Armenian Church commemorates Sts. John the Baptist and Job the Righteous

Today, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Sts. John the Baptist and Job the Righteous.

John the Baptist, the Forerunner or “messenger” of Christ, forms a link between the Old and New Testaments, being the last in a series of Old Testament prophets and the first saint of the New Testament, in which his story is told. He was the son of Zechariah, a priest of the Jerusalem temple, and Elizabeth, a relative of the Virgin Mary. At the age of 30, John went to Jordan to preach Christianity in order to prepare for the coming of the Lord, calling for repentance and justice.

He baptized in the waters of Jordan all those who came to him in spiritual repentance. The culmination of his activity was the baptism of Jesus and the proclamation of Him as the promised Messiah.

Job, who lived in the mountains near the Dead Sea, “was blameless and upright; and he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 1:1-2). He was rich, surrounded by numerous servants, but wealth did not corrupt him. Many trials fell to his lot: he lost his wealth, children, became a leper, but he did not sin before God and answered his wife’s complaints: “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10).

Having withstood all the trials with dignity, Job was awarded even greater blessings.