On 7 January 2015, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Synaxis of Saint Prophet John the Baptist. His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romanian delivered a sermon in the chapel of the Patriarchal Residence dedicated to Saint Gregory the Enlightener in which he spoke about Saint John the Baptist, saying he enjoys great veneration in the Orthodox Church.
Saint John the Baptist is a man of God
But this veneration comes from God, the One who chose Saint John to be His forerunner, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said.
“Saint John the Baptist is a man of God who is part of a plan prepared by God and announced by the prophets Maleahi and Isaiah and confirmed by Jesus Christ, the Saviour Himself as the greatest man born by a woman and to whom Jesus Christ the Saviour shows much honour. Saint John the Baptist is painted in the Orthodox churches on the iconostasis of the altar or on the big iconostasis after the Mother of God. He is remembered in the dismissal after the Mother of God. He is also painted in the icon of the Baptism of the Lord and in the “Deisis” icon of the last judgement as intercessor, together with the Mother of God, for those who died repenting for their sins, but who had no more time to show their deeds of repentance”, His Beatitude said.
The preaching of Saint John the Baptist had also a social character
Saint John the Baptist is a great teacher of repentance as well who calls us to renew our life, His Beatitude emphasised.
“When he preached in the area of Jordan River, he was asking those who came to listen to him not only to regret their sins, but also to change their way of being. For example, Saint John the Baptist asked the tax collectors not to impose fees, taxes, imposts, greater than allowed. He also told the soldiers not to oppress anybody and to be content with their wages. He also asked those who had more clothes to give some to those who had none and those who had much food to give some to the poor, needy, and hungry. This sermon of his had also a social character designed to change the relations among people, to spiritualise their lives.
Saint John the Baptist has always been topical through his preaching and especially through the holiness of his life
Saint John the Baptist is venerated a lot by our people. There are almost two million people bearing his name.
“This veneration shows that the people have understood well the Holy Gospels and Tradition of the Church. Saint John the Baptist is always topical through his preaching and especially through the holiness of his life as a great man of prayer, fasting and as prophet of the hope that no matter how fallen a human being may be he or she can be saved through repentance, can change and re-establish his or her relationship with God”, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said.
In the end, the Patriarch of Romania congratulated all those who have the name of Saint Prophet John the Baptist and of other names derived from it.
