← News feed Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)

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

October 5, 2026 · 1 min read

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...

Source: Журнал ФОМА · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (2) 🌐 Show original

Στέλιος Νικολαΐδης

Indeed, I was impressed that Zacharias remained speechless until the child was born. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for him not to be able to say a word throughout Elizabeth's pregnancy. And to think that John was born half a year before Christ, that's interesting.

Γιώργος Λαμπρόπουλος

Yes, Stelios, I was also impressed by this period of Zacharias' silence. I think how humiliating it would be for a priest to not even be able to bless the people after the service. I remember that John was born six months before Christ since I was a child, but every time I hear it again it seems like yesterday's miracle. How do you interpret this half a year?