CONCEPTION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

After John the Baptist’s death, his body was buried by his disciples, but his head remained in the hands of Herodias. Thus began the posthumous journey of John’s body and head, separated from each other, through human history. According to the ancient church historian Rufinus, the complete destruction of John’s body in Palestinian Samaria was the most sinister and shameful act of Julian the Apostate on the Roman imperial throne. Thus, John the Baptist became a prophet of the fate of the relics of many Christian saints in the centuries to come.

On October 6, or September 23 according to the old calendar, the Church celebrates the conception of John the Baptist. At certain periods in church history, this was a very significant celebration. However, over time, for reasons that are unclear, it seems to have lost its significance. The celebration of the conception of the Baptist faded into the background, giving way to two other “conceptions” that were more significant from a dogmatic point of view: the Annunciation, that is, the conception of the Lord Jesus from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and the Conception of Mary by her parents Joachim and Anna. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” is how the true Symbol of Faith of John the Baptist, as conveyed by his disciple, the Evangelist John, is expressed in the Gospel (John 3:30). John the Baptist is so amazing, incredible and unique that, by the hand of God, with which he baptized Jesus, he established the “times and seasons” (Acts 1:7) of Church history and liturgy.