God through the Prophet Malachi foretold that before the advent in the world of Christ the Saviour Himself, there would have appeared the Forerunner, that is, the Predecessor of the Saviour. The Forerunner would be a great prophet; he would proclaim to the people the imminent appearance of Christ preparing them to meet Christ the Saviour.

For the birth of the Forerunner, God chose relatives of the Holy Virgin Mary, the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. Already old, they had no children. They fervently prayed to God to deliver them from such unhappiness.

One day, Zacharias was serving in the Temple in Jerusalem. When he entered the sanctuary for the censing, there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the table on which the incense was burning. Zacharias was confused; terror overcame him. The angel said to him, "Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness..., for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord..., and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God." He would come first; that is, he would be the Forerunner before the Lord the Saviour. "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zacharias overwhelmed with joy, could not believe immediately, and said, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years." The angel answering said, "I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee... behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words."

In the meantime, the praying people awaited Zacharias and were amazed that he delayed so long in the sanctuary of the Temple. Coming out, he was unable to speak with the people, explaining with signs. Then, everyone understood that he had experienced a vision in the sanctuary. At the end of his services for the day in the Temple, Zacharias went home.

When Elizabeth found out about the great favour God was bestowing on them, she hid her joy from people with humility and thanked God.

Note: This sacred event is described in the Holy Gospels by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke (Luke 1:5-25).

• 1. The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary
• 2. The Entry into the Temple of the Most-holy Virgin Mary
• 3. The Announcement of the Angel about the Birth of the Forerunner
• 4. The Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary
• 5. The Visit of the Most-holy Virgin Mary to the Righteous Elizabeth
• 6. The Nativity of John the Baptist
• 7. The Nativity of Christ the Saviour
• 8. The Meeting of the Lord
• 9. The Flight into Egypt and Return to Nazareth
• 10. The Saviour in the Temple as a Youth
• 11. The Preaching of St John the Baptist
• 12. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ
• 13. The Lord Jesus Christ in the Wilderness
• 14. The Lord Jesus Christ Appears to the People. His First Disciples
• 15. The First Miracle of Jesus Christ
• 16. The Merchants are Banished from the Temple
• 17. The Conversation with Nicodemus
• 18. The Conversation with the Woman of Samaria
• 19. The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda
• 20. The Lord Chooses Twelve Apostles
• 21. The Sermon on the Mount
• 22. The Power of Prayer. The Healing of the Paralytic
• 23. Parables: the Parable of the Sower
• 24. The Stilling of the Storm
• 25. Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
• 26. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
• 27. The Miraculous Feeding of the People with Five Loaves
• 28. Jesus Christ Walking on the Water
• 29. The Healing of the Daughter of the Canaanite Woman
• 30. The Confession of Peter. The Prediction of the Lord about His Forthcoming Death and Resurrection
• 31. The Transfiguration of the Lord
• 32. The Parable of the Good Samaritan
• 33. Jesus Christ with Martha and Mary
• 34. The Saviour Accuses the Pharisees of Sin. Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
• 35. Healing of the Man Born Blind
• 36. The Parable of the Rich Fool
• 37. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
• 38. The Raising of Lazarus
• 39. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
• 40. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
• 41. The Betrayal by Judas
• 42. The Mystical (Last) Supper
• 43. The Prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
• 44. The Sanhedrin’s Judgement of Jesus Christ
• 45. The Apostle Peter’s Denial
• 46. The Trial of Jesus Christ Before Pilate
• 47. Pilate’s Last Judgment over Jesus Christ
• 48. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ
• 49. The Taking Down from the Cross and Burial of the Saviour
• 50. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
• 51. The Appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus
• 52. The Appearance of the Lord to the Apostles
• 53. The Appearance of the Lord to the Apostle Thomas and the Other Apostles
• 54. The Ascension of the Lord
• 55. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
• 56. The Life of the First Christians
• 57. Persecution of the Christians by the Jews. The First Martyr St. Stephen
• 58. The Dormition of the Mother of God
• 59. The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem
• 60. The Lives of the Apostles
• 61. The Worldwide Persecution of Christians. The Destruction of Jerusalem
• 62. The End of Persecutions and the Finding of the Cross
• 63. New Enemies of Christianity
• 64. The Ecumenical Councils
• 65. The Schism of the Roman Church. The Enlightenment of the Slavs