The Lives of the Saints
1. THE FINDING OF THE HEAD OF SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER
The great and glorious John the Forerunner was beheaded at the desire and instigation of the malicious Herodias, the wife of Herod. When John was beheaded, Herodias commanded that his head not be buried together with his body, for she feared that the fearsome prophet might somehow rise again. She therefore took his head and buried it in a certain hidden and dishonored place, deep in the ground. Her handmaid was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, a steward of Herod. The good and pious Joanna could not endure that the head of God's man should remain in a dishonored place; she secretly dug it up, brought it to Jerusalem, and buried it on the Mount of Olives. Not knowing of all this, King Herod, when he heard of Jesus and how He was working great miracles, became afraid and said: "This is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead" (Mark 6:16). After some time, a certain distinguished nobleman, having believed in Christ, forsook his rank and worldly vanity and was tonsured as a monk, and as a monk, bearing the name Innocent, settled on the Mount of Olives in the very place where the head of the Forerunner had been buried. Wishing to build himself a cell, he dug deep and found an earthen vessel with a head within it, concerning which it was revealed to him mysteriously that it was the Forerunner's. He venerated it and buried it in that same place. By God's providence that wonderworking head afterward passed from hand to hand, sinking into the darkness of oblivion and again being disclosed, until at last, in the time of the pious Empress Theodora — mother of Michael and wife of Theophilus — and in the time of the Patriarch Ignatius, it was translated to Constantinople. Many miraculous healings occurred from the head of the Forerunner. It is noteworthy that while he was alive, "John did no miracle" (John 10:41), yet his holy relics were granted a gracious wonderworking power (see January 7; May 25; June 24; August 29; and September 23).
2. VENERABLE ERASMUS, MONK OF THE CAVES
He inherited great wealth from his parents and spent it all on the adornment of churches, especially on the silvering and gilding of icons. And when he became poor and was left with nothing, he was despised by everyone. The devil whispered to him that he had squandered his estate in vain: instead of distributing it to the poor, he had given it for the adornment of churches. Erasmus yielded to this temptation and believed it, on account of which he despised himself and fell into despair and began to live in a dissolute and lawless manner. When the hour of death drew near, the brethren gathered around him and were speaking of his sins, for he was no longer conscious of himself. At a certain point he raised himself up in his bed and said: "Fathers and brethren, it is as you say — I am a sinner and unrepentant, but behold, Saints Anthony and Theodosius have appeared to me, and then the Most Holy Theotokos, and they said that the Lord has granted me yet more time for repentance." The Theotokos had also said to him words of encouragement: "The poor you have with you in every place, but My churches you do not have." He lived yet three more days, repented, and fell asleep in the Lord. This teaches us that zeal for the church and the adornment of churches is a work pleasing to God. Saint Erasmus reposed in the year 1160.
“The poor you have with you in every place, but My churches you do not have.”
Hymn of Praise
SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER
Let us pray to John,
The glorious Forerunner,
The trumpet of the Savior,
The servant of the Creator,
Sent by God,
That he may help us
As only he can.
Let us pray to John,
The holy and the awesome,
That through him
The Most High God may help us.
O John, come to our aid
Wherever danger threatens!
Help us, O John,
That the Faith be preserved,
And that we have bread
Until the end, through all our days,
And that we may see in every sheaf,
In every sheaf, the footstep of God!
When darkness falls, may it dawn again —
Help us, O John,
That we sinners may repent
Before we reach the end,
Before the Day of Judgment dawns.
Help us, O John.
Reflection
Those who do everything according to our will are neither good teachers nor good friends. The Venerable John Moschus writes of a certain distinguished woman of senatorial family who visited the Holy Land. "Having come to Caesarea she resolved to remain there, and addressed the bishop with this request: 'Give me a maiden who will teach me the fear of God.' The bishop assigned her a humble virgin. After some time the bishop met that woman and asked her: 'How is the maiden I assigned to you?' 'She is well,' the woman replied, 'but she is of little benefit to my soul, because she permits me to do as I will; and this is because she herself is humble, whereas I need her to rebuke me and not permit me to do what I wish.' The bishop gave her another girl of a rather stern character, who began to rebuke the woman, calling her a foolish rich woman and the like. After some time the bishop again asked the woman: 'And how does that girl conduct herself with you?' 'She truly benefits my soul,' answered the senator's wife." — And thus the woman became very meek (The Spiritual Meadow).
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus as a stumbling stone, namely:
1. For sinful self-conceit — that is, for the corrupted human mind that reasons in a sensual and carnal manner and sets itself against the mind of Christ;
2. For sinful self-love — that is, for the corrupted human heart that receives within itself neither love of God nor love of neighbor;
3. For sinful self-will — that is, for the corrupted human will that as such sets itself against the will of God.
Homily
on repentance and the forgiveness of sins
That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name (Luke 24:47)
This is the final message of the Savior to the holy apostles. In these words, as in a nutshell, is contained the Gospel of the reconciliation of God with men. What does God require of men, and what does He give them? He requires repentance and gives the forgiveness of sins. He requires little and gives all. Let men only repent of the sins they have committed and cease from sinning, and they shall receive from God everything — not only everything that their heart can desire, but more, much more.
Truly, to the sinless He has promised all things. The sinless shall be heirs of the Kingdom of God, sons of God, children of light, children of immortality, companions of the angels, brethren of Christ. The sinless shall have abundance of power, abundance of joy. The sinless shall have all things, for all things are promised to them.
Let men only repent, and they shall receive all things. Let the beggar only cleanse and wash and clothe himself in purity before the gates of the royal court, and he shall be immediately brought into the royal court and shall be met and embraced by the king, and shall have all things. He shall live with the king, shall sit at the royal table, shall have everything, everything, everything!
O my brethren, these are not mere words — this is a living and holy truth. For we know that many penitents, both men and women, have received all that was promised. Many have appeared from the other world and confirmed the truth of these words, bearing witness how they now live as royal sons and royal daughters. But they repented in due time; and it remains for us yet to repent, if we desire to be together with them as heirs of the Kingdom.
O merciful Lord, help us to repent before death so that we too may live eternally. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“He requires repentance and gives the forgiveness of sins. He requires little and gives all.”