The Beheading of the Honourable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
Acts 13:25-32; Mark 6:14-30
All-Night Vigil Feast. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Read Acts 13:25-32
St. John the Baptist, whose beheading we solemnly celebrate this day, knew who he was and who he was not. He knew that he was not the Messiah, but rather that he was his forerunner, the one who came before the Messiah to prepare the way before Him. The Forerunner was also the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament and with him, we have reached the point of transition in which the old is fulfilled in the new: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) St. John the Baptist is literally telling his disciples and us “There! That’s Him! Go and follow Him!” He bore witness that “this is the Son of God.” At that moment St. John the Baptist’s disciples left him, his purpose in the world having been met, and they followed Christ.
There will never be another John the Baptist; his mission was of a time and place. But the vocation of the Forerunner remains intact within the Church: to be one who points to Christ and paves the path before Him and His saving ministry in the world. In our world today we continue to need, perhaps more than ever, those who point us to Christ, those who say: “There He is! Follow Him!” Who are they? Are they present? Yes, they are present in the communion of the saints who by their lives, their words, and their deeds reveal Christ to us and model the Christian life. Let us heed them and pray ever more earnestly to God “Lord reveal Yourself to me so that I may follow You!”