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The Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner
and Baptizer of the Lord -
June 24
Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All-holy
Virgin Mary, the great archangel of God, Gabriel appeared to
Zacharias the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. Before
he announced the miraculous conception to the unwed Virgin
Mary, the archangel announced the miraculous conception to
the childless old woman Elizabeth. Zacharias did not
immediately believe the words of the herald of God and this
is why his tongue was tied with dumbness and remained as
such until eight days after the birth of John. On that day,
the relatives of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered for the
young child’s circumcision and for the sake of giving him a
name. When they asked the father what name he wishes to give
to his son and being dumb, he wrote on a tablet: “John.” At
that moment his tongue became loosed and he began to speak.
The home of Zacharias was on the heights between Bethlehem
and Hebron. The news of the appearance of the angel of God
to Zacharias was spread throughout all of Israel, as well as
of his dumbness and the loosening of his tongue at thee
moment when he wrote the name “John.” The news concerning
this even reached Herod. Therefore, when Herod sent soldiers
to slay the children throughout Bethlehem, he directed men
to the hilly dwelling place of the family of Zacharias to
kill John also. However, Elizabeth promptly hid the child.
Enraged, at this King Herod sent his executioners to
Zacharias in the Temple to slay him (for it happened that it
was Zacharias’ turn again to serve in the Temple of
Jerusalem). Zacharias was slain between the court and the
temple and his blood coagulated and petrified on the stone
pavers and remained a perpetual witness against Herod.
Elizabeth hid with the child in a cave where she died soon
after. The young child John remained in the wilderness alone
under the care of God and God’s angels.
-from the Prologue from Ohrid (written by Bishop Nikolai
Velimirovich)
The Church of St. John the Baptist in Ein
Kerem belongs to the Franciscan monastery of the same name. Ein Kerem is the town where St. John the Baptist was born
and also the site of the visitation of the Most Holy
Theotokos. The first Church rose here in the 5th century,
over the place traditionally held to be the home of the holy
and righteous Zacharia and Elizabeth. Enlarged by the
Crusaders and later used by Arabs as a caravanserai and
stable, the Church was rebuilt and transformed several
times.
The latest additions, carried out by the Franciscans, date
from the second half of 19th century and from the thirties
of last century. The most striking part of the pleasantly
adorned interior is the Crypt, which houses the so-called
Grotto of the Benedictus (Zacharia’s song in Luke 1:68-79),
considered being the place where St. John the Baptist was
born. A marble star beneath the altar bears a Latin
inscription: “HIC PRECURSOR DOMINI NATUS EST” (Here was born
the Precursor of the Lord).
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