Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Yesterday, We Beheld The Great And Fearful Mystery:
The Heavens Were Opened,
The Spirit Descended As A Dove,
And the Voice Of The Father Thundered Forth,
“This Is My Beloved Son, In Whom I Am Well Pleased.”
Today, The Church Gathers Us In Holy Synaxis—Not To Repeat The Feast, But To Contemplate The One Who Stood Nearest To The Mystery Without Being Its Source:
John, The Forerunner, The Voice Crying In The Wilderness, The Greatest Born Of Women.
For When The Light Appeared At The Jordan,
It Was Fitting That The Lamp That Bore Witness To The Light Should Be Honored.
When the Bridegroom Revealed Himself,
It Was Fitting That The Friend Of The Bridegroom Should Rejoice And Be Remembered.
John Stands At The Boundary Of The Ages.
He Is The Last Prophet Of The Law And The First Herald Of Grace.
He Belongs Neither Wholly To The Old Nor Entirely To The New,
For He Is The Bridge Between Promise And Fulfillment,
Between Shadow And Truth.
Clothed in Camel’s Hair, Nourished By The Desert,
John Teaches Us That Purification Precedes Vision.
Before One May Behold The Lamb Of God,
The Heart Must Be Stripped Bare Of Pride.
Before One May Enter The Waters Sanctified By Christ,
One Must First Confess, Repent, And Turn Again Toward God.
And Yet, Beloved, John Does Not Claim Holiness As His Own.
He Does Not Grasp At Glory, Nor Does He Linger In The Admiration Of The Crowds.
When Christ Appears, John Steps Aside.
When The Word Speaks, The Voice Grows Silent.
“He Must Increase,” Cries The Forerunner,
“And I Must Decrease.”
O Wondrous Humility!
He Who Was Sanctified In The Womb
Bows Before Him Who Sanctifies The Waters.
He Who Baptized Multitudes
Trembles As He Touches The Head Of The Sinless One.
From John, We Learn The Measure Of True Greatness:
Not To Draw Souls To Ourselves,
But To Point Unceasingly To Christ.
Not To Be Remembered,
But To Be Faithful.
Beloved In The Lord,
The Synaxis Of The Forerunner Is Not Merely Remembrance—It Is Instruction.
John Calls To Us Still From The Wilderness Of This World:
“Prepare The Way Of The Lord!
Make Straight The Paths Of Your Heart!”
The Jordan Has Been Sanctified,
But The Soul Must Yet Be Cleansed.
The Heavens Have Been Opened,
But Repentance Must Yet Unlock The Heart.
Therefore, Let Us Imitate The Baptist:
His Courage Before Kings,
His Purity In Temptation,
His Steadfastness In Truth,
And Above All, His Humility Before Christ.
And as He Who Baptized The Lord Now Stands Boldly Before Him In Glory,
May He Intercede For Us,
That We Too May Decrease In Sin
And An Increase In Grace,
Until Christ Is Fully Formed In Us.
Through the Prayers Of The Holy, Glorious Prophet,
Forerunner and Baptist John,
O Christ Our God, Have Mercy On Us And Save Us.
Amen.
