˟

A collection of articles related to St. John the Baptist


The Sermon on the Nativity of John the Baptist


Standing on the border of two testaments, he seems to see nothing more except for the sins of humanity, in which the entire world was sinking, and the Lamb of God, who will free the world from these sins. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”, – proclaimed he. His commanding appeal was not futile. People striving to cleanse themselves from sin and to be baptized in Jordan, were flocking to him from every corner of Judea…read full article


Iconographic Analysis: The Nativity of St. John the Baptist


John the Forerunner is the last prophet of the Old Testament, who revealed Jesus Christ to his chosen people. His other name “the Baptist” highlights his mission to baptize Jesus Christ. The range of sources includes the facts about his life: the four canonical Gospels, the book “Acts of the Apostles”, the works of Josephus, and different early Christian apocrypharead full article


The right hand of Saint John the Baptist


Historians Theodoret and Rufinus mention that the tomb of St. John the Baptist was desecrated in 362, during the Emperor Julian the Apostate reign, and a part of St. John relics burned. What remained intact from Saint’ body was taken to Jerusalem, then to Alexandria, and on May 27, 395 was placed in the church that bears saint John’ nameread full article


The Untold Story of the Uncovering of the Head of St. John the Baptist


Holy Scripture tells us that after St. John the Baptist was beheaded, the impious Herodias forbade the prophet’s head to be buried together with his body. Instead, she desecrated the honorable head and buried it near her palace. The saint’s disciples had secretly taken their teacher’s body and buried it. The wife of King Herod’s steward knew where Herodias had buried St. John’s head, and she decided to rebury it on the Mount of Olives, on one of Herod’s estatesread full article


Akathist to Saint John, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord


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!read full article





CONVERSATION