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Holy Prophet Zacharias 9/18/2013
The father of Saint John the Forerunner. Son of Barukah, descended from the high priest Abiathar, of the lineage of Addo, who served as a priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of priesthood, in the Temple of Jerusalem. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sovia, sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God. One day, at the time of King Herod, the infant-slayer, Zacharias was fulfilling his turn of service in the Temple of Jerusalem. And in the altar, an angel of God appeared to him, and fear fell on Zacharias. And the angel said to him:" Do not be afraid, Zacharias" (Luke 1). And the angel announced him that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son, in response to their prayers. And they both were advanced in years, Zacharias, and Elizabeth, too. When Zacharias doubted the words of the heavenly announcer, the angel said to him:" I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God." And Zacharias became mute at that moment, and did not utter a word until his son was born and until he wrote on a tablet "His name is John." Then his mouth opened and he praised the Lord. Later, when the Lord Jesus Christ was born and when Herod began slaying the infants in Bethlehem, Herod sent soldiers to find Zacharias' son and to murder him as well. For Herod had heard of everything that happened to Zacharias and how John was born. When she saw the soldiers, Elizabeth took John in her arms - he was a year and a half at the time - and with him fled from home, and run away across rocky and deserted places. On seeing the soldiers as they were coming after her, she called to the mount:" Mount of God, accept the mother with her child!" And at once, the rocks opened and concealed in itself the mother together with her babe. Herod, angry for John had not been slain, ordered Zacharias to be slain in front of the altar. The blood of Zacharias run over the marble and stiffened as a stone and remained such to bear witness to Herod's transgression. And on the spot where Elizabeth had hidden with John, opened a cave and water began to flow and by the power of God there grew a fruitful palm. Forty days following the death of Zacharias, the blessed Elizabeth fell asleep in the Lord as well. And the young John remained in the desert fed by an angel and guarded by God's Providence until the day he was supposed to appear at Jordan.
