TODAY THREE WISHES COME TRUE FOR BELIEVERS: What do we mark on the day of the Third finding of the Holy John?

Today, June 7 (May 25 according to the Julian calendar), the Orthodox Church and believers mark the Third finding of the head of Saint John the Baptist. Although among the people it might not be as well-known as the first or second commemoration of this event, this holiday carries deep spiritual symbolism and witnesses to the centuries-long struggle of Christians to preserve their greatest relics.

“Obretenje” is an Old Church Slavonic word that means “finding”. The history of the finding of the head of Saint John the Baptist is divided into three phases, and this third one, which we mark today, is connected to the turbulent times of iconoclasm.

When the persecutions of Christians and the destruction of icons and holy relics began in the 8th century, believers, fearing that the relic could be desecrated, hid the head of Saint John in the place of Komani, not far from the city of Comana (in today’s Turkey).

There, under the ground, the head remained hidden until the period when iconoclasm was waning. According to tradition, Saint John appeared to the Patriarch of Constantinople at the time, Saint Ignatius, in a vision and revealed to him the place where his relics were hidden. After that, the head was solemnly transferred back to Constantinople and placed in the court church, with which this significant period of searching was finally finished.

This holiday is not just a historical reminder, but also a symbol of spiritual perseverance. In a world where values are often easily lost, the story of the third finding of the head of John the Baptist reminds of:

Despite the dangers and persecutions, Christians preserved their shrines as a pledge of hope and spiritual connection with God.
Periods of persecution were always accompanied by fear, but the finding of the relics symbolizes the triumph of spiritual truth that cannot be permanently hidden or destroyed.
Saint John the Baptist is revered in the Christian tradition as the “greatest among those born of women”, and the care for his relics is a reflection of deep respect for his sacrifice and role in Christian history.

On this day, liturgies are served in temples, and believers gather to pay respect through prayer to the saint who with his life and deed prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. In many regions, this day is considered a day of protection, so believers pray for health, peace, and spiritual strength.

In Serbia, there is a widespread belief that on this day the sun starts moving back from the north to the south, stops three times and dances. It is believed that the sky opens three times at midnight, that dead souls easily enter paradise, and the one who waits awake until midnight, looks into the sky and wishes three wishes, they will be fulfilled for him.

If you believe in folk customs, today you must not do any harder work. The belief is especially widespread that on this holiday knives or other sharp objects are not to be touched so as not to injure the wounds of the innocently suffered saint.

Harder work is not done, but it is believed that today is a good day for picking medicinal herbs. Therefore, this is the right time to head into the woods and pick as many herbs as possible, and your home must not remain without: St. John’s wort, mint, horse-heal, and yellow gentian.

Saint John the Baptist is one of the most revered saints. In addition to today’s holiday, the Church also marks the Nativity (Ivanjdan), the Beheading, and the Synaxis of Saint John.

To all believers who celebrate today, may this holiday bring peace and spiritual joy.