An Encomium on St John the Baptist

Another full Coptic tale for you with this post! This particular text is titled “An Encomium on Saint John the Baptist, by Saint John Chrysostom.” Now was this actually written by John Chrysostom? I have read online that it’s more likely a “pseudo-” attribution. I will leave that up to you, the reader, to decide on that. But I do think the story is worth bringing to your attention and hope you enjoy it. While it is a homily, it features material from the Infancy Gospel of James (Elizabeth hiding John) and also an interesting Apocalyptic ascension text that takes a trip up to the heavens before settling into the “third heaven”.

Date range of this work would be anywhere from the fourth century up to the 10th century. Once again I am using the E.A. Wallis Budge translation, which comes from his Coptic Apocrypha work of the early 1900s. I tweaked some of the wording here and there to make it a bit more easier for the modern reader to enjoy. I also consulted the English translation by Philip L. Tite from the New Testament Apocrypha Volume 1 to clarify a few issues I had (his translation is much more modern and worth reading as well).

AN ENCOMIUM ON SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST, BY SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.

THE ENCOMIUM WHICH OUR HOLY FATHER SAINT APA JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, WHO WAS GLORIOUS IN EVERY RESPECT, THE HOLY GOLDEN-MOUTH, PRONOUNCED TO THE GLORY AND HONOR OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE HOLY FORERUNNER AND KINSMAN OF THE CHRIST, THAN WHOM AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BORN OF WOMEN NO GREATER HAS EVER RISEN UP, WHOM GOD EXALTED IN HONOR AND GLORY, ABOVE ALL THE SAINTS, WHO EXCELLED THE ANGELS IN PURITY (OR, HOLINESS). APA JOHN CHRYSOSTOM PRONOUNCED THIS ENCOMIUM IN CONNECTION WITH THE PASSAGE WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW WHEN HE EXPLAINED TO US THE MEANING OF THE WORDS WHICH ARE WRITTEN THEREIN, ‘WHAT WENT YE OUT INTO THE DESERT TO SEE ?’ IN THE PEACE OF GOD MAY HIS HOLY BLESSING COME UPON US, AND MAY WE ALL GAIN SALVATION TOGETHER. AMEN.

My beloved, I wish to declare unto you some few of the exalted words and right judgements of the holy Baptist and glorious forerunner, Saint John, the kinsman of the Christ. But I find myself in serious trouble, because my halting tongue is incapable of declaring his might and his honor in the manner which they deserve. And moreover, our holy fathers, the God-bearing (i.e. inspired) Bishops who have lived before our time, that is to say Athanasius, and Theophilus, and Cyril, and Innocent, have declared many of thine exalted words, O John the Baptist, O thou than whom among those born of women, none had arisen who is greater.

Who is there among our Fathers of olden time who has not uttered encomiastic words concerning thee, O thou priest, and the son of a priest, thou prophet, and the son of a prophet, thou virgin and martyr, who are the equal of an angel, thou companion of the True Bridegroom, the Christ, O Saint John the Baptist! Verily thy name and the remembrance of thee have become a medicine and remedy which healed sicknesses of every kind. I speak now concerning that John who fettered the tongue of his father through the act of his conception, and who again made the mouth of his father to be opened through his birth. For when Zacharias was asked, ‘What dost thou wish him to be called?’ he made a sign with his hand whereby he asked for a writing tablet, and he wrote these three letters which are wonder-worthy, namely IOTA, and ω, and ALPHA. And while he was writing, his mouth opened suddenly, and his tongue was set free, and he spoke, and he gained strength, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘John is his name.’ For in very truth the name of John is one which is worthy to be marveled at, for it is the lamp of the whole world. But my tongue halted exceedingly, and it will fail in recounting the myriads of his mighty deeds; nevertheless I desire to set out on my journey upon the sea of understanding.

Now therefore when the birthday of Herod, who is accursed, had come, the daughter of Herodias came into the presence of Herod, and she danced and pleased him and those who were reclining with him, and he promised to give unto her whatsoever she asked; and the maiden went to her mother to inform her about what had happened. And she said unto the maiden, ‘Ask for the head of John the Baptist, and let them give it to thee upon a dish’; and the Governor commanded that it should be given unto her. And he sent a scout to the prison with an order to remove the head of John, and he brought it back upon a dish; and Herod gave it to the maiden, and she took it and brought it to her mother. And his disciples went and took away his body and buried it, and they carried the report of this matter to Jesus.

Now when Jesus had heard it, he departed to a desert place, and went into it by Himself, and when the multitude heard this, they followed after Jesus. And when Jesus had seen the multitude, he took pity upon them. And when the evening had come, the disciples went unto him, saying, ‘This place is a desert. Dismiss the multitudes so that they may depart into the villages which are round about them, that they may buy for themselves that which they shall eat.’ Then Jesus said unto them, ‘Have ye nothing which I can give them to eat?’ And they said unto him, ‘We have nothing at all in this place except five barley cakes and two fishes.’

And Jesus said unto them, ‘Bring them hither.’ Then he commanded the multitudes to throw themselves down upon the grass, and he took the five cakes and the two fishes, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and blessed them, and broke them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitudes, and they all ate and were satisfied. And the broken pieces which remained over filled twelve baskets. Now those who ate were five thousand men, without reckoning children and women.

Now I wish, O my beloved, to describe unto you the honor which the Christ paid to John, and also what manner of love it was which he showed to him, for he was his companion and his kinsman, and how he loved him to such a degree that he fed with these five cakes and two fishes five thousand men without reckoning children and women. For the multitude was gathered together because of the lamentation for John, and Jesus wept and made lamentation for John, and he distributed alms for his sake; in as much as he was his kinsman and his companion. For this reason when the disciples had said unto him, ‘Send away the multitude that they may go and buy for themselves that which they may eat,’ He was unwilling to make them depart fasting. Now take good heed to the Scripture at this point. In the first place observe that when Jesus had heard concerning John the Baptist, he went away, and that the multitude followed after him quickly. And in the second place observe that when the compassionate and merciful Jesus had seen them, he felt deep pity for them, even like a good shepherd who had always pity for his sheep. And when the disciples asked him, saying, ‘Send away the multitude that they may go and buy for themselves that which they may eat,’ the Saviour said unto them, ‘Assuredly not,’ and thought, ‘What manner of thanks shall I receive from my kinsman if these people, who have come unto me on account of him, are put to inconvenience in this way? If they go away fasting as they are at present, they will sink from exhaustion by the wayside.’ As the Patriarch Joseph distributed alms because of the death of Jacob his father, even so did Jesus, and he distributed alms for the sake of his kinsman John. Moreover, all classes of people have always been accustomed to distribute alms and gifts of food in charity on behalf of any of their kinsfolk when so ever any one of them died.

Now I wish to declare unto you another high and deep purpose also. The holy Evangelist said, ‘John heard of the works of the Christ, now he was in prison, and he called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are thou he who is to come or are we to expect another?” ‘

Now at that time he had not healed the multitude, and he said unto the men whom John had sent to question him, ‘Depart ye and declare unto John the things which ye see, and the things which ye hear, namely, that the blind see, and the lame walk, those who are dead rise up, and to the poor the Gospel is preached; and blessed is he who shall not be offended in me. I am He who graciously bestowed thee upon Zacharias thy father and Elizabeth thy mother. I am He who came unto thee while thou was in the womb of Elizabeth thy mother. And when I myself was in the womb of Mary, my mother, I saluted thee, and thou did leap therein. Again, it was I who came unto thee at the tenth hour of the night on the eleventh day of the month Tόbe (December 27 – January 25); I received baptism at thy holy hands. Verily, O John, since thou has been held to be worthy to baptize me, and art he who was worthy to attain to this honor, thou has surpassed a noble in heaven who enjoys every kind of honor. I am He who was to come, and it was I who received baptism at thy hands. I am He who shall take away the sin of the world. Thou, O John, art he whom I have chosen, and I and my Father who is in heaven, and the Holy Spirit. I have sent thee as my forerunner, and thou are he who makes a way before me. Moreover, speak thou unto the multitude saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom which is in the heavens has drawn night, – that of which man thinketh not,” even as he said, “Behold, I will do a work in your days, a marvelous work, and when ye shall hear thereof, ye will not believe.”‘ And Jesus said unto the men who were sent by John to enquire of Him, “Depart ye, and declare the things which you see, and the things which you hear, namely, the blind see, the lame walk, those who are dead rise up, and to the poor the Gospel is preached. And blessed is he who shall not be offended through me.”

Now when these enquirers had departed he began to speak unto the multitude concerning John, saying, ‘What did ye go out into the desert to see? Was it a reed, with the wind moving it? But what did ye go out to see? Was it a man arrayed in soft apparel? Behold, those who wear soft apparel are in the houses of kings. But what did ye go out to see? Was it a prophet? Yea, I tell you that he is more than a prophet. For thus runneth that which is written concerning him: “Behold, I will send my angel before Thee, and he shall make straight thy way.” Amen I say unto you that among those who have been born of woman none greater than John the Baptist has risen up; nevertheless, he that is less than he is greater than he in the Kingdom which is in the heavens.’

Now it is necessary for us to explain this passage to you, for very many of those who are not strong in the Scriptures in thinking about it say, ‘Was it really a reed moving in the wind, or was it not?’ Now every tree on the earth, whether it be palm tree, or fig tree, or sycamore tree, or the acacia tree, even to the grass of the field, is, as long as it is growing, moved by every wind, either to this side or to the other. Does not every simple person know this, and more especially every one who is educated? But that reed about which the Saviour spoke was the wind instrument which is placed in the places of contest and which sent forth so loud a sound, there being no one near them, that when those who are at a distance hear them they say, ‘What has happened?, for the speaking reed is sounding?’ And straightway they gather together to see what has happened, and they find out that so-and-so the son of so-and-so has been the victor in a contest, and that the name of so-and-so the son of so-and-so is written down in the gymnasium. It was for this reason that this wind instrument sounded in the place wherein the prophet was prophesying; and all the people gathered together that they might receive instruction. For this very reason it was that the Saviour said, “What was it that ye went out into the desert to see? Was it a reed with the wind moving it? But what was it that ye went out into the desert to see? Was it a man arrayed in soft apparel? Behold, those who wear soft apparel are in the houses of kings.’ Behold, O my beloved, I have explained this question to you, and now I will, by the will of God, expound the following tale to you.

Now at the time when the cataclysm of waters increased upon the earth in the days of Noah, the trees and the waters of the flood rolled over the body of Adam, and they carried it away and deposited it in the midst of Jerusalem, and the waters of the earth flowed over it and covered it. And when the Saviour had come and he was walking about that place, and was teaching, saying, ‘If any man serveth me, my Father shall pay him honor; My Father, deliver me from this hour’ – at the very moment when the Saviour said these things the toe-nail of his right foot struck the head of Adam. And thus far is the story.

Now there is very much benefit to be derived by us from this story, but this is not the moment for us to enjoy it, because the banquet of the kinsman of the True Bridegroom, the Christ, is set before us. For if thou wilt consider thou wilt see that there are multitude of men who shall cry out to the Christ in Amente (the underworld), saying, ‘Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy upon us.’ And thou wilt hear also many cries of ‘Lord, let Thy strength rise up! Come thou to deliver us, O our good God.’ And thou, O man-loving Christ, through the multitude of thy compassion, does draw everyone to Thyself this day. Thou has redeemed those who were in Amente from the beginning. Thou has drawn all sinners to thee in life. The harlot thou did make a virgin, and did forgive her sin. The thief thou did take into Paradise. The publican thou did make an evangelist. The persecutor, Paul, thou did make an evangelist. Thou did redeem those who were bound. Thou did lift up those who had fallen. Thou did gather together those who were scattered. Thou did cry out unto everyone with thy mouth of God, ‘Come ye unto Me, everyone who is weary, and is over burdened, and I will give you rest.’

And behold also this day wherein thou does command thy holy Apostles, and does say unto them, ‘Ye shall begin to preach from Jerusalem even unto the ends of the world. Ye are the witnesses of the things which the Jews did unto me. Go ye, preach ye to them the salvation of the remission of sins. Do not thrust away sinners from you, but receive ye them in penitence. To the publicans give repentance. As for the harlots, forgive ye them their sins.’ O my beloved, observe ye the glory wherewith the Christ paid exceedingly great honor to his kinsman, the holy forerunner, John the Baptist. He paid honor to him in heaven, but he paid far greater honor to him upon the earth.

For it came to pass that when our Lord Jesus was born on earth in the rest-house in Bethlehem, the slaughter of the little children by the hands of Herod the Wicked took place. Moreover, when the Archangel Gabriel had warned Joseph in a dream, Joseph took the young child Jesus, with His mother, and they departed into Egypt. Then, Elizabeth having seized John in trepidation, she fled with him into the desert. Moreover, when the officers of Herod were pursuing her and her child in order to slay him, she turned her eyes behind her and saw them coming close to her. Now when she and her son arrived at a rock in the mountains, she cried out saying, ‘O rock, admit me inside thee, and my son’; and straightway the rock opened its mouth, and when she reached the rock it received her, and it became unto her a monastery for meditation and a place of quiet wherein to dwell. When so ever the need arose for her to go out to any place, the rock used to open of itself, and after she had gone out to close of itself; through the dispensation of God it was a place which became large for their going out and for their coming in. When so ever they asked for anything which they wanted, they found it there. If, for instance, it was locusts of wild honey which they needed, they came in in this manner. And the door of their sleeping chamber used to open by itself and to close by itself. Now if the days were the days of summer, the air always felt cool to them, and the heat never weighed heavily upon them. If the days were the days of winter, the air was always warm therein, and the cold never caused them any suffering. And the same thing happened in the case of the wild animals which lived in the region round about them, and up to the day of the showing forth of Saint John on the Jordan, they never harassed Elizabeth.

Moreover, let us return to our subject and describe unto you the praises and the honors which God most graciously bestowed upon his beloved one John, according to the statements that we have found in the ancient manuscripts which the Apostles wrote and deposited in the Library of the Holy City Jerusalem. Now it happened to me to be in Jerusalem, and while I was staying in the church, there was an old man there, a God-loving presbyter, and he had authority therein; and I remained in that place in order that I might assist at the celebration of the festival of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ, and at the festival of the Holy Cross. Now I went through the books, and I had great enjoyment in this, and I found a little old volume among them which concerned the Apostles wherein it was written thus:

And it came to pass that we the Apostles were gathered together to our Saviour upon the Mount of Olives, after that he had made himself to rise again from the dead. And he spoke unto us and commanded us, saying: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach unto the people thereof the Gospel of the Kingdom.’ And he spoke unto us concerning John the Baptist, and the honors which he had bestowed upon him in the heavens. And we said unto him, ‘What ought we to do to inform ourselves rightly about thy beloved one, thy kinsman John? Because thou has testified unto us, saying, I will bestow upon him the third heaven, and the untarnished gifts, and the good things which are therein instead of the blood which he poured out for me. Now therefore, O our Lord, inform us certainly concerning him, and instruct us about that heaven which Thou has graciously bestowed upon John, thy beloved one, and the good things which thou has prepared therein. Instruct us also about that same John concerning whom thou has said unto us, there is no one in the heavens who shall be compared unto him for the glory and the honors which my Father have bestowed upon him.’

And at that moment our Saviour commanded, and brought down from heave a cloud of light, and he mounted upon it, and he commanded us the Apostles also to mount upon it with him. And he brought us up into the first heaven, and afterwards into the second heaven, and then he ascended to the third heaven, but he did not let us enter therein, and he carried us up to the fourth heaven, and to the fifth heaven, and to the sixth heaven, and then to the seventh heaven, but he would not let us enter therein. Now after he had shown us all these things, he brought us again into the third heaven, and we marveled at its beauty, and its splendid decoration, and its great glory. And we saw John the Baptist, and Zacharias his father, and Elizabeth his mother, arrayed in garments of great splendor, studded with jewels made of real kokkos, and stones of various colors. Then our Saviour made us to stand before John, and he made John to stand in our midst, with Zacharias his father on his right hand, and Elizabeth his mother on his left hand. As for us, the Apostles, he made us to stand in order, beginning with our father Peter, and ending with Matthias.

And our Saviour walked in front of us, and he showed unto us the whole heaven, and he showed us the good things and the enjoyments which are prepared therein, and the untarnished gifts which he had bestowed upon his beloved John, so that he might bestow them on everyone who celebrated upon the earth the festival of the Commemoration of John, who was his kinsman and his forerunner. I John, the brother of the Lord, who relate these things, swear unto you that I will not hide from you any one of the good things which I saw, or any of the things which were to be enjoyed, and which were prepared in the third heaven, and which God had bestowed graciously upon Saint John, in order that he might give them to every one who kept the festival of his commemoration upon the earth.

At that time Paul, and Luke, and Mark were also with us. And afterwards the Good Saviour called to the Seven Archangels, from Michael the greatest of the Archangels, and the General of the forces of heaven, to Sedekiel, and he called unto us, the Apostles, one by one in turn, according to our names, from our father Peter, the greatest of the Apostles, to Mark the Evangelist, and he said unto us, ‘O My Archangels and holy servants, O My Apostles, ye were witnesses of my birth, and of my passion, and of my crucifixion, and in like manner I make you to be witnesses again. Behold, I give the third heaven to John the Baptist, my companion and my kinsman. And moreover ye shall preach throughout the whole world that every man who shall celebrate the commemoration of this my beloved one John on the earth, either by making an offering, or by alms, or by gifts of charity which are given to the poor, or to his shrine in his name, or who shall write in a book an account of his life in commemoration of him, and shall place it in a church, or who shall dress a table in thy shrine with noble coverings, thou, O John, shall take them into the third heaven, which I have bestowed upon thee, and thou shall array them in celestial apparel.

‘I say unto thee, O my beloved John, who was held to be worthy to baptize me with thy holy hand, if any one shall make an offering of first-fruits to thy shrine in thy name, or if any one shall give food to a hungry person in thy name, or shall give to a thirsty person to drink in thy name, or shall clothe a man who is naked in thy name, I will not allow them to be punished in Amente, but thou shall take them into life for ever. And I will make my angels to clothe them with their wings of light, and I will bestow upon them the good things which are in my kingdom. My Father shall bless thy right hand, which thou did lay on my head, my tongue shall bless thy mouth and thy tongue, wherewith thou did say, “Behold the Lamb of God who shall take away the sin of the world”; for I indeed am He. Amen, I say unto thee, O my kinsman John, that I will not punish in Amente any man who shall commemorate thee upon the earth for ever, neither shall his punishment extend to the river of fire which every man must pass over, whether he be righteous or whether he be a sinner. Behold, I will also bestow upon him this for through thee – the use of the ferry-boat on this river of fire, which is a boat of gold; whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration upon earth thou shall transport across that river of fire in this boat.’

Then we, the Apostles, said unto our Lord, ‘How many stadia across is the sea of that river of fire? Inform us so that we may be able to teach men how terrible a thing it is.’ Our Saviour said unto us, ‘I will inform you concerning the measure thereof, and the measure of the boat of gold, which I have given unto my beloved John. The sea of the river of fire is thirty waves deep from shore to shore, and from crest to crest thirty stadia. And I have given the boat of gold to John my kinsman, for the passage over the river, so that he may be able to transport therein those who shall celebrate his commemoration upon the earth, if it be only by breaking a little bread, and the pouring out of a little cold water. And when they come to the end of the shore where I am wont to baptize them in the river of fire, when any one who has celebrated the commemoration of John shall come to be baptized, the waters of the river of fire shall become exactly like the waters of a bath, and like the hot water which a man applied to his body in the place wherein he washed himself; even so shall the river of life be. Therefore every man who shall celebrate thy commemoration upon earth, O John, my companion and my kinsman, whether with an offering, or with a gift of first-fruits, or with any gift whatsoever, which they shall give to thy shrine in remembrance of thy holy name, I command thee to transport him across the river of fire in the boat of gold which I have bestowed upon thee. And thou shall take them into the third heaven, and shall make them to enjoy the good things which are prepared there and which abide for ever.’

And it came to pass that when our Good Saviour had said these things unto us, we rejoiced exceedingly at the great honors which God had bestowed upon John the Baptist. And again he said unto us, ‘Come ye and I will teach you concerning the Paradise of the third heaven.’ And he made us to walk through a meadow of asphodel in that place which produced fruits of all sorts, each according to its kind, and they exhaled sweet odors. And there were there likewise meadows with gently running streams, and all the trees which were in that place yielded fruit, each according to its kind, and they were all covered there with from their roots to their crowns, and there were asphodel, and cinnamon-trees, and amomon, and mastic, and mouskhaton, and they all exhaled sweet odors, and each one was the choicest of its kind.

And Thomas said unto the Saviour, ‘Lord, behold Thou has taught us concerning all the trees which have a sweet smell in Paradise, and the gently running streams, and the palm-trees; tell us now what quantity of dates each palm beared, and how large are the fruits which each tree yielded, and how many bunches of grapes grow on each vine.’

The Saviour said, ‘I will hide nothing from you about the things concerning which you have questioned me. As regarded the vine concerning the fruit of which you have asked, there are ten thousand bunches of grapes upon it, and each bunch will produce six metrites of wine. As regarded the palm-trees in Paradise, each cluster yields ten thousand dates, and each cluster is as long as a man is high. So likewise is it in the matter of the fig-trees; each shoot produces ten thousand figs, and if three men were to partake of one fig, each of them would be satisfied. On each ear of the wheat which is in Paradise there are ten thousand grains, and each grain produces six measures of flour. And the cedars also are on the same scale, each tree produces ten thousand nuts, and is of a very great height. And the apple tree and the thourakion-tree are of the same height; there are ten thousand apples on each shoot, and if three men were to partake of one apple, each of them would be satisfied.

‘These are the good things which I have prepared for every one who shall celebrate the commemoration of my beloved one, and my kinsman John, upon the earth. Blessed is every one who shall be worthy to inherit these good things, which the eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard thereof, nor has the idea thereof entered into the heart of man. These are the things which God has prepared for those who love him, and those who love John, his companion and his kinsman, to whose position and honor in the heavens and upon the earth no man, no, not one, has succeeded, for he was held to be worthy to baptize the Son of God with his holy hands. And he saw the Holy Trinity: the Son was in his hands when he baptized him; the Voice of the Father he heard saying, “Thou art my Son, my beloved one, in whom my wish shall be fulfilled“; and the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, and rested upon his head in the form of a dove.’

And again Peter spoke unto the Saviour, saying, ‘Our Lord and our God! Show us what is the signification of these oars and these lamps.’ The Saviour said, ‘There is a lamp to every oar, and there are seven hollows, to each lamp seven hollows, which are filled and give light. Whosoever shall light a lamp in the shrine of Saint John, or before his image, shall be ferried over the river of fire by these oars in the boat of gold which I have bestowed upon John my beloved. And these lamps shall burn before them, and shall light them until they have passed over the roads of darkness, and shall take them into the third heaven, which I have given as an appanage to my beloved one John, and they shall inherit the good things which are therein for ever.’

And when the good Saviour had said unto us these things, he mounted upon a cloud, and he commanded us to mount upon it with him, and he brought us down, and set us on the Mount of Olives. Then he stood up and prayed with us, and he said unto us, ‘Peace be with you.’ And when he had said these things unto us, he went up into heaven with great glory, and the angels were singing hymns to him.

Verily, O my beloved, there is none who can be compared with John the Baptist in the heavens, or on the earth, and there is no one who is more exalted than he in glory, according to what the mouth of the Christ, which cannot lie, said, ‘Among those who have been born of women no one has arisen who is greater than John the Baptist.’ Behold, ye know the glory and the honor which God has bestowed upon John the Baptist. Devote ye yourselves then diligently to charity, and to the giving of alms and offerings in his holy name. Ye know, O my brethren, that the life of man upon the earth is a vain thing. If thou wishes to be saved and to inherit the life which is for ever, make haste, redeem thy sins by alms and oblations, and wipe out thine iniquity by means of acts of loving kindness to the poor, and to those who are needy, so that thou may enjoy thyself with the good things which are in the habitation of joy and gladness. And if thou has committed sin, turn thou, repent, and he shall forgive thee thy sins. For God is the Compassionate, and the Merciful One, and he is a lover of mankind, and he is wont to show his mercy upon those whos hall turn unto him. For he spoke by the prophet Ezekiel, saying, ‘I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should turn himself away from his evil ways, and should repent and live.’ And again he said, ‘When the wicked man has turned himself away from his evil, and he does righteousness, I will not remember his iniquity which he has committed,’ saith the Lord, ‘but he shall live by reason of the righteousness which he does.’ And again he saith in another place, ‘Turn ye yourselves to me, O ye sons who have wandered afar off, and I will heal your wounds.’ And again he saith in another place, ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.’ Ye know, O my beloved, that charity is good, and that alms-giving is a choice gift; let therefore no man omit to do acts of charity and give alms to the poor, and to those who are needy, according to his power. And ye must also make offerings to the church in the name of the saints. And by means of all these things let us give glory to God and to his holy forerunner, John the Baptist, the virgin, and martyr, and the kinsman of our Lord Jesus the Christ, who has bestowed upon him great honors, to whom be all glory and all honor, which are his due, and to his good Father, and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever! Amen.

-bP

Featured artwork is a Byzantine icon from circa 1350.