Our Church commemorates today the first and second finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord, Ioannis.
The fact of the Discovery, like the Precious Head, the sacred relics, the holy icons and other sacred objects, are honored according to the Orthodox holy tradition, not because they possess some magical attributes, but because our Lord Jesus Christ, who made matter incorruptible with His incarnation and resurrection, acts through them in a way that is understandable to human beings.
The Precious Head of the Forerunner was buried near the Herod’s palace. The relic was uncovered by two monks, who transferred it to the city of Emesa. After many adventures, the Precious Head fell into the hands of a heretical monk, who used the miracles the relic performed to attract followers to his false teaching. The second finding occurred in the year 431 during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great. The Forerunner appeared many times in order to indicate the location the holy relic, and Archimandrite Meletius and Bishop Ouranios of Emesa placed it in a temple he erected for this purpose.
The Holy Forerunner completes the Old Testament and opens the era of the New Testament, in which God reveals Himself to the world through the person of Jesus Christ.
Source: Church of Cyprus