On the day after Theophany when the Orthodox Church celebrates St. John the Baptist's role in the feast, Fr. Matthew Howell explains what the word "Synaxis" means in relation to this and other feasts like it. He goes on to talk about the unique role that St. John the Baptist plays in the history of salvation, especially how he is the only prophet who uses his hand to prophesy the Messiah. He wraps up by talking about St. John's message of repentance and how that portends not only a turning away from sin but more importantly a turning towards God throughout one's life. Along the way, Fr. Matthew drops an anecdote about how St. John the Baptist's hand prophesied feast or famine in Antioch long after his death, and also tangentially notes that Jesus did not receive baptism out of necessity but instead to purify the waters and to bless the act of baptism.
