When the unsetting Sun, Christ our Saviour, deigned to shine upon the world and, bowing down to the heavens, descended into the most holy of heaven's womb, it was necessary for the Lucifer to appear before Him from the barren old woman to the Holy Forerunner John, so that he might foretell to people the coming of the Lord. And so, when the time of pregnancy was fulfilled for Saint Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zacharias, she gave birth to a son in her old age, just as Sarah had once given birth to Isaac. Thus the miracle preceded the miracle: before the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave birth to Christ, the aged Elizabeth gave birth to the Forerunner of Christ, so that those who saw the extraordinary birth from a barren old woman according to the laws of nature would then believe in the most supernatural birth from a barren Virgin: for the almighty power of God, which resolved the barrenness of the eldress Elizabeth, could certainly make the incorrupt maiden Mary a Mother, for all nature is obedient to the Creator.

When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and her neighbors and relatives learned about this, then everyone rejoiced at the mercy of God, which the Lord had shown her, removing from her the reproach of childlessness. And then were fulfilled the words of the evangelist Gabriel, who said to Zechariah, "Thy wife shall bear thee a son, and many shall rejoice at his birth."

On the eighth day after his birth, the priests and other relatives gathered at the house of Zacharias to circumcise the child, and they wanted to call him Zachariah by his father's name, but the mother would not consent to this. Being the wife of a prophet and the mother of the greatest of prophets, Elizabeth herself was filled with the gift of prophethood, and as a prophetess she wished that her son should be named John. Then they turned to the father of the child and began to ask him by signs: what would he like to call his son? The mute Zachariah asked for a tablet and wrote: "John shall be his name." And immediately Zachariah's mouth was opened, and his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak, glorifying God. And they were all amazed at such miracles: they were amazed that the barren old woman had given birth to a son, and that the father and mother had chosen an unusual name for their son, and that after writing this name the mute father began to speak. And fear was upon all who dwelt around them; and they told all these things throughout all the hill country of Judah.

And all who heard of these things said, What will this child be?

And the hand of the Lord was with the child, increasing in him the grace of God, and guarding his life. The rumor of John's miraculous birth reached King Herod.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, taking refuge in the mountains, fervently prayed to the Lord to protect her with the child. Once she saw from afar the soldiers who were looking for her; And she cried out to the mountain of stone that was before her, "Mountain of God! Hide the mother and child!" and the mountain parted before her, and there hid Saint Elizabeth with her son. And the soldiers returned to Herod empty-handed. Then Herod sent to Zacharias in the church to say: "Give me your son John!" – Saint Zacharias answered: "I now serve the Lord God of Israel, but where my son is, I do not know". And Herod was angry; And he sent to Zechariah another time, commanding him that if he would not give up his son, he should kill him himself. And the fierce murderers came, like fierce beasts, and said with wrath to the priest of God, "Where hast thou hid thy son? Give it to us, so the Tsar commands!" And if you do not give it back, then you yourself will die immediately!" — And Saint Zacharias answered them: "You will kill my body, but the Lord will receive my soul!" — and the wicked rushed at him, and killed him between the altar and the temple. And his holy blood froze on the marble platform like a stone, for eternal rebuke to Herod.

And Elizabeth dwelt in the cave of that mountain, covered by God together with John; and there appeared for them by the command of God a spring of water, and a date palm grew, with fruits, on which they fed. Forty days after the murder of Zachariah, the holy mother of the Forerunner also reposed. And Saint John, nourished by the Angel, grew up and remained in that wilderness, preserved by God, until the day of his appearance to Israel.

Birthplace of John the Baptist

To the southwest of Jerusalem, for one hour and a quarter drive, in a vast mountain hollow, between gardens and cultivated fields, is beautifully located the village of Ain Karim (in ancient times it was called the Mountain City, or the Mountain City of Judah); this is the birthplace of the Forerunner of Christ John. On the site where the greatest of the Prophets born of women was born, there is now a Franciscan monastery. The church here has three altars; the left altar stands above the birthplace of John the Baptist. From the church, along eight marble steps, one descends into the cave, where under the marble board of the altar burn six inextinguishable lamps, and under them there is a star carved from marble with a Latin inscription: "Here was born the Forerunner of the Lord." The vault and walls of the cave are lined with marble and covered with rich fabric, and the floor is decorated with mosaics. The main altar of the temple stands on the place where the happy elder Zachariah sang his song of thanksgiving: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel..." (Luke 1:67 ff.). Behind the monastery at the end of the village you can see under the shade of fig trees a reservoir called "Mary's Spring". Legend says that the Mother of God went here to draw water when she was visiting Her relative Elizabeth.

Not far from this reservoir were the ruins of the house of Saints Zachariah and Elizabeth.

Now in the Upper Russian Mission there is a shelter for Orthodox worshippers and a convent for Orthodox Christians, with a church.

(Synaxarion for June 24)

227. Chrysostom's Praise of the Holy Apostle Paul

"If it behooves me to boast, I will boast of my weakness" (2 Corinthians 11:30). Do you see that the Apostle Paul never boasts of miracles, but always of persecutions and temptations? The Jews took up arms against him, the pagans rebelled against him, false brethren disputed with him, and weak brethren insulted him. Everywhere there was confusion and indignation against him, both from his own and from strangers. "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the message... For I am not lying," he says. — ... the pagan prince Arethas the king guarded the city of Damascus, and let me go" (2 Corinthians 11:31-32). See what a battle it is, if the prince guarded the city for its sake. But when I speak of battle, I mean Paul's zeal. If Paul had not breathed such a fire of jealousy, he would not have kindled such a fury in the governor of the province/He endured so much, and never wavered, but endured everything that came to him, he bore courageously, yet he did not recklessly enter into danger and did not flee to meet them. See what means he agreed to in order to avoid the siege: "... the window in the pocket was hung." Though he wished to transmigrate from this life, he also sought salvation with the help of men, in order to save himself for preaching. But here again he ascribed everything to God.