On September 11, in a new style, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy prophet and Forerunner of the Lord John. On this day in the Orthodox churches the tragic events of the gospel history are remembered - in particular, the death of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist is the greatest prophet who preached repentance and spiritual awakening among the people at the junction of the old and new covenants. John is also called the Baptist, since it was he who performed the first Old Testament baptism in Jordan, which was called the baptism of repentance and symbolized faith in the unity of God. It is clear from the gospel narrative that John preached about the coming of the Messiah Christ into the world, preparing the people for the acceptance of the Savior and the Lord. Therefore, the Church refers to the prophet John as the Forerunner. In his life, the prophet John was honored to touch the head of Christ Himself. This event occurred during the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. The Savior himself called John the greatest righteous man of all those born on earth.
After the baptism of Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist did not abandon his prophetic ministry. The prophet continued to find the way to the heart of the people, calling him to repentance, forgiveness of sins and appeal to God. The people especially revered John the Baptist, at the present moment it is quite possible to say that the Forerunner was a very famous person of ancient Israel.
In exposing the sins and vices of both the whole society and individual people, John the Baptist did not "look at the faces." In particular, from the Gospel narrative it is known that the holy righteous person convicted of the adultery of the ruler of Galilee Herod himself. The forerunner pointed out that King Herod, breaking the law of Moses, took for himself the wife of his living brother Philip (Herodias). Such an atrocity and moral decline of King Herod could not be denounced by the great preacher of repentance. Due to accusatory words, the king ordered the prophet to be put in prison, thereby isolating the latter from society. This can be seen as a personal motive, as well as a fear that the whole Israeli people will learn about the moral atrocity of the ruler. However, the king ordered John to be left alive, because he knew how much people honor the great righteous man.
The Gospel events also describe the following events preceding the death of the prophet. So, during the birthday of King Herod, the daughter of the illegitimate wife of King Salome performed a dance as a gift to the ruler to delight the gaze of the latter. Herod liked the dance so much that he vowed to give Salomia everything she asked. Salomia hastened to consult her mother Herodias. Herod's wife, who hated John the Baptist for reproof, told her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. With this request, Salomia turned to Herod. The king was very saddened, but, as the Gospels tell, for the sake of oath and those who were with him, he commanded that the head of John the Baptist be cut off in prison and brought to the banquet hall on a platter.
Thus ended the days of the life of the greatest prophet of all time. The events of the sermon of John the Baptist and the circumstances of the death of the righteous are described in the three Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke. Currently, the Church, in memory of the beheading of the head of John the Baptist, has established a one-day strict fast during which it is not allowed to eat not only animal products, but also fish and vegetable oil.
