5/18 September

They descended from the stock of Aaron: Saint Zacharias, the son of Barachias, was a priest in the temple at Jerusalem, while Saint Elizabeth was the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Pure Theotokos. The righteous spouses, "walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6), suffered from barrenness, which in Old Testament times was con-sidered to be a great chastisement from God.

Once, during his service in the temple, Saint Zacharias received tidings from an angel that his aged wife would bear him a son, who "shall be great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:15) and "shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias" (Luke 1:17). Zacharias doubted the possibility of this prophecy's fulfillment and was punished with dumbness for lack of faith.

When a son was born to the righteous Elizabeth, she declared by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the babe would be called John, although among their kin such a name had not been given to anyone before. The righteous Zacharias was asked, and he likewise wrote on a tablet the name John. At once the gift of speech returned to him, and he, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to prophesy about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.

When the impious King Herod heard from the Magi of the Messiah, Who had been born, he decided to slay all the infants in Bethlehem and its environs up to the age of two years, hoping that among them would also be the Messiah, Who had been born. Herod knew well of the Prophet John's unusual birth and wanted to slay him, fearing that he too was the King of the Jews. But the righteous Elizabeth concealed herself together with the babe in the mountains. The slayers sought John everywhere. The righteous Elizabeth, on seeing the pursuers, began to entreat God with tears for salvation, and at once the hill, parting, concealed her together with the babe from the pursuit. During those calamitous days, Saint Zacharias was fulfilling his turn of service in the temple at Jerusalem. Soldiers sent by Herod vainly tried to learn from him where his son was. Then, at the command of Herod, they slew the holy prophet, stabbing him to death between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35). The righteous Elizabeth died forty days after her spouse, while Saint John, preserved by the Lord, abode in the desert until the day of his appearing unto the people of Israel.