PRAYER OF THE DAY

In Honor of St. John the Baptist

I. O glorious Saint John the Baptist,

greatest prophet among those born of woman,

although thou wast sanctified in thy mother's womb and didst lead a most innocent life,

nevertheless it was thy will to retire into the wilderness,

there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and penance;

obtain for us of thy Lord the grace to be wholly detached,

at least in our hearts,

from earthly goods,

and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

II. O most zealous Apostle,

who, without working any miracle on others,

but solely by the example of thy life of penance and the power of thy word,

didst draw after thee the multitudes,

in order to dispose them to receive the Messias worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine;

grant that it may be given unto us,

by means of thy example of a holy life and the exercise of every good work,

to bring many souls to God,

but above all those souls that are enveloped in the darkness

of error and ignorance and are led astray by vice.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

III. O Martyr invincible,

who, for the honor of God and the salvation of souls didst with firmness and constancy

withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of thine own life,

and didst rebuke him openly for his wicked and dissolute life;

by thy prayers obtain for us a heart,

brave and generous,

in order that we may overcome all human respect and openly profess our faith

in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ,

our divine Master.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

V. Pray for us, Saint John the Baptist

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God,

who hast made this day to be honorable in our eyes by the commemoration of blessed John the Baptist,

grant unto Thy people the grace of spiritual joy,

and direct the minds of all Thy faithful into the way of everlasting salvation.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Reading 1

IS 49:1-6

Hear me, O coastlands,

listen, O distant peoples.

The LORD called me from birth,

from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.

He made of me a sharp-edged sword

and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.

He made me a polished arrow,

in his quiver he hid me.

You are my servant, he said to me,

Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,

and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,

yet my reward is with the LORD,

my recompense is with my God.

For now the LORD has spoken

who formed me as his servant from the womb,

that Jacob may be brought back to him

and Israel gathered to him;

and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,

and my God is now my strength!

It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the survivors of Israel;

I will make you a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15

R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

you know when I sit and when I stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,

with all my ways you are familiar.

R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;

you knit me in my mother’s womb.

I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;

wonderful are your works.

R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;

nor was my frame unknown to you

When I was made in secret,

when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Reading 2

ACTS 13:22-26

In those days, Paul said:

“God raised up David as king;

of him God testified,

I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;

he will carry out my every wish.

From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,

has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.

John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel;

and as John was completing his course, he would say,

‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.

Behold, one is coming after me;

I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’

“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,

and those others among you who are God-fearing,

to us this word of salvation has been sent.”

Gospel

LK 1:57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.”

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?”

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

SAINT OF THE DAY

June 24

Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: 

“I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John....” 

But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: 

“[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

John spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of the Kingdom, 

and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation of life.

His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His Baptism, he said, was for repentance. But One would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John is not worthy even to carry his sandals. His attitude toward Jesus was: 

“He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).

John was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to be baptized the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to be baptized by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15b). Jesus, true and humble human as well as eternal God, was eager to do what was required of any good Jew. John thus publicly entered the community of those awaiting the Messiah. But making himself part of that community, he made it truly messianic.

The greatness of John, his pivotal place in the history of salvation, is seen in the great emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus. John attracted countless people (“all Judea”) to the banks of the Jordan, and it occurred to some people that he might be the Messiah. 

But he constantly deferred to Jesus, even to sending away some of his followers to become the first disciples of Jesus.

Perhaps John’s idea of the coming of the Kingdom of God was not being perfectly fulfilled in the public ministry of Jesus. For whatever reason, he sent his disciples (when he was in prison) to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah. Jesus’ answer showed that the Messiah was to be a figure like that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah (chapters 49 through 53). 

John himself would share in the pattern of messianic suffering, losing his life to the revenge of Herodias.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 99 (100)

John rejoiced and pointed out the Lamb of God:

come, let us adore him.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,

and serve him with joy.

Exult as you enter his presence.

John rejoiced and pointed out the Lamb of God:

come, let us adore him.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

– his people, the sheep of his flock.

John rejoiced and pointed out the Lamb of God:

come, let us adore him.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates,

fill his courtyards with songs.

Proclaim him and bless his name;

for the Lord is our delight.

His mercy lasts forever,

his faithfulness through all the ages.

John rejoiced and pointed out the Lamb of God:

come, let us adore him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

John rejoiced and pointed out the Lamb of God:

come, let us adore him.

Hymn

O God of truth and Lord of power,

whose word their course to things assigns,

whose splendour lights the morning hour,

whose fiery sun at noonday shines:

Within us quench the flames of strife,

the harmful heat of passion quell;

give health of body to our life

and give true peace of soul as well.

In this, most loving Father, hear,

and Christ, co-equal Son, our prayer:

with Holy Ghost, one Trinity,

you reign for all eternity.

Psalm 20 (21)

Thanksgiving for victory

The Lord called me before I was born,

from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

Lord, the king will rejoice in your strength,

he will triumph in your saving power.

You have granted him his heart’s desire,

you have not denied the wish that he spoke.

For you showered him with blessings

even before he asked for them.

You have placed a crown of purest gold upon his head.

He asked you for life,

and you granted it to him,

length of days for ever and for ever.

Great is his glory through your help:

you cover him with splendour and majesty.

You lay a blessing upon him that will last for ever,

you make him rejoice in joy before you.

For the king hopes in the Lord,

and through the kindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Stand high above us, Lord, in your power;

and we will sing and celebrate your might.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord called me before I was born,

from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

Psalm 91 (92)

Praise of God, the Creator

The Lord made my mouth a sharp sword,

and protected me with his outstretched arm.

It is good to praise the Lord,

and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your mercy in the morning

and your faithfulness by night;

on the ten-stringed lyre and the harp,

with songs upon the lyre.

For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation:

I rejoice in the work of your hands.

How great are your works, O Lord,

how immeasurably deep your thoughts.

The fool does not hear,

the slow-witted do not understand.

When the wicked sprout up like grass,

and the doers of evil are in full bloom,

it will come to nothing, for they will perish for ever and ever;

but you, Lord, are the Highest eternally.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord made my mouth a sharp sword,

and protected me with his outstretched arm.

Psalm 91 (92)

This is the testimony of John:

there is one coming after me who existed before me.

For behold, Lord, your enemies,

how your enemies will perish,

how wrongdoers will be scattered.

You will give me strength as the wild oxen have;

I have been anointed with the purest oil.

I will look down upon my enemies,

and hear the plans of those who plot evil against me.

The just will flourish like the palm tree,

grow tall like the cedar of Lebanon.

They will be planted in the house of the Lord;

in the courts of our God they will flourish.

They will bear fruit even when old,

fresh and luxuriant through all their days.

They will proclaim how just is the Lord, my refuge,

for in him there is no unrighteousness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

This is the testimony of John:

there is one coming after me who existed before me.

He came to bear witness to the light,

– so that all might believe through him.

First Reading

Jeremiah 1:4-10,17-19

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

before you came to birth I consecrated you;

I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.’

I said, ‘Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’

But the Lord replied,

‘Do not say, “I am a child.”

Go now to those to whom I send you

and, say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to protect you –

it is the Lord who speaks!’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

‘There! I am putting my words into your mouth.

Look, today I am setting you

over nations and over kingdoms,

to tear up and to knock down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.

‘So now brace yourself for action.

Stand up and tell them

all I command you.

Do not be dismayed at their presence,

or in their presence I will make you dismayed.

I, for my part, today will make you

into a fortified city,

a pillar of iron,

and a wall of bronze

to confront all this land:

the kings of Judah, its princes,

its priests and the country people.

They will fight against you

but shall not overcome you,

for I am with you to deliver you –

it is the Lord who speaks.’

Responsory

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

before you were born I consecrated you.

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.

I am putting my words into your mouth:

I am setting you over nations and kingdoms.

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Second Reading

From a sermon

by Saint Augustine

The voice of one crying in the wilderness

The Church observes the birth of John as in some way sacred; and you will not find any other of the great men of old whose birth we celebrate officially. We celebrate John’s, as we celebrate Christ’s. This point cannot be passed over in silence, and if I may not perhaps be able to explain it in the way that such an important matter deserves, 

it is still worth thinking about it a little more deeply and fruitfully than usual.

John is born of an old woman who is barren; Christ is born of a young woman who is a virgin. That John will be born is not believed, and his father is struck dumb; that Christ will be born is believed, and he is conceived by faith.

I have proposed some matters for inquiry, and listed in advance some things that need to be discussed. I have introduced these points even if we are not up to examining all the twists and turns of such a great mystery, either for lack of capacity or for lack of time. You will be taught much better by the one who speaks in you even when I am not here; the one about whom you think loving thoughts, the one whom you have taken into your hearts and whose temple you have become.

John, it seems, has been inserted as a kind of boundary between the two Testaments, the Old and the New. That he is somehow or other a boundary is something that the Lord himself indicates when he says, The Law and the prophets were until John. So he represents the old and heralds the new. Because he represents the old, he is born of an elderly couple; because he represents the new, he is revealed as a prophet in his mother’s womb. You will remember that, before he was born, at Mary’s arrival he leapt in his mother’s womb. Already he had been marked out there, designated before he was born; it was already shown whose forerunner he would be, even before he saw him. These are divine matters, and exceed the measure of human frailty. 

Finally, he is born, he receives a name, and his father’s tongue is loosed.

Zachary is struck dumb and loses his voice, until John, the Lord’s forerunner, is born and releases his voice for him. What does Zachary’s silence mean, but that prophecy was obscure and, before the proclamation of Christ, somehow concealed and shut up? It is released and opened up by his arrival, it becomes clear when the one who was being prophesied is about to come. The releasing of Zachary’s voice at the birth of John has the same significance as the tearing of the veil of the Temple at the crucifixion of Christ. If John were meant to proclaim himself, he would not be opening Zachary’s mouth. The tongue is released because a voice is being born – for when John was already heralding the Lord, he was asked, 

Who are you and he replied I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

John is the voice, but the Lord in the beginning was the Word.

John is a voice for a time, but Christ is the eternal Word from the beginning.

Responsory

You, little child, you shall be called a prophet of God, the Most High.

You shall go ahead of the Lord to prepare his ways before him.

You shall make known to his people their salvation through forgiveness of all their sins.

You shall go ahead of the Lord to prepare his ways before him.

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates you.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise you.

Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,

whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

Bring your people to safety, Lord,

and bless those who are your inheritance.

Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.

Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.

In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Let us pray.

Almighty God and Father,

you sent Saint John the Baptist to the people of Israel

to make them ready for Christ the Lord.

Give us the grace of joy in the Spirit,

and guide the hearts of all the faithful

in the way of salvation and peace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.