This is the full name of the holiday of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is celebrated on September 11.
The event to which this day is dedicated is described in detail in the Gospels of Mark and John and is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.
John was a relative of Jesus, a prophet who spent his life in the desert, in strict austerity. His faith in the imminent coming of the Messiah was absolute, and so John urged everyone to repent and be baptized in order to meet the long-awaited liberator with a pure heart.
He strongly condemned vice in all its manifestations and, of course, could not remain silent when King Herod took his wife from his brother and married her himself. Herodias hated the prophet, because he did not let the people forget the sin of adultery that she had committed.
For his speeches, Herod imprisoned John. But the veneration of the prophet was so great that the king did not dare to put him to death. Then Herodias resorted to cunning. At the feast, the dance of her daughter so pleased the king that he promised to fulfill any wish of his stepdaughter. Salome asked for John’s head. Herod could not break the words given in a large crowd of people. John’s head was cut off.
The followers of Christ managed to preserve the relic in a vessel filled with honey. However, her tracks were lost. But God is merciful. The chapter was found again and not once, but as many as 3 times.
For the first time in the construction of a church in Judea. The owner of the site on which the church was built, Innocent, again betrayed it to the ground before his death.
Then the head got to the potter. He only joined the pilgrims, but it turned out that they had deceived themselves and wanted to cash in on it. The potter saved the relic. His family kept the relic until it was taken over by the heretic Eustathius. He hid the head in the cave and could not return for it.
The second time the relic was found as a result of a vision. In 452, the Forerunner himself appeared to the abbot of the monastery near the cave and indicated the location of the relics. The head was transported, concealed, and transported again many times until it reached Constantinople and was lost again.
In the 9th century, the Baptist again appeared in a vision to the patriarch and made it clear exactly where the head was. So the relic was found for the third time.
Today part of the head of the prophet is kept on Mount Athos.
Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting on this day, because it is a day of sorrow. But joy, too. Is there anything more beautiful than a life lived according to God’s commandments and given for one’s ideals? For this we thank the Baptist. For the sacrifices, for the role model, for not taking into account the ranks and position of others, exposing their sins.
The Lord called John the greatest of the born. We consider him a man who was faithful to the end. Your ideals, beliefs and your God.
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