Birth of John the Baptist (mawlodeh d-yuhanon)

Birth of John the Baptist (mawlodeh d-yuhanon)

The Sunday of the Birth of John the Baptist (had'bshabo d'mawlodhe d'yuhanon ma'amdono) according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.St. John is the son of Zachariah the Priest, & Elizabeth (aunt of the blessed Virgin St. Mary). He is known as the 'blessed forerunner of his Master' who prepared the way for Christ. Our Lord & savior Himself testified: “Among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John, the Baptist” (Mathew 11:11; Luke 7:28). The essence of John’s preaching is: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mathew 3:2). He went throughout Judea & Jordan, baptizing those who confessed their sins. Mor Yuhanon is truly a model for Christian discipleship. His famous words, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) exemplify the the servant-master relationship with Christ that we as Christians are called to strive for. Birthdays of saints are not usually celebrated in Syriac Orthodox Church, with a few exceptions. After St. Mary, John the Baptist is the only saint whose birth is celebrated in the Church calendar. The birth of John is one of the earliest feasts of the Church. The nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated in the Church because John was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth before birth (Luke 1:41).This passage is important to us Christians because it lays a foundation of understanding of what God is doing in sending John the Baptist and then Jesus the Messiah within six months of each other. As we study the prophecies, we begin to get a glimmer of what God has in mind. John is the messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1) When the Angel Gabriel first appeared to Zechariah in the temple he announced that the child's role would be, "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (1:17). Later, when John the Baptist enters his ministry, he is asked who he is. His answer: "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'" (John 1:23). Reference: 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' & 'The Importance of the Sundays Before Christmas' The Holy Bible readings from the Church Lectionary:Evening:St. Luke 1:57-80Morning:St. Matthew 11:11-19Before Holy Qurbono:Genesis 21:9-21Exodus 2: 1-10Ruth 4:13-22Isaiah 62:1-12Holy Qurbono:I John 4:1-10Galatians 4: 18-30St. Luke 1:57-80For sermons/commentaries based on the Gospel: https://goo.gl/No4AmcTone of the Day: 6 (2 for alternate days of the week) Hymns by HG Mor Aphrem Mathews: https://goo.gl/TQPPRWSyriac Prayers: https://tinyurl.com/yxpkp38b Moshe bar Kepha Homily on the Birth of St. John the Baptist: http://bit.ly/KephaBaptist