Сьогодні наша свята Церква прославляє великого праведника-чесного, славного пророка, Предтечу і Хрестителя Господнього Івана, який був великим угодником Божим. Ще перед його народженням з’явився Архангел Гавриїл його батькові Захарії в єрусалимському храмі і сказав , що в нього народиться син, який буде великий в очах Божих. I справді вже при народженні Іванa Хрестителя Господнього діялись чудеса, так що його знайомі і сусіди з великим подивом питали: "Ким буде дитя це?" На це питання дає відповідь сам Господь, коли устами пророка говорить, що Іван є "голос вопіющого в пyстині".

Christ, then, was born as it were a few days ago — He Whose generation was before all things, sensible and intellectual. Today He is baptized by John that He might cleanse him who was defiled, that He might bring the Spirit from above, and exalt man to heaven, that he who had fallen might be raised up and he who had cast him down might be put to shame. And marvel not if God showed so great earnestness in our cause: for it was with care on the part of him who did us wrong that the plot was laid against us; it is with forethought on the part of our Maker that we are saved. And he, that evil charmer, framing his new device of sin against our race, drew along his serpent train, a disguise worthy of his own intent, entering in his impurity into what was like himself—dwelling, earthly and mundane as he was in will, in that creeping thing. But Christ, the repairer of his evil-doing, assumes manhood in its fullness, and saves man, and becomes the type and figure of us all, to sanctify the first-fruits of every action, and leave to His servants no doubt in their zeal for the tradition.