Saint John the Baptist

Life

Because John's main role in life was played out on the day of Theophany, the Church from ancient times has dedicated the day after Theophany to his commemoration. This day is also connected with the event of the hand of the Forerunner. The Evangelist Luke desired to transfer John's body from Sebastia, where the great prophet had been beheaded by Herod, to Antioch, his native place. But he succeeded only in obtaining and transferring one hand, which was preserved in Antioch until the tenth century, and was later transferred to Constantinople, from where it disappeared in the time of the Turks. Saint John is celebrated several times a year, but the greatest feast is on this day, January 7. Among the Gospel figures who surround the Savior, the person of John the Baptist occupies a completely separate place, both by the manner of his coming into the world, and by his manner of life in the world, and by his role of baptizing people for repentance and baptizing the Messiah, and so finally by his tragic departure from this life. He was of such moral purity that, truly, he could sooner be called an angel, as Holy Scripture indeed calls him, than a mortal man. From all the other prophets Saint John is distinguished especially by the fact that he had the good fortune of being able to point with his hand to the world Him whom he prophesied. About the hand of Saint John it is told that every year on the saint's day the hierarch would bring it out before the people. Sometimes that hand appeared spread open, and sometimes clenched. In the first case it signified a fruitful and abundant year, and in the second a barren and hungry one (see other dates in the year: February 24, May 25, June 24, August 29).

From the Hymn of Praise

Thirty years of fasting and silence!Even the mountain beasts cannot endure this.The lion soothes his hunger with the music of his roaring,And the tree rustles when the wind blows upon it,