Saints&Reading: Wednesday, June 7 2023
mai 26_june7
Commemoration of the third discovery of the venerable head of the holy prophet, forerunner, John, baptist of the Lord
THE MANY FINDINGS OF THE HEAD OF ST JOHN-THE-BAPTIST.
The Holy Tradition tells us that after the beheading of St John the Baptist, Herodias did not allow to bury the severed head of the prophet with his body. She defiled the honourable head and buried it near her palace. The disciples of St John secretly took the saint’s body and buried it. The wife of King Herod's steward knew where Herodias had buried the head of St John. She decided to rebury her in one of Herod's estates on the Mount of Olives.
When rumours about the preaching of Christ and the miracles that He performed reached the royal palace, Herod, together with his wife Herodias, decided to check whether the head of John the Baptist was still where they had left it. Not finding it, they began to think that Jesus Christ was the resurrected John the Baptist. The Holy Gospel bears witness to their mistake (see Matt. 14:2).
Jerusalem. The First Acquisition of the Head of John the Baptist
Many years later, during the reign of King Constantine Equal-to-the-Apostles, his mother, St Helena, began reviving the shrines of Jerusalem. Many pilgrims began to flock to the Holy Land. Among them were two monks from the East who came to venerate the True Cross and the Holy Sepulcher. It was them whom St John counted worthy of finding his honourable head. Today, we only know that he appeared to the monks in a dream and that after seeing the leader in the place indicated by the prophet, they decided to return home. They met a poor potter from the Syrian city of Emesa on the way. Poverty had forced him to go to the neighbouring country for work. Either out of negligence or laziness, the monks entrusted their new companion to carry the bag with the sacred relic. He held it until St John appeared and ordered him to escape from the negligent monks taking along the bag with the relics.
The Lord also blessed the potter's house with every good thing for the blessed head of St John the Baptist. The potter lived his whole life remembering his benefactor. He was never proud and gave alms generously. Shortly before his death, he handed the relic over to his sister, instructing her to pass it on to God-fearing and virtuous Christians.
After being passed along from one person to another for a long time, the precious head fell into the hands of Hieromonk Eustaсius, a supporter of the Arian heresy. Afflicted people turned to him for help and received healing, not knowing that the reason for this miraculous help was not the apparent piety of Eustaсius. Still, the grace came from the relic he was hiding. Soon the deception was revealed, and Eustaсius was expelled from Emesa. A monastery was shortly founded near the cave where the hieromonk lived and where the head of John the Baptist was buried.
Emesa and Constantinople. Second and Third Uncoverings of the Honourable Head
After many years, the Second acquisition of the precious head took place. This is known from the testimony of archimandrite Markell of the Emesa monastery and from the life of the Venerable Matrona († November 9), compiled by the Venerable Symeon the Metaphrast. According to the former, the head was revealed to him on February 18, 452. A week later, Bishop Uranius of Emesa established special veneration of the relic, and on February 26 of the same year, it was transferred to the newly built church in honour of St John. This event is celebrated on February 24 (March 9, or March 8 in a leap year) on par with the celebration of the First Acquisition of the honourable head.
After some time, the head of John the Forerunner was transferred to Constantinople, where it remained until iconoclastic times. Pious Christians leaving Constantinople secretly hid the relic in Kamani (near Sokhumi), where St John Chrysostom died in exile (407). After the VII Ecumenical Council (787), restoring the Orthodox veneration of icons, the head of St John the Baptist was returned to the Byzantine capital (about 850). The Church celebrates this event on May 25 (June 7) as the Third Acquisition of the venerable head.
Fourth Crusade and Travel to the West
The story about the head of St John usually ends with an episode related to its Third Acquisition. This is because its further history is connected with the Catholic West. Let's turn to the lives of the saints, according to the Menology of St Demetrius of Rostov, after describing the acquisitions of the precious head. We will find a footnote in small print, often overlooked by readers. This citation became a real revelation for us after we had unexpectedly discovered the head of the Baptist in France a few years ago. s...Continue reading St Elizabeth Convent
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-15
6 For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
LUKE 7:17-30
17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 20 When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' " 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blinds He gave sight. 22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. 24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 28 For I say to you, among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
