Saint John the Baptist was the son of the Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was a relative of the Virgin Mary. Saint John is known as the “Forerunner” and “Baptist.” He is known as the Forerunner because he preceded Christ and taught repentance, which prepared men for Jesus’ teaching and His ministry. He even recognized Christ as the Messiah as early as when they were both still in their mothers’ wombs. According to Holy Tradition, the Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and when they embraced John leapt in his mother’s womb, which is considered his first acknowledgment of Christ as Messiah.

After his birth, Saint John’s father Zacharias was murdered in the temple. He and his mother fled to the desert and he was raised there. Thus he lived as an ascetic from the earliest part of his life. He ate plants and roots and wore rough clothing. When he grew, he baptized people in the Jordan, teaching repentance, but also saying that someone greater would come after him and baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Saint John always spoke the Truth and because Herod did not appreciate his criticism, he was imprisoned. Later he was beheaded, as the result of a promise Herod gave to his step-daughter to give her anything she asked. The daughter was convinced by her mother to ask for John’s head on a platter. Our parish celebrates the feast of Saint John’s Beheading (August 29) as our patronal feast day. It is a strict fast day in recognition of the way in which he died, but it is also a joyous feast day because John’s life was such a luminous example for monastics, martyrs and all Christians to follow him.