St. Justin Popovic, Homily of the Beheading of St.John the Baptist

Today’s feast Beheading of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John.(Sept. 11/Aug. 29) is a second Great Friday. Why? Because there is no greater transgression than that committed on Great Friday and that committed now, when Herod destroys the greatest among those born of women. Why did the Savior exalt the great Saint John the Baptist, as He did no one else? Why? Because, brethren, the Holy Forerunner encompassed within himself, within his person, all of the virtues of Heaven, all of the virtues in all of the Prophets, all of the Apostles, all of the Martyrs, all of the Angels of Heaven, all of the Confessors. Regard: today we glorify the destruction, the beheading of the first Apostle among the Holy Apostles, for the Forerunner of the Lord was the first sent by God to see and to herald to the world the Savior of the world. Long before the Apostle Peter, before the Apostle Nathaniel, before anyone else, he bore witness to and announced God to the world, God Incarnate in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first Apostle to see the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven onto the Lord Jesus, when he baptized Him in the Jordan, announces Him to be the Son of God, the Savior of the world. [John] is also the first Evangelist among the Evangelists. He first announced to the world, and pointed out, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bearer of all Good News for mankind. (Homily, St. Justin Popovic)

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Prayer to Saint John the Baptist
O Baptist of Christ, Holy Forerunner, last of the prophets,
first of the martyrs, instructor of fasters and desert-dwellers,
teacher of purity and close friend of Christ! I pray thee; I run
to thee. Do not reject me from thy protection, but lift me up
who am fallen in many sins; renew my soul by repentance,
as by a second Baptism. Purify me, corrupted by sins, and
compel me to enter therein where no corruption can enter:
into the Kingdom of Heave. Amen.