My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

ON AUGUST 29th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE BEHEADING OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS PROPHET, FORERUNNER, AND BAPTIST JOHN

Saint John the Great Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, was the son of the High Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth. On August 29th we remember the severing of his precious head, for which reason we keep this day as a strict fast day. Saint John Chrysostom urges us to give heed carefully: "Let us hearken therefore, as many as suffer ill, living in virtue, at the hands of wicked men. For then too God induced that even he in the wilderness, he in the leather girdle, in the garment of hair, the Prophet, the man greater than all the Prophets, who had no superior among those born of women, should actually be murdered, and that by an immodest damsel, and a corrupt harlot, and all in vindicating the laws of God. These things then let us consider, and bear all nobly, whatever we may suffer."

The Evangelist Mark informs us that "Herod himself sent forth and laid hold of John, and bound him in the prison for Herodias' sake, the wife of Philip his brother; for he married her. For John kept on saying to Herod, 'It is not lawful for thee to have the wife of thy brother.' But Herodias was holding it against him and kept on wishing to kill him, but had not been able; for Herod was fearing John, knowing him to be a just and holy man, and he kept on preserving him. And after he heard him, he was doing many things, and was hearing him gladly (Mark 6:17-20)."

The Evangelist Luke informs us that "Herod was reproved not only on account of Herodias. We read, therefore: 'But Herod the Tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and for all the evils which Herod did, added also this above all, he even shut up John in the prison (Luke 3:19-20).

Herodias decided to put an end to Herod's fear. Saint Gregory Palamas says "she persuaded him to murder John without just cause, in accordance with her own opinion, or rather, her deceit. Full of spite and murderous feelings, she was looking for an opportunity to put into effect her fanatical hatred of the Baptist and Prophet. The Evangelist Mark says that 'an opportune day' arrived; that is, it was convenient for a murderous scheme to be set in motion during the celebration of the birthday of Herod. Herodias' daughter, Salome, came in among them all, dispatched by her mother for this purpose. She danced and pleased everyone, including Herod. Given that she was Herodias' daughter, and had been sent in by her, how could she fail either to dance shamelessly or to please Herod? Her brazen dancing so captivated the pleasure-loving king that he said to the girl, 'Ask me whatsoever thou want, and I will give it to you' (Mark 6:22). He also swore to her, saying, 'Whatsoever you shall ask me, I will give to you, up to half of my kingdom' (Mark 6:23)."

Saint Gregory Palamas asks, "What did the impudent girl do? She went to her mother, the same who taught her how to leap and writhe in that unseemly way. The daughter also told the mother for instruction, for we read: 'And she went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for myself?' And she said, '"The head of John the Baptist." And she came in straightway with haste to the king, and she asked for herself, saying that "at once, give me upon a platter the head of John the Baptist" (Mark 6:24-25). How did Herod act? We read that 'though the king became very sad, he did not wish to reject her. And straightway the king sent off a guardsman, and commanded his head to be brought. And he went forth and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother" (Mark 6:26-28).

Continuing, Saint Gregory says, "John the Baptist and herald left the peaceful wilderness. He was sent by the Lord to give His people knowledge of salvation and to rebuke the disobedient, which is why he was beheaded by them on this day. It was not fitting that he should die a natural death. For dying naturally is the sentence of Adam's transgression which was not binding upon the minister of the commandment. Indeed, he was one who obeyed God even from his mother's womb. The saints should lay down their lives for the sake of virtue and godliness, as the Lord commanded, so a violent death for the sake of what is good is more appropriate for them. This is why the Lord experienced such death. It was necessary for Saint John's death to herald the death of Christ, such that he should go before the Lord, in accordance with his father's prophecy concerning him that those who sat in the darkness of Hades might run to obtain blessed eternal life in Christ: 'And thou, little child, shall be called a Prophet of the Highest; for you shall go "before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways," to give knowledge of salvation to His people in remission of their sins, through the bowels of compassion of our God in which the Dayspring from on high visited us, "to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death," in order to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:76-79).

According to the hymns that we chant this day, Saint John, as the Voice of the Logos/Word, and His Prophet and Messenger, went into the nethermost depths, where he cried aloud to the dead and captive to exalt the Giver or Life and Deliverer. Saint John, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, exclaimed in Hades: "Lift up your gates; for the King of Glory shall enter in." So herald to those in the depths of Hades the Kingdom of God." Hence, as foretold by his father, "John was the first to preach Christ, the Life and the Dayspring from on High, to those that sat in darkness and the shadow of death."

Saint Mark writes: "After John's disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse; and they laid it in a sepulchre. And the holy Apostles were gathered together to Jesus, and related to Him all things, both as much as they did and as much as they taught. Saint Hilary of Poitiers explains that "the times of the law being now at an end, and buried together with John. John's disciples then came--from the laws to the Gospel--and told the Lord what had happened. And so the law being ended, the Logos/Word of God, embarking on a ship, enters the Church, and passes over into a desert place; He abandons His associates with Israel to enter into hearts yet empty of the knowledge of God."

Saint Mark continues, telling us that "the crowds saw them going, and many recognized Him, and ran together there on foot from all the cities, and went before them, and came together with Him. And Jesus, after He came out, saw a great crowd and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH DIVINE LITURGY AT 10:00 A.M.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George