The Beheading of the Honourable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
🕀 Feast Day: Friday, August 29, 2025
All-Night Vigil Feast | Day of Strict Fasting (No meat or meat products)
On August 29, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), along with all Eastern Christian Churches, solemnly commemorates the Beheading of St. John the Baptist—the Forerunner of the Lord. This is not only a day of remembrance but also of deep spiritual reflection, as the Church honors a prophet who stood unwaveringly for truth, repentance, and righteousness, even to the point of martyrdom.
The solemnity of this feast is marked by an All-Night Vigil, and due to the grievous nature of the event, it is also a strict fast day—a rare case where even during a celebration, the Church calls for abstinence from meat and meat-derived foods.
The Gospel account (Mark 6:14–30) offers a dramatic narrative of St. John’s martyrdom. The Forerunner courageously confronted King Herod, rebuking him for his unlawful union with Herodias, his brother’s wife:
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
(Mark 6:18)
Though Herod respected and even feared John, he succumbed to political pride and the manipulations of Herodias, ultimately ordering John’s beheading during a lavish banquet.
This tragic account reveals the cost of speaking God’s truth in a corrupt world. Yet, John’s death was not in vain—it became the final prophetic act of the one who prepared the way for Christ, even preaching His coming to the souls in Hades, as the Kontakion declares:
“That he might proclaim to those in Hades the message of the coming of the Saviour.”
“The just man is remembered with praises,
but for you the Lord’s testimony suffices, O Forerunner,
for you truly became more honourable than the prophets
and were deemed worthy to baptize the One foretold.
Then you suffered for the truth and joyfully announced to those in Hades
that God appeared in the flesh taking away the sin of the world
and offering us great mercy.”
This hymn praises John not only as a martyr but as the greatest of prophets, the only one privileged to baptize the Messiah. His voice echoed from life into death, proclaiming the Lamb of God even in the realm of the dead.
“The Forerunner’s glorious beheading
came to be a form of dispensation divine
that he might proclaim to those in Hades
the message of the coming of the Saviour.
Let Herodias shed tears of lament
for a lawless murder that was her request;
for she loved a false and transitory age
rather than God’s law and the age of life.”
This Kontakion offers a theological and moral reflection: Herodias represents those who cling to the passing world, rejecting God’s eternal truth. John’s death, though unjust, becomes part of God’s divine plan of salvation.
St. Paul, speaking in the synagogue, recalls John the Baptist’s humility:
“What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.”
(Acts 13:25)
John understood his mission—to point to Christ, not to glorify himself. His humility became his greatness.
The Gospel presents a world of political intrigue, moral compromise, and sensual vanity, all in stark contrast to John’s austere holiness. His beheading reveals the collision of light and darkness, truth and corruption.
“The just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.”
(Prokeimenon, Psalm 63)
“The just man shall flourish like the palm tree…
They who are planted in the house of the Lord…”
(Alleluia, Psalm 91)
These verses emphasize the lasting legacy of the righteous. While Herod’s banquet and Herodias’s scheme are long forgotten, the Church eternally remembers the Forerunner.
Though this feast commemorates a saint, it is observed as a day of mourning and fasting, highlighting the brutality of John’s death and the triumph of evil in the moment. The Church prescribes abstinence from meat, and many faithful also refrain from fish, oil, and wine as a sign of reverence and repentance.
This fast reminds us that spiritual truth often carries a worldly cost, and encourages us to stand firm in righteousness, even when unpopular or dangerous.
“The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance;
of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.”
(Psalm 111:6)
John feared neither Herod nor Herodias. His fear of God surpassed any fear of man. This hymn invites us to draw near in communion with the same boldness and holiness.
St. John the Baptist’s martyrdom reminds the faithful that truth is often silenced violently, but never defeated. He spoke out not just against personal sin, but for the sanctity of God’s law and moral integrity. His voice, though silenced by a sword, still echoes in the conscience of the Church.
As we honor his beheading, we also ask:
Are we willing to stand for God’s truth, even at a personal cost?
Do we value eternal life more than fleeting pleasures, as John did?
Will we let the voice of the Forerunner prepare our hearts anew for Christ?
On this solemn feast, the Church does not merely recall a tragedy—it proclaims the victory of righteousness through suffering. John the Baptist, even in death, bore witness to the Light.
Let us honor his sacrifice with prayer, fasting, and courage, and cry out in faith:
“Holy Prophet and Forerunner, pray to God for us!”
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
