Sermon
on the feast of the Nativity of St.
John, the Forerunner and
Baptist of Christ
Bishop
George of Mayfield
St. John the Baptist Cathedral - Mayfield, Pennsylvania
July 7, 2009
Dear
Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters,
Today we
commemorate and celebrate the Birth of St. John the Forerunner and
Baptist of our Lord. His birth, like his life was quite miraculous, and
was foretold centuries beforehand by the Prophet Isaiah: “Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice
of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight…” Then, before his conception, the Archangel Gabriel
appeared to his father, the high priest Zacharias, proclaiming that his
wife Elizabeth, already advanced in years, would conceive and bear a
son, whose name would be John. He told Zacharias: “You will have joy
and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great
in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink.
He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s
womb.” Because Zacharias did not believe the Archangel Gabriel, he was
struck dumb until the fulfillment of the prophecy. Then when the child
was born and they came to circumcise him on the eighth day, his tongue
was loosed and he prophesied concerning his son, saying: “And you
child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before
the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation
to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy
of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to
give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to
guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1: 76-79)
The fact that
St. John’s birth was miraculously foretold by the Archangel Gabriel,
that his mother Elizabeth miraculously conceived and bore him, and that
his father, the High Priest Zacharias, prophesied after his birth, all
caused great fear and wonder among the Jewish population, as they
wondered “what kind of child will this be?” St. John was unique in
all the history of mankind, being chosen by God to be the Forerunner of
the Messiah, the Savior of the world. His task was to prepare the way
for Christ and His kingdom; to call people to repentance for the
forgiveness of their sins, so that their hearts would be ready to meet
and accept Christ. As Christ Himself testified: “Among those born of
women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” He did
not call them to go live in the desert as he did, but to live a just
life, not extorting from their neighbor. He told them not to presume
that being descendants of Abraham was enough for salvation, but that
they must bear fruit, and that “every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
This same
message of St. John, brothers and sisters, still applies to us today,
over 2,000 years later. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire.” It is not enough for us to say
that we are Orthodox Christians, or that we follow the Old Calendar, or
that we have a certain priest as our spiritual father, or that we belong
to a special organization. We must bear good fruit, or we will be thrown
into the fire. These words of St. John are very clear. He does not
demand that we go to live in the desert as he did, or eat only honey and
locusts, or wear clothes made of camel hair. Instead of going to the
desert and avoiding all society, let us avoid evil society and impious
gatherings, and seek out acquaintances who will help us draw closer to
God. Instead of avoiding all wine and spirits, let us eat and drink in
moderation, never over-indulging, striving to always keep the fasts.
Perhaps we cannot be constantly in prayer like St. John, but let us make
an effort to say our prayers in the morning and evening, before and
after meals, and during all our daily activities as much as possible;
and let us take every opportunity to attend church services, repenting
of our sins and receiving the Holy Mysteries, the Body and Blood of our
Saviour. Just as St. John called the Jews to repentance so that they may
receive the Saviour, he is also calling each of us to repentance, so
that our hearts may be cleansed and may become suitable dwelling places
for our Saviour.
In one of the
hymns of the Church we hear that St. John was given special Grace in
order to pray for us. Let us continually turn to him in prayer, asking
for his help and intercession. Let us follow his teachings so that we
may bear good fruit and be true disciples of Christ. In this way we will
truly glorify our patron saint, the heavenly protector of our parish,
and honor his memory. Amen.
