THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST (JUNE 24TH)
A Contemporary Greek Icon of St. John the Baptist By Bp. Joseph ( Ancient Church of the West ) Today, we celebrate the blessed birth of St. John the Baptist, Cousin and Forerunner of the Christ, the Last Prophet, and the Herald of the Kingdom of God. St. John was born of the priest Zacharias and the cousin of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Elizabeth. St. John recognized the Christ child while still in the womb, when he kept for joy when he heard the voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was born to angelic prophecy, the prophecy of his father, and was dedicated to God as a Nazarite, eating no flesh and drinking no wine, wholly dedicated to God’s service from birth. At a young age, he was filled with the Spirit, withdrew to the desert, and ate locusts and wild honey, wearing a camel skin for clothing. He fortold Christ’s coming, baptized for repentance, and was the first to recognize Christ as fully God and fully man at the beginning of His earthly ministry. When Jesus wa...
