Saint John the Baptist

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

May the blessing of the Father who calls us, and His Only Begotten Son who saves us, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all, that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.

Today, beloved, the Church places before our eyes one of the greatest figures in all of Scripture: Saint John the Baptist.

The Lord Himself gives him a title no one else received:

“Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11)

Why is John so great?

Not because of miracles.
Not because of wealth or position.

But because his entire life prepared the way for Christ.

Let us reflect on five titles that reveal who John the Baptist truly is—and what his life teaches us today.

First Title: The Son of Faith and Prayer

John was born in a home shaped by prayer.

His father, Zacharias, was a priest who served God faithfully.

His mother, Elizabeth, was righteous before God.

Yet for many years, they carried a deep pain: they had no child.

They prayed.
They waited.
They grew old.

And still—no answer.

But Scripture tells us something important: God never ignores faithful prayer.

He simply answers in His time, not ours.

When the time was right, God did not give them an ordinary son.

He gave them John the Baptist.

Beloved, this is a message many hearts need to hear today:

Your prayers are not wasted.

Your tears are not forgotten.

Your silence before God is not ignored.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

God the Pantocrator hears every prayer.

Sometimes He answers “yes.”

Sometimes “wait.”

Sometimes He answers in a way greater than we imagined.

Do not say, “My prayers are useless.”

Say instead, “My prayers are in God’s hands.”

Second Title: The Forerunner

John was born six months before Christ, and that timing was not accidental.

The Gospel says clearly:

“He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (John 1:8)

John knew who he was—and who he was not.

He did not claim the light.
He reflected the light.
He did not draw people to himself.
He prepared them to receive Christ.

That is why John could say with complete peace:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Beloved, this is the heart of true Christian life.

We are not called to shine on our own.

We are called to reflect Christ—in our words, our behavior, our homes, our service.

Parents are forerunners for their children.

Servants are forerunners for those they serve.

Priests are forerunners, not replacements.

If Christ increases in me, then my ego decreases.

If Christ is glorified, then my joy is complete.

Third Title: The Baptist – The Anointer

When Christ came to John to be baptized, John was shaken.

He said, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But the Lord answered:

“Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15)

And at that moment, the heavens opened.

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

The Holy Spirit descended like a dove.

Beloved, baptism is not a ritual.

Baptism is a new life.

Baptism opens heaven.
Baptism implants faith.
Baptism gives us the Holy Spirit.
Baptism makes us children of God.

That is why the Church anoints the baptized with the holy Myron—36 anointings—because the baptized person becomes a living temple of the Holy Spirit.

Let us remember our baptism.

Let us live as people whose heavens are open.

Fourth Title: The Witness and the Martyr

John’s life ended not in comfort, but in truth.

He stood before King Herod and said:

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark 6:18)

He did not compromise.
He did not flatter.
He did not remain silent.

And because he spoke the truth, he was beheaded.

They silenced his voice—but not his message.

They killed the man—but not the truth.

Beloved, we live in a time when voices are loud, but truth is quiet.

When opinions spread faster than righteousness.

When silence is often easier than honesty.

John teaches us:

Better to lose your head than lose your soul.

Better to suffer for truth than live in false peace.

Fifth Title: The Greatest Among Those Born of Women

Why did God delay answering Zacharias and Elizabeth?

Because God was preparing the greatest among those born of women.

John lived in the wilderness.

He lived with discipline.
He lived within limits.
He knew his role.

And Christ Himself testified to his greatness:

“Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11)

Yet John never sought greatness.

He sought faithfulness.

As Saint Jerome teaches us, John was great because he stood at the border between the Old and the New—pointing humanity to Christ.

Conclusion

Beloved, John the Baptist teaches us this:

A life born of prayer, lived in humility, rooted in truth, and offered fully to God prepares the way for Christ.

May we learn from him to decrease, so Christ may increase.
May we speak truth with love.
May we live as witnesses, not seekers of glory.

May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds, that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands serve in the harvest, and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.