The Conception of Saint John
the Forerunner and Baptist
of our Lord
Monday September 23
October 6 ns
2025
2025
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist".
He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me,
whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
God had an especially great intention for John: namely, that he be the Prophet and Forerunner of Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world. Through His angels, God announced the births of Isaac to the childless Sarah, Samson to the childless wife of Manoah, and John the Forerunner to the childless Zacharias and Elizabeth. All of these were those for whom He had special intentions, and he foretold their birth through his angels.
How could children be born of aged parents? If someone desires to understand this, he should not ask men about it, for men do not know; nor should he study natural law, for this is beyond natural law. Rather, he should turn his gaze upon the power of the Almighty God, Who created the whole world from nothing, and Who needed no parents-old or young-for the creation of the first man, Adam. Instead of being curious, let us give thanks to God, Who often reveals His power, mercy and wisdom to us in ways that are beyond natural law-in which we would be imprisoned without these special miracles of God, and would fall into despair and forgetfulness of God.
CHRISTIAN! While he was still in his mother Elizabeth's womb, John recognized Christ growing in the Virgin and he leapt with joy.
Christ knew John before He created him. Glory to God!
Galatians 4:22-27 KJV
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Saint Luke 1:5-25 KJV
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
THE BAPTIST: I AM NOT THE CHRIST
~ St. Cyril of Alexandria ~
The people beheld with admiration the incomparable beauty of John’s mode of life: the splendor of his conduct; the unparalleled and surpassing excellence of his piety. For so great and admirable was he, that even the Jewish populace began to conjecture whether he were not himself the Christ, Whom the law had described to them in shadows, and the holy prophets had before proclaimed. Inasmuch therefore as some ventured on this conjecture, he at once cuts away their surmise, declining as a servant the honors due to the Master, and transferring the glory to Him Who transcends all, even to Christ. For he knew that He is faithful unto those that serve Him. And what he acknowledges is in very deed the truth: for between God and man the distance is immeasurable. “Ye yourselves, there, he says, bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him.” But where shall we find the holy Baptist thus speaking? In the Gospel of John, who has thus spoken concerning him; And this is the testimony of John when the scribes and Pharisees at Jerusalem sent to ask him whether he were the Christ. And he confessed, and denied not, and said, that I am not the Christ, but am he that is sent before Him. Great therefore and admirable in very deed is the forerunner, who was the dawning before the Savior’s meridian splendor, the precursor of the spiritual daylight, beautiful as the morning star, and called of God the Father a torch.
Extended Inclusions
WHAT TIME IS IT?
INTELLIGENCE
~ Saint Anthony the Great ~
“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be called intelligent.”
“The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul.”
NO NEED TO PROSELYTIZE
~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica ~
He who has the Kingdom of God within himself
will imperceptibly pass it on to others.
The atmosphere of Heaven will radiate from us
even when we keep silence or talk about
ordinary things.
GOD IS EVERYWHERE
~ St. John Chrysostomos ~
God is everywhere
you decide whether you
are close to Him or not.
OVERCOME PRIDE
~ St. Seraphim of Sarov ~
It seems to me that pride is
unobscured and only clearly
seen within one's self as it is
overcome by humility.
And once true humility is
acqured, we come to
KNOW the Father
as REVEALED by Christ.
WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST
FLESH AND BLOOD
~ St. Paisios of Athos ~
Don't believe your thoughts; neither
when they tell you that you are terrible,
nor when they tell you that you are a saint.
EVERYONE HAS A CONSCIENCE
~ St. John of Kronstadt ~
Do not be irritated with those who sin or those
who offend; do not have a passion for noticing
every sin in your neighbor and judging him, which
we are in the habit of doing. Everyone will give an
answer to God for himself. Everyone has a conscience;
everyone hears God's Word and knows God's Will, either
from books or from conversations with other people.
Especially do not look with evil intention upon the sins
of your elders, which do not regard you.
"To his own master he standeth or falleth."
Correct your own sins, amend your own life
MADE OF THE SAME STUFF
~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich ~
Be humble, for the worst thing inthe world is of the same stuff as
you; be confident, for the stars are
of the same stuff as you.
The soul of all peoples always felt
To believe that God exists is one thing;
WHY AFFLICTIONS
~ St. Silouan of Athos
The Lord loves mankind but He
sends affliction that we may perceive
our weakness and humble ourselves
and for this humility, we receive the
Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit all
things are good, all things are joyful,
all things are well.
HOW THE TRUE FAITH HAS
COME DOWN TO US
COME DOWN TO US
~ St. Silouan of Athos ~
The soul of all peoples always felt
that God exists, even though they
didn't know enough to worship the
true God. The Holy Spirit, however,
taught the Prophets first, then the
Apostles, after them the Holy Fathers
and our bishops and so the true faith
has come down to us. We knew the Lord
through the Holy Spirit. And once
we knew him, our soul became fixed in him.
Know, you peoples, that we were made
in order to glorify God in heaven, and
don't attach yourselves to the earth.
Because God is our Father and He loves
us, His greatly desired children. People
who don't know grace, don't seek it.
People have become attached to the earth
and this is why most of them don't know
that there's nothing earthly which can
compare with the sweetness of the
Holy Spirit.
TO KNOW THE FATHER
~ St. Silouan of Athos ~
To believe that God exists is one thing;
To know God is another.
The soul that comes to know God fully,
no longer desires anything else.
Nor does it attach itself
to anything on the earth;
and if you put before it a Kingdom,
it would not desire it. For the love
of God gives such sweetness and joy
to the soul that even the life of a king
can no longer give it any sweetness.
Anecdote
When prayer comes from love in the heart, a connection is made.
And when you pray to Christ, you pray to and for ALL MANKIND, in heaven and on earth. Don't wonder at these words but instead ask yourself, is He not the new Adam? Is He not the Son of Man?
And when you pray to Christ, you pray to and for ALL MANKIND, in heaven and on earth. Don't wonder at these words but instead ask yourself, is He not the new Adam? Is He not the Son of Man?
Did He not say that if we receive the least among us,
we receive Him?
And when a connection is made in prayer, you will love it more than all things due to the presence of Divinity. And when occupied at times with worldly things, you will yearn to leave what you are doing and go to Him in prayer because you know He is there with Treasure for you.
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