with hymns. Among the choir of the prophets, like the morning star, he rises and illumines the firmament of the Church. Among the apostles, before them and more than them he shines as a sun among suns. Among the martyrs, he is distinguished for his miracles, like a star-decked sky. Among the righteous he stands out for the many trials he suffered, for the sake of justice, and he who spread joy throughout the world is elevated higher than the cedars of Lebanon.

  

Because if, according to Saint Luke (2, 10) many people rejoiced at his birth, the joy on this the day of his martyr’s death should be equivalent. We have been found worthy to celebrate it, all of us, priests, hermits, coenobites and lay people, because everyone has a share in the joy his message provides. And may his intercessions be even more with us, who live in this holy monastery, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

  

To Whom is due glory and power, together with the Father and the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the unending ages of ages. Amen.

(source: Part I, Part II, Part III)

  

The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner (Source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Discourse on the Holy Theophany, by St. Hippolytus of Rome

Holy Theophany (source)

   

Discourse on the Holy Theophany, by St. Hippolytus of Rome

1. Good, yea, very good, are all the works of our God and Saviour— all of them that eye sees and mind perceives, all that reason interprets and hand handles, all that intellect comprehends and human nature understands. For what richer beauty can there be than that of the circle of heaven? And what form of more blooming fairness than that of earth's surface? And what is there swifter in the course than the chariot of the sun? And what more graceful car than the lunar orb? And what work more wonderful than the compact mosaic of the stars? And what more productive of supplies than the seasonable winds? And what more spotless mirror than the light of day? And what creature more excellent than man? Very good, then, are all the works of our God and Saviour. And what more requisite gift, again, is there than the element of water? For with water all things are washed and nourished, and cleansed and bedewed. Water bears the earth, water produces the dew, water exhilarates the vine; water matures the grain in the ear, water ripens the grapecluster, water softens the olive, water sweetens the palm-date, water reddens the rose and decks the violet, water makes the lily bloom with its brilliant cups. And why should I speak at length? Without the element of water, none of the present order of things can subsist. So necessary is the element of water; for the other elements took their places beneath the highest vault of the heavens, but the nature of water obtained a seat also above the heavens. And to this the prophet himself is a witness, when he exclaims, "Praise the Lord, you heavens of heavens, and the water that is above the heavens."

2. Nor is this the only thing that proves the dignity of the water. But there is also that which is more honourable than all— the fact that Christ, the Maker of all, came down as the rain, and was known as a spring, and diffused Himself as a river, and was baptized in the Jordan. For you have just heard how Jesus came to John, and was baptized by him in the Jordan. Oh things strange beyond compare! How should the boundless River that makes glad the city of God have been dipped in a little water! The illimitable Spring that bears life to all men, and has no end, was covered by poor and temporary waters! He who is present everywhere, and absent nowhere— who is incomprehensible to angels and invisible to men— comes to the baptism according to His own good pleasure. When you hear these things, beloved, take them not as if spoken literally, but accept them as presented in a figure. Whence also the Lord was not unnoticed by the watery element in what He did in secret, in the kindness of His condescension to man. "For the waters saw Him, and were afraid." They wellnigh broke from their place, and burst away from their boundary. Hence the prophet, having this in his view many generations ago, puts the question, "What ails you, O sea, that you reddest; and you, Jordan, that you were driven back?" And they in reply said, We have seen the Creator of all things in the "form of a servant", and being ignorant of the mystery of the economy, we were lashed with fear.

3. But we, who know the economy, adore His mercy, because He has come to save and not to judge the world. Wherefore John, the forerunner of the Lord, who before knew not this mystery, on learning that He is Lord in truth, cried out, and spoke to those who came to be baptized of him, "O generation of vipers, why do you look so earnestly at me? I am not the Christ; I am the servant, and not the lord; I am the subject, and not the king; I am the sheep, and not the shepherd; I am a man, and not God. By my birth I loosed the barrenness of my mother; I did not make virginity barren. I was brought up from beneath; I did not come down from above. I bound the tongue of my father; I did not unfold divine grace. I was known by my mother, and I was not announced by a star. I am worthless, and the least; but after me there comes One who is before me — after me, indeed, in time, but before me by reason of the inaccessible and unutterable light of divinity. There comes One mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy [Spirit], and with fire. I am subject to authority, but He has authority in Himself. I am bound by sins, but He is the Remover of sins. apply the law, but He brings grace to light. teach as a slave, but He judges as the Master. I have the earth as my couch, but He possesses heaven. I baptize with the baptism of repentance, but He confers the gift of adoption: He shall baptize you with the Holy [Spirit], and with fire. Why do you give attention to me? I am not the Christ."

4. As John says these things to the multitude, and as the people watch in eager expectation of seeing some strange spectacle with their bodily eyes, and the devil is struck with amazement at such a testimony from John, lo, the Lord appears, plain, solitary, uncovered, without escort, having on Him the body of man like a garment, and hiding the dignity of the Divinity, that He may elude the snares of the dragon. And not only did He approach John as Lord without royal retinue; but even like a mere man, and one involved in sin, He bent His head to be baptized by John. Wherefore John, on seeing so great a humbling of Himself, was struck with astonishment at the affair, and began to prevent Him, saying, as you have just heard, "I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me? What are you doing, O Lord? You teach things not according to rule. I have preached one thing (regarding You), and You perform another; the devil has heard one thing, and perceives another. Baptize me with the fire of Divinity; why do you wait for water? Enlighten me with the Spirit; why do You attend upon a creature? Baptize me, the Baptist, that Your pre-eminence may be known. I, O Lord, baptize with the baptism of repentance, and I cannot baptize those who come to me unless they first confess fully their sins. Be it so then that I baptize You, what have You to confess? You are the Remover of sins, and will You be baptized with the baptism of repentance? Though I should venture to baptize You, the Jordan dares not to come near You. I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?"

5. And what says the Lord to him? "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness. Suffer it to be so now, John; you are not wiser than I. You see as man; I foreknow as God. It becomes me to do this first, and thus to teach. I engage in nothing unbecoming, for I am invested with honour. Do you marvel, O John, that I am not come in my dignity? The purple robe of kings suits not one in private station, but military splendour suits a king: am I come to a prince, and not to a friend? Suffer it to be so now for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness: I am the Fulfiller of the law; I seek to leave nothing wanting to its whole fulfilment, that so after me Paul may exclaim, Christ is the fulfilling of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness. Baptize me, John, in order that no one may despise baptism. I am baptized by you, the servant, that no one among kings or dignitaries may scorn to be baptized by the hand of a poor priest. Allow me to go down into the Jordan, in order that they may hear my Father's testimony, and recognise the power of the Son. Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness." Then at length John suffers Him. "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and the heavens were opened unto Him; and, lo, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and rested upon Him. And a voice (came) from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

6. Do you see, beloved, how many and how great blessings we would have lost, if the Lord had yielded to the exhortation of John, and declined baptism? For the heavens were shut before this; the region above was inaccessible. We would in that case descend to the lower parts, but we would not ascend to the upper. But was it only that the Lord was baptized? He also renewed the old man, and committed to him again the sceptre of adoption. For straightway "the heavens were opened to Him". A reconciliation took place of the visible with the invisible; the celestial orders were filled with joy; the diseases of earth were healed; secret things were made known; those at enmity were restored to amity. For you have heard the word of the evangelist, saying, The heavens were opened to Him, on account of three wonders. For when Christ the Bridegroom was baptized, it was meet that the bridal-chamber of heaven should open its brilliant gates. And in like manner also, when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and the Father's voice spread everywhere, it was meet that the gates of heaven should be lifted up. And, lo, the heavens were opened to Him; and a voice was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

7. The beloved generates love, and the light immaterial the light inaccessible. This is my beloved Son, He who, being manifested on earth and yet unseparated from the Father's bosom, was manifested, and yet did not appear. For the appearing is a different thing, since in appearance the baptizer here is superior to the baptized. For this reason did the Father send down the Holy Spirit from heaven upon Him who was baptized. For as in the ark of Noah the love of God toward man is signified by the dove, so also now the Spirit, descending in the form of a dove, bearing as it were the fruit of the olive, rested on Him to whom the witness was borne. For what reason? That the faithfulness of the Father's voice might be made known, and that the prophetic utterance of a long time past might be ratified. And what utterance is this? "The voice of the Lord (is) on the waters, the God of glory thundered; the Lord (is) upon many waters." And what voice? "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is He who is named the son of Joseph, and (who is) according to the divine essence my Only-begotten. "This is my beloved Son"— He who is hungry, and yet maintains myriads; who is weary, and yet gives rest to the weary; who has not where to lay His head, and yet bears up all things in His hand; who suffers, and yet heals sufferings; who is smitten, and yet confers liberty on the world; who is pierced in the side, and yet repairs the side of Adam.

8. But give me now your best attention, I pray you, for I wish to go back to the fountain of life, and to view the fountain that gushes with healing. The Father of immortality sent the immortal Son and Word into the world, who came to man in order to wash him with water and the Spirit; and He, begetting us again to incorruption of soul and body, breathed into us the breath (spirit) of life, and endued us with an incorruptible panoply. If, therefore, man has become immortal, he will also be God. And if he is made God by water and the Holy Spirit after the regeneration of the layer he is found to be also joint-heir with Christ after the resurrection from the dead. Wherefore I preach to this effect: Come, all you kindreds of the nations, to the immortality of the baptism. I bring good tidings of life to you who tarry in the darkness of ignorance. Come into liberty from slavery, into a kingdom from tyranny, into incorruption from corruption. And how, says one, shall we come? How? By water and the Holy [Spirit]. This is the water in conjunction with the Spirit, by which paradise is watered, by which the earth is enriched, by which plants grow, by which animals multiply, and (to sum up the whole in a single word) by which man is begotten again and endued with life, in which also Christ was baptized, and in which the Spirit descended in the form of a dove.

9. This is the Spirit that at the beginning "moved upon the waters"; by whom the world moves; by whom creation consists, and all things have life; who also wrought mightily in the prophets, and descended in flight upon Christ. This is the Spirit that was given to the apostles in the form of fiery tongues. This is the Spirit that David sought when he said, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Of this Spirit Gabriel also spoke to the Virgin, "The Holy [Spirit] shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you." By this Spirit Peter spoke that blessed word, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." By this Spirit the rock of the Church was established. This is the Spirit, the Comforter, that is sent because of you, that He may show you to be the Son of God.

10. Come then, be begotten again, O man, into the adoption of God. And how? Says one. If you practise adultery no more, and commit not murder, and serve not idols; if you are not overmastered by pleasure; if you do not suffer the feeling of pride to rule you; if you clean off the filthiness of impurity, and put off the burden of sin; if you cast off the armour of the devil, and put on the breastplate of faith, even as Isaiah says, "Wash, and seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow. And come and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, I shall make them white as snow; and though they be like crimson, I shall make them white as wool. And if you be willing, and hear my voice, you shall eat the good of the land." Do you see, beloved, how the prophet spoke beforetime of the purifying power of baptism? For he who comes down in faith to the layer of regeneration, and renounces the devil, and joins himself to Christ; who denies the enemy, and makes the confession that Christ is God; who puts off the bondage, and puts on the adoption,— he comes up from the baptism brilliant as the sun, flashing forth the beams of righteousness, and, which is indeed the chief thing, he returns a son of God and joint-heir with Christ. To Him be the glory and the power, together with His most holy, and good, and quickening Spirit, now and ever, and to all the ages of the ages. Amen.

(source)

   

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Hymn XIV on Theophany by St. Ephraim the Syrian

Christ talking with the Precious Forerunner before His Baptism (source)

   

Hymn XIV on Theophany by St. Ephraim the Syrian.

Hymn concerning our Lord and John.

[i.e. Hymn written as a conversation between Christ and the Forerunner]

(Resp.-Glory to Thee, my Lord, for Thee-with joy Heaven and earth worship!)

1. My thought bore me to Jordan,-and I saw a marvel when there was revealed-the glorious Bridegroom who to the Bride-shall bring freedom and holiness.

2. I saw John filled with wonder,-and the multitudes standing about him,-and the glorious Bridegroom bowed down-to the Son of the barren that he might baptize Him.

3. At the Word and the Voice my thought marvelled:-for lo! John was the Voice; -our Lord was manifested as the Word, that what was hidden should become revealed.

4. The Bride was espoused but knew not-who was the Bridegroom on whom she gazed:-the guests were assembled, the desert was filled,-and our Lord was hidden among them.

5. Then the Bridegroom revealed Himself;-and to John at the voice He drew near:-and the Forerunner was moved and said of Him-"This is the Bridegroom Whom I proclaimed."

6. He came to baptism Who baptizes all,-and He showed Himself at Jordan.-John saw Him and drew back,-deprecating, and thus he spake:-

7. "How, my Lord, willest Thou to be baptized,-Thou Who in Thy baptism atonest all?-Baptism looks unto Thee;-shed Thou on it holiness and perfection?"

8. Our Lord said "I will it so;-draw near, baptize Me that My Will may be done.-Resist My Will thou canst not:-I shall be baptized of thee, for thus I will it."

9. "I entreat, my Lord, that I be not compelled,-for this is hard that Thou hast said to me,-'I have need that thou shouldst baptize Me;'-for it is Thou that with Thy hyssop purifiest all."

10. "I have asked it, and it pleases Me that thus it should be;-and thou, John, why gainsayest thou?-Suffer righteousness to be fulfilled,-and come, baptize Me; why standest Thou?"

11. "How can one openly grasp-in his hands the fire that burns?-O Thou that art fire have mercy on me,-and bid me not come near Thee, for it is hard for me!"

12. "I have revealed to Thee My Will; what questionest thou?-Draw near, baptize Me, and thou shalt not be burned.-The bridechamber is ready; keep Me not back-from the wedding-feast that has been made ready."

13. "The Watchers fear and dare not-gaze on Thee lest they be blinded;-and I, how, O my Lord, shall I baptize Thee?-I am too weak to draw near; blame me not!"

14. "Thou fearest; therefore gainsay not-against My Will in what I desire:-and Baptism has respect unto Me.-Accomplish the work to which thou hast been called!"

15. "Lo! I proclaimed Thee at Jordan-in the ears of the people that believed not and if they shall see Thee baptized of me,-they will doubt that Thou art the Lord."

16. "Lo! I am to be baptized in their sight,-and the Father Who sent Me bears witness of Me-that I am His Son and in Me He is well pleased,-to reconcile Adam who was under His wrath."

17. "It becomes, me. O my Lord, to know my nature-that I am moulded out of the ground,-and Thou the moulder Who formest all things:-I, then, why should I baptize Thee in water?"

18. "It becomes thee to know wherefore I am come,-and for what cause I have desired that thou shouldst baptize Me.-It is the middle of the way wherein I have walked;-withhold thou not Baptism."

19. "Small is the river whereto Thou art come,-that Thou shouldst lodge therein and it should cleanse Thee.-The heavens suffice not for Thy mightiness;-how much less shall Baptism contain Thee!"

20. "The womb is smaller than Jordan;-yet was I willing to lodge in the Virgin:-and as I was born from woman,-so too am I to be baptized in Jordan."

21. "Lo! the hosts are standing!-the ranks of Watchers, lo! they worship And if I draw near, my Lord, to baptize Thee,-I tremble for myself with quaking."

22. "The hosts and multitudes call thee happy,-all of them, for that thou baptizest Me.-For this I have chosen thee from the womb:-fear thou not, for I have willed it

23. "I have prepared the way as I was sent:-I have betrothed the Bride as I was commanded.-May Thy Epiphany be spread over the world-now that Thou art come, and let me not baptize Thee!"

24. "This is My preparation, for so have I willed;-I will go down and be baptized in Jordan,-and make bright the armour for them that are baptized,-that they may be white in Me and I not be conquered."

25. "Son of the Father, why should I baptize Thee?-for lo! Thou art in Thy Father and Thy Father in Thee.-Holiness unto the priests Thou givest;-water that is common wherefore askest Thou?"

26. "The children of Adam look unto Me,-that I should work for them the new birth.-A way in the waters I will search out for them,-and if I be not baptized this cannot be."

27. "Pontiffs of Thee are consecrated,-priests by Thy hyssop are purified;-the anointed and the kings Thou makest.-Baptism, how shall it profitThee?"

28. "The Bride thou betrothedst to Me awaits Me,-that I should go down, be baptized, and sanctify her.-Friend of the Bridegroom withhold Me not-from the washing that awaits Me."

29. "I am not able, for I am weak,-Thy blaze in my hands to grasp.-Lo! Thy legions are as flame;-bid one of the Watchers baptize Thee!"

30. "Not from the Watchers was My Body assumed,-that I should summon a Watcher to baptize Me.-The body of Adam, lo! I have put on,-and thou, son of Adam, art to baptize Me."

31. "The waters saw Thee, and greatly feared ;-the waters saw Thee, and lo! they tremble!-The river foams in its terror;-and I that am weak, how shall I baptize Thee?"

32. "The waters in My Baptism are sanctified,-and fire and the Spirit from Me shall they receive;-and if I be not baptized they are not made perfect-to be fruitful of children that shall not die."

33. "Fire, if to Thy fire it draw near,-shall be burnt up of it as stubble.-The mountains of Sinai endured Thee not,-and I that am weak, wherein shall I baptize Thee?"

34. "I am the flaming fire;-yet for man's sake I became a babe-in the virgin womb of the maiden.-And now I am to be baptized in Jordan."

35. "It is very meet that Thou shouldst baptize me,-for Thou hast holiness to purify all.-In Thee it is that the defiled are made holy; but Thouthat art holy, why art Thou to be baptized?"

36. "It is very right that thou shouldst baptize Me,-as I bid, and shouldst not gainsay.-Lo! I baptized thee within the womb;-baptize thou me in Jordan!"

37. "I am a bondman and I am weak.-Thou that freest all have mercy on me! Thy latchets to unloose I am not able;-Thy exalted head who will make me worthy to touch?"

38. "Bondmen in My Baptism are set free;-handwritings in My washing are blotted out ;-manumissions in the water are sealed ;-and if I be not baptized all these come to nought."

39. "A mantle of fire the air wears,-and waits for Thee, above Jordan;-and if Thou consentest to it and willest to be baptized,-Thou shall baptize Thyself and fulfil all."

40. "This is meet, that thou shouldst baptize Me,-that none may err and say concerning Me,-'Had He not been alien from the Father's house,-why feared the Levite to baptize Him?' "

41. "The prayer, then, when Thou art baptized,-how shall I complete over Jordan?-When the Father and the Spirit are seen over Thee,-Whom shall I call on, as priest?"

42. "The prayer in silence is to be completed:-come, thy hand alone lay thou on Me.-and the Father shall utter in the priest's stead-that which is meet concerning His Son."

43. "They that are bidden, lo! all of them stand;-the Bridegroom's guests, lo! they bear witness-that day by day I said among them,-'I am the Voice and not the Word.' "

44. "Voice of him that cries in the wilderness,-fulfil thou the work for which thou camest,-that the desert whereunto thou wentest out may resound-with the mighty peace thou preachedst therein."

45. "The shout of the Watchers has come to my ears;-lo! I hear from the Father's house-the hosts that sound forth the cry,-'In Thy Epiphany, O Bridegroom, the worlds have life.' "

46. "The time hastes on, and the marriage guests-look to Me to see what is doing.-Come, baptize Me, that they may give praise-to the Voice of the Father when it is heard!"

47. "I hearken, my Lord, according to Thy Word:-come to Baptism as Thy love constrains Thee!-The dust worships that whereunto he has attained,-that on Him Who fashioned him he should lay his hand."

48. The heavenly ranks were silent as they stood,-and the Bridegroom went down into Jordan;-the Holy One was baptized and straightway went up,-and His Light shone forth on the world.

49. The doors of the highest were opened above,-and the voice of the Father was heard,-" This is my Beloved in Whom I am well pleased."-All ye peoples, come and worship Him.

50. They that saw were amazed as they stood, at the Spirit Who came down and bare witness to Him.-Praise to Thy Epiphany that gladdens all,-Thou in Whose revelation the worlds are lightened!

(source)

   

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Akathist to St. John the Forerunner

St. John the Forerunner, with scenes from his life (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966002.jpg)

Akathist to Saint John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord

Kontakion I

Chosen from days of old to be the Forerunner and Baptist of Christ God, the Saviour of the world, Divinely-praised John, while glorifying the Lord Who glorified thee, we sing thee hymns of praise as to the greatest of those born of woman, as to an angel in the flesh and preacher of repentance. For as thou hast great boldness before the Lord, free us from dangers of all kinds and move us to repentance, as we cry to thee with love: Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord!

Ikos I

Archangel Gabriel, who stands before God, was sent to the priest Zachariah, when he, serving according to his rank, entered with incense into the Sanctuary of the Lord. Standing to the right of the Altar of Incense, the angel announced to him the good news of thy birth, great John, proclaiming to

Zachariah joy and gladness, as many would rejoice at God’s awesome good will concerning thee, reverently crying out in praise of thee:

Rejoice, ineffable confidant of the counsel of God!

Rejoice, fulfillment of His marvelous dispensation!

Rejoice, thou who wast revealed many years before by the prophecy of Isaiah!

Rejoice, messenger before the face of the Lord, prophesied of old!

Rejoice, thou who wast foreordained to be a great prophet of the Most High!

Rejoice, thou who wast born according to the promise of an angel!

Rejoice, thou who wast filled with the Holy Spirit even in thy mother’s womb!

Rejoice, thou who wast consecrated for a great ministry before thy birth!

Rejoice, release of parents’ barrenness!

Rejoice, joy and gladness of a priest of God!

Rejoice, offspring of a daughter of Aaron!

Rejoice, God-given fruit of prayer!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion II

When Zachariah saw the angel appearing to him, he was disturbed and fear fell upon him, and he did not believe the words of his announcement concerning thy birth; but when he was stricken with dumbness for his disbelief, he marveled at this most glorious wonder, crying to God with all his heart: Alleluia!

Ikos II

Seeking to understand the unfathomable Mind, the people awaited Zachariah, wondering at his tarrying in the Sanctuary; but when he came out and could not speak to them, but only made signs, they all understood that he had beheld a vision in the Sanctuary. And we, glorifying God, the marvelous Creator of miracles, cry unto thee:

Rejoice, good source of thy father’s silence!

Rejoice, change of thy mother’s tears into joy!

Rejoice, removal of her reproach among the people!

Rejoice, great consolation for those who gave thee birth!

Rejoice, for in the sixth month after thy conception, the Most Holy Virgin Mary was visited by an angel in Nazareth!

Rejoice, for many rejoiced over thy birth!

Rejoice, for thou didst receive a Grace-filled name, given by an angel!

Rejoice, for by thy name the silence of thy father Zachariah was ended!

Rejoice, for the name of God was blessed by thy father on account of thee!

Rejoice, for fear and wonder over thy miraculous birth came upon those living round about!

Rejoice, for the news of thy miraculous birth spread over the entire land of Judea!

Rejoice, for by thee salvation appeared to many in this world!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion III

The power of the Most High ended the barrenness of the righteous Elizabeth, who was beyond the natural age for bearing children, for she conceived thee, the glorious Forerunner of the Lord, and keeping this secret for five months, she said: For thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein He looked on me to take away my reproach among men. But when she received Her Who bore Christ in Her Womb, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried with a loud voice: Whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?, and rejoicing with Her, she cried unto God: Alleluia!

Ikos III

Thou who wast to go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah wast filled with the Holy Spirit while still in thy mother’s womb, whence thou didst appear as a marvelous prophet, when thou didst leap with rejoicing at the coming of the Mother of the Lord; for thou didst recognize God borne in the womb of Her Who is full of Grace, and by thy mother’s voice didst preach Him; for it was proper for the beginning of Divine things to be most glorious. Wherefore, reverently marveling at this, with joy we cry to thee:

Rejoice, while still in thy mother’s womb proclaiming with miraculous gladness the Lord Who glorified thee!

Rejoice, for because of thee and thy mother Elizabeth the incarnation of Christ was revealed!

Rejoice, for she also was filled with the Holy Spirit!

Rejoice, for she appeared as a most marvelous prophetess!

Rejoice, for by her the Most Holy Virgin Mary was called blessed among women!

Rejoice, for by her She was also named the Mother of the Lord!

Rejoice, for Her seedless fruit was declared most blessed!

Rejoice, manifestation of divine wisdom!

Rejoice, blessing of a holy marriage!

Rejoice, wonderful offspring of a barren womb!

Rejoice, thou who astonished men by thy birth!

Rejoice, radiant voice of the Word!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

St. John the Forerunner, with scenes from his life (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966009.jpg)

Kontakion IV

Disturbed by a storm of doubt, the priest Zachariah was unable to speak, according to the angel’s word. But when after thy birth, O Forerunner of the Lord, he wrote thy Grace-filled name, immediately his lips and tongue were loosened, and he spake, blessing God and prophesying, saying: Blessed by the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, singing unto Him: Alleluia!

Ikos IV

On hearing of thy most glorious and miraculous birth, the people who lived round about said among themselves with amazement: What will this child become? But we unworthily honoring thee, most glorious Forerunner of the Lord, as the greatest of those born of women, glorify thee thus:

Rejoice, thou who wast filled with manifestations of Grace from thy conception!

Rejoice, thou who wast glorified by God in thy birth!

Rejoice, thou who wast in thine infancy called a prophet of the Most High by the father!

Rejoice, thou who wast in thy childhood enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit!

Rejoice, thou who wast a blood relative of God incarnate!

Rejoice, thou who didst receive from God the lofty calling of Forerunner and Baptist!

Rejoice, ray proclaiming New Light to the World!

Rejoice, star illumining the path that leadeth to Christ!

Rejoice, morning star of the unsetting sun!

Rejoice, lamp of the Never-waning Light!

Rejoice, thou who preparest the way for the approaching Christ!

Rejoice, thou who appearest as both angel and man!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion V

The ungodly command of the lawless murderer of children, Herod, drove thee out of thy father’s house into the trackless wilderness, carried by thy mother, O Forerunner of the Lord, and there thou didst abide until the day of thy appearance unto Israel, eating akrida and wild honey, and calling to God: Alleluia!

Ikos V

Beholding God’s wonderful providence concerning thee, O John praised by God, thou didst appear as a lover of a life of fasting from infancy’s swaddling clothes, whence by the will of the Most High thou wast sent to preach the approaching salvation in Christ. For this reason with amazement and love we cry out to thee:

Rejoice, for, while yet an infant, thou didst terrify King Herod!

Rejoice, thou who wast preserved from his vain murdering by the right hand of the Most High!

Rejoice, fragrant rose of the desert!

Rejoice, thou who amazed all by the height of thine ascetic labors!

Rejoice, faithful indicator of the true way!

Rejoice, most wonderful preserver of purity and chastity!

Rejoice, perfect example of the self-denial of the Gospel!

Rejoice, monastics’ protection and security!

Rejoice, enlightenment of theologians’ minds!

Rejoice, thou who dost open the doors of God’s compassion to the sinful!

Rejoice, thou who dost help to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion VI

A glorious preacher, a Divine Forerunner, wast thou shown to be in the desert of Jordan on the day of the appearance of Christ God to the world, for upon His approaching thee, thou didst show Him to the people, saying: Behold, the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world! And we, having known Him through faith, sing unto Him: Alleluia!

Ikos VI

Thou didst shine as a light of truth, O John, enlightened by God, manifesting unto all the effulgence of the Glory of the Father, appearing in the flesh for our sake. For thou didst cry out to the people in the wilderness: Repent ye; for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand; bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. For behold, there cometh after me, One Who shall baptize you with water and the Spirit. Therefore we cry out to thee with praises:

Rejoice, herald of the coming of the Messiah!

Rejoice, preparer of the paths of the Lord!

Rejoice, intercessor of the old and new Grace!

Rejoice, end of the prophets and beginning of the apostles!

Rejoice, renowned voice of the Word!

Rejoice, thundering preacher of repentance!

Rejoice, thou who didst convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord!

Rejoice, thou who didst make people perfect for the Lord!

Rejoice, thou who boldly didst expose the Pharisees and Sadducees!

Rejoice, teaching to bear fruit worthy of repentance!

Rejoice, indicator of spiritual enlightenment!

Rejoice, untiring intercessor for those seeking thy protection!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

St. John the Forerunner (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966027.jpg)

Kontakion VII

When the Lord Jesus wanted to be baptized, O Divinely blessed John, thou didst say: I have need to be baptized of Thee; however, submitting to Him Who said, Let it be so now! Thou didst raise thy right hand upon His head and having baptized Him Who did not need purification, thou didst cry out: Alleluia!

Ikos VII

Giving thee new Grace, the Lord willed to be baptized by thee, granting thee to behold the coming of the Spirit and to hear the Father’s voice from the heavens testifying to His Sonship. Whenceforth thou didst teach us to worship one God in Three Persons; Whom glorifying with lips of clay, we offer these praises to thee:

Rejoice, first preacher of the Trinity’s Theophany!

Rejoice, true worshipper of the one God in Three Persons!

Rejoice, clear beholder of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove!

Rejoice, witness to His descent from the Father upon the Son!

Rejoice, hearer of the voice of God the Father from Heaven!

Rejoice, beholder of the revelation of the Father’s love for the Son!

Rejoice, chosen baptist of the Son of God!

Rejoice, fulfiller of His holy will!

Rejoice, zealous struggler in the glorious service for the salvation of the human race!

Rejoice, first celebrant of the great Mystery of Baptism!

Rejoice, herald of divine joy!

Rejoice, first teacher of the New Testament!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion VIII

Having beheld the strange and ineffable humility of the Incarnate God the Word, O Divinely-blessed Baptist, when He bowed His Divine Head to thee and received a servile baptism, thou thyself wast wholly filled with great humility. Entreat therefore this Divinely-loved virtue for us also, who are possessed by pride, that we may cry to Him from a humble heart: Alleluia!

Ikos VIII

Wholly filled with the gifts of Grace, in finishing the course of earthly life, John the Divinely-chosen, thou didst teach all to please God well through fulfillment of the Law and repentance. Therefore, we sing out thankful praises to thee, the great teacher of truth:

Rejoice, planter of the law and statutes of the Lord!

Rejoice, exposer of Herod’s lawlessness!

Rejoice, zealot for his correction!

Rejoice, thou who didst suffer imprisonment and bonds for the sake of righteousness!

Rejoice, thou who wast beheaded for the truth!

Rejoice, for thy body was given an honorable burial by thy disciples!

Rejoice, for by God’s providence thy head was preserved incorrupt!

Rejoice, for it has granted consolation, sanctification, and healing to Christians!

Rejoice, for the faithful piously bow down also before thy right hand which baptized the Lord!

Rejoice, for many miracles are thereby accomplished even to the present day!

Rejoice, for by thee the faithful are delivered from the dishonor of passions!

Rejoice, for by thee the sinful are moved to repentance!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion IX

The angelic realm was amazed at the loftiness of thy ministry, and the Church reverently praiseth thee as the friend of Christ God, coming before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah. For, zealous for truth, thou didst boldly expose the Pharisees and lawless Herod, from whom thou didst receive a martyr’s end. Therefore, we bow down before thy holy head, and pray to thee: deliver us from the dishonor of passions, that with a pure heart and lips we may chant: Alleluia!

Ikos IX

No rhetoric of the earthly-born can suffice worthily to praise thee, John the Divinely-praised; for the lips of Christ praised thee, calling thee higher than the prophets and the greatest of all those born of woman. Wherefore, not knowing how to offer thee worthy praise, we cry to thee such things as these:

Rejoice, great glory of the Church of Christ!

Rejoice, most marvelous wonder of the angels!

Rejoice, joy and glorification of the forefathers!

Rejoice, lofty praise of the prophets!

Rejoice, divinely-illumined crown of the apostles!

Rejoice, magnificent beauty of hierarchs!

Rejoice, beginning of martyrs in the new Grace!

Rejoice, perfection of holy monastics!

Rejoice, adornment of the righteous!

Rejoice, foundation of virgins and fasters!

Rejoice, great consolation of all Christians!

Rejoice, for thy name is glorified by all Christian generations!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

St. John the Forerunner, with scenes from his life (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966042.jpg)

Kontakion X

Thou didst proclaim to those in Hades the good news of Christ, come in the flesh to save the world; for like the morning star preceding the sun, thou didst illumine those sitting in the darkness and shadow of death, whence thou wast soon lead forth by the Lord with all the righteous from the beginning of the age, chanting to Him as the Deliverer and Conqueror of death: Alleluia!

Ikos X

Thou art a wall and saving refuge to all who hasten to thee in prayer, Divine John; therefore, we bless thee with hymns of praise thus:

Rejoice, our mighty intercessor and faithful preserver from harm!

Rejoice, quick helper and deliverer of those suffering from the spirits of malice!

Rejoice, thou who dost send down the blessing from God on the barren!

Rejoice, thou who dost deliver those who run to thee with faith from great disturbance of passions!

Rejoice, thou who dost quickly reconcile those who are at enmity!

Rejoice, thou who dost grant speedy help to those who fervently hasten to thee in every need and sorrow!

Rejoice, thou who dost rescue those who are running the good race from self deception and prelest!

Rejoice, thou who dost help those who entrust themselves to thine intercession at the hour of death!

Rejoice, thou who by thine intercession dost deliver those who love thee from the toll-houses of the air!

Rejoice, thou who dost vouchsafe eternal life to those who honor thy glorious memory!

Rejoice, defense of the poor and widows and orphans!

Rejoice, after God and the Theotokos, the refuge and hope of Christians!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion XI

No hymn is sufficient to praise thee according to the legacy of thy great deeds, O Baptist of the Lord. But we, compelled by love, dare to hymn thy greatness. Do thou mercifully accept this from us, O intercessor before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, and pray to free us from every sinful corruption, that with pure heart and lips we may chant to God: Alleluia!

Ikos XI

Knowing thee to be a lamp of the Unapproachable Light and entirely filled with the all-radiant gifts of Grace, John the Divinely-enlightened, joyfully we offer thee such words as these:

Rejoice, eyewitness of the Divine Light shining from on high!

Rejoice, thou who dost praise God by the light of thy virtues!

Rejoice, thou who dost reveal the majestic glory of the Most Holy Trinity!

Rejoice, thou who dost point out the correct and marvelous path to Heaven!

Rejoice, harbinger of the good news of God Incarnate for those in Hades!

Rejoice, bearer of glad tidings for the righteous held in the nether regions from the beginning of the age!

Rejoice, sincere friend of the Master, Christ God!

Rejoice, thou who dost reveal to the world the True Light!

Rejoice, radiance of the shining light of the Gospel!

Rejoice, glorification of the Christian race!

Rejoice, fulfillment of the Counsel of God!

Rejoice, for from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same thy name is to be praised!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion XII

Bearing the name of Grace, O Baptist of the Lord, and enriched thereby, thou didst appear as a most glorious bearer of victory; for thou didst conquer enemies and every malice, and thou didst seal thy ministry with martyrdom. And now, standing before the throne of the King of kings, entreat Him to grant to all the faithful victory over their enemies and Godspeed in all things, and the strengthening of Grace in virtues, as they chant to Him: Alleluia!

Ikos XII

Hymning God, Who was wondrously glorified in thee, we praise thee, Divinely-blessed Baptist, as the sincere friend of Christ; we praise thy great ascetic struggles, we bless thy martyr’s death, and joyfully we cry to thee such things as these:

Rejoice, universal apostle and first martyr of the New Testament!

Rejoice, first preacher of the Kingdom of Heaven manifested by the appearance of Christ on the earth!

Rejoice, foreteller of the divine calling of the gentiles!

Rejoice, thou who didst manifest unto the world the hidden and secret things of the wisdom of God!

Rejoice, thou who wast shown to be more fruitful than others in divine deeds!

Rejoice, for by the light of thy deeds the Heavenly Father was glorified!

Rejoice, for thou dost unspeakably gladden the Church of Christ concerning thy memory!

Rejoice, for now thou dost eternally enjoy abundant gladness!

Rejoice, illuminated by the divine rays of the Light of the Three-sunned Light!

Rejoice, for thou dost unceasingly chant with the bodiless ones the thrice-holy hymn to God!

Rejoice, for now with the mirror removed, thou dost directly behold the Holy Trinity!

Rejoice, great John, Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord!

Kontakion XIII

O great and most glorious John, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord! Receive from us now this supplication offered to thee, and by thy prayers, which are pleasing to God, deliver us from evil of all kind, and rescue us from eternal torment, and make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, that throughout the ages we may chant unto God: Alleluia!

This Kontakion is recited thrice, whereupon Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are repeated.

St. John the Forerunner (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966003.jpg)

Prayer to Saint John the Baptist

O Baptist of Christ, Holy Forerunner, last of the prophets, first of the martyrs, instructor of fasters and desert-dwellers, teacher of purity and close friend of Christ! I pray thee; I run to thee. Do not reject me from thy protection, but lift me up who am fallen in many sins; renew my soul by repentance, as by a second Baptism. Purify me, corrupted by sins, and compel me to enter therein where no corruption can enter: into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
(http://www.osjknights.com/3%20Prayers/Akathist%20to%20Saint%20John%20the%20Baptist.pdf)

St. John the Forerunner (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0966/s0966041.jpg)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!