February: Day 24: Teaching 2:
The First and Second Finding of the Honorable Head of John the Baptist
(Bases for the Veneration of Holy Relics)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
The First and Second Finding of the Honorable Head of John the Baptist
(Bases for the Veneration of Holy Relics)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. After the martyrdom of the Baptist, his body was buried by his disciples, and the head, after Herodias had desecrated it, was secretly placed in a vessel by the pious Joanna, wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and buried on the Mount of Olives. Afterwards, the holy head was found three times, and a celebration of these three findings of the head was established. The first and second findings are celebrated on February 24. The first time it was found by two monks traveling to Jerusalem to venerate the holy places, during the time of Constantine the Great. The Baptist himself appeared to them and ordered that the head be dug up on the Mount of Olives. But soon the monks, by their lack of faith and neglect of the holy head, made themselves unworthy of possessing it. From them the head passed to a citizen of the city of Emesa in Syria, and from him, by succession, it passed to a certain Eustathios, an Arian monk, who hid it in a cave near Emesa. Here, later on, a monastery was formed. The abbot of this monastery, the pious Archimandrite Markellos, was visited in a dream by the Baptist himself, who informed him of his head, hidden in a cave near the monastery. The head was found there a second time. This was in the year 452. The holy head was then transferred to Chalcedon, and from there, under the Emperor Theodosius the Great, to Constantinople. The third finding of the head of the Honorable Forerunner was on May 25, and that is when it is celebrated.
The honorable head of the Forerunner was kept in the Studios Monastery of the Forerunner. Part of it is in Rome, in the Church of Saint Sylvester. There are also parts in the Athonite Monastery of Dionysiou.
II. We have seen, brethren, that Saint John the Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord himself, by the will of God, appeared to pious people more than once in order to indicate the burial place of his honorable head. It is clear that it is the direct will of God that we honor the relics of the saints of God. For them and through them the Lord sends down His great and rich mercies to all who with faith and love come to them in their needs, troubles and illnesses of soul and body.
Let us therefore consider the grounds for the veneration of holy and multi-healing relics.
a) The first reason why we should show reverent veneration to the relics of the saints of God is that God Himself deigned to honor and glorify them with various miracles and signs. We find examples of this both in the Holy Scriptures and in the history of the Christian Church. Even in the Old Testament books of the Holy Scriptures, the following remarkable event is described: the Prophet Elisha died and was buried. The following year, a dead man was being carried past the place where he was buried for burial. At this time, a crowd of Moabites appeared, who were raiding the land of Israel. Those carrying the dead man became frightened and threw him into the very cave in which the Prophet Elisha was buried. But as soon as the dead man touched the bones of the Prophet, "he came to life and stood up on his feet" (4 Kings 13:20-21). In the history of the Christian Church, we see so many miracles that have occurred from the relics of the saints of God that it is impossible to even list them. Thus, from the relics of Saint Nicholas flowed fragrant myrrh, the sick received health, the deaf - hearing, the mute - the ability to speak, the blind - sight, etc.
Similar miracles were performed from the relics of other saints of God. Even the very discovery of the relics of some saint of God was always performed by a special revelation of God and with special miraculous signs.
b) The second reason why we should reverently honor the relics of the saints of God is that the Holy Church itself, at all times, following the sacred Tradition, has shown and shows them due veneration. With this goal in mind, it has taken every care to acquire the relics of the saints of God and preserve them. When persecutions were raised against Christians, it hid the holy relics in secret places and there built altars over them. And when the persecutions ceased, it began to keep them openly, building silver reliquaries, new churches, and various decorations for them. The very opening of the relics, as well as their transfer somewhere, it performed with special solemnity and established special feasts in memory of these events. Subsequently, the Holy Church decreed that, at the consecration of churches, a portion of the holy relics should be given to the relics either under the altar, or at least in the antimension, and without this the Divine Liturgy cannot be celebrated in them. Thus honoring the holy relics, she, at the same time, teaches her children to constantly show them reverent honor.
If the ancient Christians and the Holy Church itself revered the holy relics so highly, then what right do we have to act differently? The Holy Church is our Mother, and we are her children, and therefore we are obliged to obey her unquestioningly and sacredly fulfill her teachings. What kind of Christians are they who do not want to follow the good example of their Mother, the Holy Church, and are not guided by her saving teachings? “And if your brother disobeys the church,” says our Savior, “let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17), that is, such a Christian, as a disobedient one to the Church, should not have any communion with the Holy Church, just as pagans and publicans have no communion with it; and not to have communion with the Holy Church means not to have spiritual life. This is the sad fate to which those who do not venerate the relics of the saints of God expose themselves!
c) Finally, the third reason why we should show due respect to the relics of the saints of God is that “the relics of the saints," in the words of John of Damascus, "are given to us by the Lord Christ as saving springs that pour forth many different blessings” ("Exact Exposition of the Orthodox of Faith", Book IV, Chapter 15). All who flow to these springs with faith can receive from them what is useful for themselves: the sick – recovery, the blind – sight, the deaf – hearing, the dumb – the gift of speech, the unfortunate – liberation from misfortune, the happy – strengthening of happiness, the healthy – protection from illness, etc. But that is not all.
The relics of the saints of God are beneficial for our souls. Here every believer can find for himself protection from temptations, and consolation in sorrows, and help in the struggle with sin, and strengthening in virtue, and in general everything that is necessary for our salvation. “I heard from one pious elder,” said one Roman lady, named Aglaida, to the governor of her estate Boniface, “that whoever has relics in his home and venerates them, he not only finds the path to salvation, but will also be worthy of eternal reward ... Go to that country where Christians are subjected to torture, and bring me the relics of some martyr; we will build a church and will have a guardian for ourselves and an intercessor with God.” Boniface went. But, having arrived in Tarsus and noticing that holy martyrs with great patience endure the most cruel tortures, he himself decided to be a martyr, and as a result of this he declared himself a Christian, courageously suffered all the tortures and in the end with joy bowed his head to be cut off for the faith of Christ. It should be noted that Aglaida had led a wicked life until then. But when the relics of the Holy Martyr Boniface were brought to her, she immediately abandoned her wicked life, built a church in her village in the name of the Holy Martyr Boniface, reverently transferred his relics to it, distributed her property to the poor, renounced the world and, having lived 15 years in tears and repentance, appeared before the Lord justified (December 19).
III. After this, how can we, brethren, not honor the relics of the saints of God, when they are so beneficial to our souls and bodies? If we consider it our duty to show all possible honors to the remains of people who, perhaps, lived sinfully, but temporarily distinguished themselves by some special exploits for the benefit of the fatherland, then is it fair not to show reverent honor to the remains of the saints of God, who not only in their temporary life were benefactors of mankind, praying for it to God and teaching it by their holy life, but also after their death do not cease to be such benefactors and constantly pour out upon us various mercies of God?
The honorable head of the Forerunner was kept in the Studios Monastery of the Forerunner. Part of it is in Rome, in the Church of Saint Sylvester. There are also parts in the Athonite Monastery of Dionysiou.
II. We have seen, brethren, that Saint John the Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord himself, by the will of God, appeared to pious people more than once in order to indicate the burial place of his honorable head. It is clear that it is the direct will of God that we honor the relics of the saints of God. For them and through them the Lord sends down His great and rich mercies to all who with faith and love come to them in their needs, troubles and illnesses of soul and body.
Let us therefore consider the grounds for the veneration of holy and multi-healing relics.
a) The first reason why we should show reverent veneration to the relics of the saints of God is that God Himself deigned to honor and glorify them with various miracles and signs. We find examples of this both in the Holy Scriptures and in the history of the Christian Church. Even in the Old Testament books of the Holy Scriptures, the following remarkable event is described: the Prophet Elisha died and was buried. The following year, a dead man was being carried past the place where he was buried for burial. At this time, a crowd of Moabites appeared, who were raiding the land of Israel. Those carrying the dead man became frightened and threw him into the very cave in which the Prophet Elisha was buried. But as soon as the dead man touched the bones of the Prophet, "he came to life and stood up on his feet" (4 Kings 13:20-21). In the history of the Christian Church, we see so many miracles that have occurred from the relics of the saints of God that it is impossible to even list them. Thus, from the relics of Saint Nicholas flowed fragrant myrrh, the sick received health, the deaf - hearing, the mute - the ability to speak, the blind - sight, etc.
Similar miracles were performed from the relics of other saints of God. Even the very discovery of the relics of some saint of God was always performed by a special revelation of God and with special miraculous signs.
b) The second reason why we should reverently honor the relics of the saints of God is that the Holy Church itself, at all times, following the sacred Tradition, has shown and shows them due veneration. With this goal in mind, it has taken every care to acquire the relics of the saints of God and preserve them. When persecutions were raised against Christians, it hid the holy relics in secret places and there built altars over them. And when the persecutions ceased, it began to keep them openly, building silver reliquaries, new churches, and various decorations for them. The very opening of the relics, as well as their transfer somewhere, it performed with special solemnity and established special feasts in memory of these events. Subsequently, the Holy Church decreed that, at the consecration of churches, a portion of the holy relics should be given to the relics either under the altar, or at least in the antimension, and without this the Divine Liturgy cannot be celebrated in them. Thus honoring the holy relics, she, at the same time, teaches her children to constantly show them reverent honor.
If the ancient Christians and the Holy Church itself revered the holy relics so highly, then what right do we have to act differently? The Holy Church is our Mother, and we are her children, and therefore we are obliged to obey her unquestioningly and sacredly fulfill her teachings. What kind of Christians are they who do not want to follow the good example of their Mother, the Holy Church, and are not guided by her saving teachings? “And if your brother disobeys the church,” says our Savior, “let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17), that is, such a Christian, as a disobedient one to the Church, should not have any communion with the Holy Church, just as pagans and publicans have no communion with it; and not to have communion with the Holy Church means not to have spiritual life. This is the sad fate to which those who do not venerate the relics of the saints of God expose themselves!
c) Finally, the third reason why we should show due respect to the relics of the saints of God is that “the relics of the saints," in the words of John of Damascus, "are given to us by the Lord Christ as saving springs that pour forth many different blessings” ("Exact Exposition of the Orthodox of Faith", Book IV, Chapter 15). All who flow to these springs with faith can receive from them what is useful for themselves: the sick – recovery, the blind – sight, the deaf – hearing, the dumb – the gift of speech, the unfortunate – liberation from misfortune, the happy – strengthening of happiness, the healthy – protection from illness, etc. But that is not all.
The relics of the saints of God are beneficial for our souls. Here every believer can find for himself protection from temptations, and consolation in sorrows, and help in the struggle with sin, and strengthening in virtue, and in general everything that is necessary for our salvation. “I heard from one pious elder,” said one Roman lady, named Aglaida, to the governor of her estate Boniface, “that whoever has relics in his home and venerates them, he not only finds the path to salvation, but will also be worthy of eternal reward ... Go to that country where Christians are subjected to torture, and bring me the relics of some martyr; we will build a church and will have a guardian for ourselves and an intercessor with God.” Boniface went. But, having arrived in Tarsus and noticing that holy martyrs with great patience endure the most cruel tortures, he himself decided to be a martyr, and as a result of this he declared himself a Christian, courageously suffered all the tortures and in the end with joy bowed his head to be cut off for the faith of Christ. It should be noted that Aglaida had led a wicked life until then. But when the relics of the Holy Martyr Boniface were brought to her, she immediately abandoned her wicked life, built a church in her village in the name of the Holy Martyr Boniface, reverently transferred his relics to it, distributed her property to the poor, renounced the world and, having lived 15 years in tears and repentance, appeared before the Lord justified (December 19).
III. After this, how can we, brethren, not honor the relics of the saints of God, when they are so beneficial to our souls and bodies? If we consider it our duty to show all possible honors to the remains of people who, perhaps, lived sinfully, but temporarily distinguished themselves by some special exploits for the benefit of the fatherland, then is it fair not to show reverent honor to the remains of the saints of God, who not only in their temporary life were benefactors of mankind, praying for it to God and teaching it by their holy life, but also after their death do not cease to be such benefactors and constantly pour out upon us various mercies of God?
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
