Today, October 6, the Church celebrates the Conception of St. John the Baptisttranslated

The Conception of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord, is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on October 6.

The Old Testament prophet Malachi predicted that before the coming of the Savior His Forerunner would appear, so the Jews, who were waiting for the Messiah, were waiting for the appearance of His Forerunner.

Saint John the Baptist was born into the family of a Jewish priest, Zechariah, and his wife, Elizabeth, and his birth is associated with a miracle of God.

The righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth did not have children for a long time and it seemed that they would never have them again, because they had reached old age in childlessness. However, as the holy evangelist Luke narrates (Luke 1), one day, when Zechariah was serving in the church, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and announced the imminent birth of a son.

However, Zechariah was confused by such a vision and the promise of the archangel. For this, muteness descended on him, and he could not speak until the birth of the child. In his promise, Archangel Gabriel also said that the baby should be named John.

After the allotted time, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby, who was named John. The future prophet was born six months earlier than the Lord Jesus Christ. On the maternal side (Elizabeth - Mary) John the Baptist was...