Divine Office

August 29

The Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Memorial

“And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.’ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John…” (Mt 11:4-7). [1]

Today is the memorial of The Passion (beheading) of Saint John the Baptist. Called to proclaim the coming of the Messiah, he boldly spoke the truth in word and deed. Saint John rebuked Herod Antipas’ behavior at having married his niece, who was also his half-brother’s wife, saying, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herod placed John in prison. While John was incarcerated, he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah, to which Jesus replied that his actions spoke for themselves. As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus told the onlookers that John was more than a prophet. After Herod had John beheaded, his disciples took his body and buried it. [2][3]

Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD
[1] Revised Standard Version, s.v., “Matthew, The Gospel According to.”
[2] Ibid.
[3] Herbert J. Thurston, S.J. and Donald Attwater, Butler’s Lives of the Saints Volume 3 (Indiana: Ave Maria Press, Inc., 1956), 440.

Lord, open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people,
the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John who went before Christ in life and in death.

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Psalter: Friday, Week I, 750
Common of One Martyr: 1721 (verse before the readings)
Proper of Seasons: 175 (first reading)
Proper of Saints: 1358 (Second reading, concluding prayer)

Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid.

Psalm 35
The Lord as Savior in time of persecution
They came together… and laid their plans to capture Jesus by treachery and put him to death (Matthew 26:3-4).

I

O Lord, plead my cause against my foes;
fight those who fight me.
Take up your buckler and shield;
arise to help me.

O Lord, say to my soul:
“I am your salvation.”

But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord
and rejoice in his salvation.
My whole being will say:
“Lord, who is like you
who rescue the weak from the strong
and the poor from the oppressor?”

Lying witnesses arise
and accuse me unjustly.
They repay me evil for good:
my soul is forlorn.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid.

Ant. 2 All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me.

II

When they were sick I went into mourning,
afflicted with fasting.
My prayer was ever on my lips,
as for a brother, a friend.
I went as though mourning a mother,
bowed down with grief.

Now that I am in trouble they gather,
they gather and mock me.
They take me by surprise and strike me
and tear me to pieces.
They provoke me with mockery on mockery
and gnash their teeth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me.

Ant. 3 My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long.

III

O Lord, how long will you look on?
Come to my rescue!
Save my life from these raging beasts,
my soul from these lions.
I will thank you in the great assembly,
amid the throng I will praise you.

Do not let my lying foes
rejoice over me.
Do not let those who hate me unjustly
wink eyes at each other.

O Lord, you have seen, do not be silent,
do not stand afar off!
Awake, stir to my defense,
to my cause, O God!

Let there be joy for those who love my cause.
Let them say without end:
“Great is the Lord who delights
in the peace of his servant.”
Then my tongue shall speak of your justice,
all day long of your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, you rescue the poor from their oppressors, and you rose to the aid of your beloved Son against those who unjustly sought his life. Look on your Church as we journey to you, that the poor and weak may recognize the help you provide and proclaim your saving acts.

Ant. My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

I have known tribulation and distress.
— But in your commands I have found consolation.

READINGS

First reading
From the book of the prophet Jeremiah
4:5-8, 13-28
The destroying enemy from the North

Thus says the Lord:
Proclaim it in Judah,
make it heard in Jerusalem;
Blow the trumpet through the land,
summon the recruits!
Say, “Fall in, let us march
to the fortified cities.”
Bear the standard to Zion,
seek refuge without delay!
Evil I bring from the north,
and great destruction.
Up comes the lion from his lair,
the destroyer of nations has set out,
has left his place,
To turn your land into desolation,
till your cities lie waste and empty.
So gird yourselves with sackcloth,
mourn and wail:
“The blazing wrath of the Lord
is not turned away from us.”

See! like storm clouds he advances,
like a hurricane his chariots;
Swifter than eagles are his steeds:
“Woe to us! we are ruined.”
Cleanse your heart of evil, O Jerusalem,
that you may be saved.
How long must your pernicious thoughts
lodge within you?
Listen! They proclaim it from Dan,
from Mount Ephraim they announce destruction:

“Make this known to the nations,
announce it to Jerusalem:
The besiegers are coming from the distant land,
shouting their war cry against the cities of Judah.”
Like watchmen of the fields they surround her,
for she has rebelled against me, says the Lord.
Your conduct, your misdeeds, have done this to you;
how bitter is this disaster of yours,
how it reaches to your very heart!

My breast! my breast! how I suffer!
The walls of my heart!
My heart beats wildly,
I cannot be still;
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
Ruin after ruin is reported;
the whole earth is laid waste.
In an instant my tents are ravaged;
in a flash, my shelters.
How long must I see that signal,
hear that trumpet sound!

Fools my people are,
they know me not;
Senseless children they are,
having no understanding;
They are wise in evil,
but know not how to do good.
I looked at the earth, and it was waste and void;
at the heavens, and their light had gone out!
I looked at the mountains, and they were trembling,
and all the hills were crumbling!
I looked and behold, there was no man;
even the birds of the air had flown away!

I looked and behold, the garden land was a desert,
with all its cities destroyed
before the Lord, before his blazing wrath.
For thus says the Lord:
Waste shall the whole land be;
I will [not] wholly destroy it.
Because of this the earth shall mourn,
the heavens above shall darken;
I have spoken, I will not repent,
I have resolved, I will not turn back.

RESPONSORY See Jeremiah 4:24-26; 8:18; Psalm 85:5

O God, before your blazing anger the whole earth shook with fear.
Have mercy on us, O Lord;
— do not destroy us.

Restore us again, O God, with your saving power,
and do not be angry with us.
— Do not destroy us.

Second reading
From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest
Precursor of Christ in birth and death

As forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, the blessed John showed in his struggle a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture: Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of immortality. We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering and which he adorned with the crimson splendor of his own blood. We do rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of martyrdom the testimony which he delivered on behalf of our Lord.

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptized in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptize the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him, and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

RESPONSORY Mark 6:17, 27

Herod sent out a band of men to arrest John and had him chained and imprisoned
— on account of his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, whom he had married.

He sent an executioner who beheaded John in prison.
— On account of his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, whom he had married.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,
who willed that Saint John the Baptist
should go ahead of your Son
both in his birth and in his death,
grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice,
we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 632
Proper of Saints: 1360
Psalms and canticle from Sunday, Week I, 652

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Saints: 1240
Psalms and canticle from Sunday, Week I, 706

Morning Prayer for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord extended his hand and touched my lips; he ordered me to prophesy to the nations.

Psalm 63
A soul thirsting for God
Whoever has left the darkness of sin yearns for God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honor, and our voices celebrate you for ever.

Ant. The Lord extended his hand and touched my lips; he ordered me to prophesy to the nations.

Ant. 2 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and guarded him carefully.

Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Let all creatures praise the Lord
All you servants of the Lord, sing praise to him (Revelation 19:5).

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

Ant. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and guarded him carefully.

Ant. 3 Although John’s words disturbed him greatly, Herod enjoyed listening to John.

Psalm 149
The joy of God’s holy people.
Let the sons of the Church, the children of the new people, rejoice in Christ, their King (Hesychius).

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honor is for all his faithful.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.

Ant. Although John’s words disturbed him greatly, Herod enjoyed listening to John.

READING Isaiah 49:1b-2

The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made 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.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

You sent your disciples to John, and he gave witness to the truth.
— You sent your disciples to John, and he gave witness to the truth.

He was like a brightly shining light.
— and he gave witness to the truth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— You sent your disciples to John, and he gave witness to the truth.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. The friend of the bridegroom, who waits and listens for his return, rejoices when he hears his voice: so now my joy is complete.

Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The friend of the bridegroom, who waits and listens for his return, rejoices when he hears his voice: so now my joy is complete.

INTERCESSIONS

In faith let us call upon Christ who sent John to prepare for his coming:
Dawn from on high, break upon us.

Your coming caused John the Baptist to leap for joy in his mother’s womb,
— help us to rejoice at your coming among us.
Dawn from on high, break upon us.

Through the life and preaching of the Baptist you showed us the way to repentance,
— turn our hearts to follow the commandments of your kingdom.
Dawn from on high, break upon us.

You willed that your coming among men should be announced by John the Baptist,
— send new heralds to proclaim you throughout the world.
Dawn from on high, break upon us.

You wished to be baptized by John in the Jordan to fulfill all that the Father required,
— help us to do the Father’s will.
Dawn from on high, break upon us.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

O God,
who willed that Saint John the Baptist
should go ahead of your Son
both in his birth and in his death,
grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice,
we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 632
Proper of Saints: 1362
Psalms and canticle from the Common of One Martyr: 1736

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Saints: 1240
Psalms and canticle from the Common of One Martyr: 1420

Evening Prayer for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Do not be afraid to face them, for I am with you, says the Lord.

Psalm 116:1-9

I love the Lord for he has heard
the cry of my appeal;
for he turned his ear to me
in the day when I called him.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord’s name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Do not be afraid to face them, for I am with you, says the Lord.

Ant. 2 He sent an executioner to behead John who was in prison.

Psalm 116:10-19

I trusted, even when I said:
“I am sorely afflicted,”
and when I said in my alarm:
“No man can be trusted.”

How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. He sent an executioner to behead John who was in prison.

Ant. 3 The disciples of John came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Canticle – Revelation 4:11; 5:9,10,12

O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.

Worthy are you, O Lord
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.

For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
men of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.

You made them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on earth.”

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The disciples of John came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

READING Acts 13:23-25

According to his promise, God has brought forth from David’s descendants Jesus, a savior for Israel. John heralded the coming of Jesus by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John’s career was coming to an end, he would say, “What you suppose me to be I am not. Rather, look for the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals on his feet.”

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.
— The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.

Now my joy is complete
— upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. I am not the Christ; I have been sent before him to prepare his way. He must increase, and I must decrease.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I am not the Christ; I have been sent before him to prepare his way. He must increase, and I must decrease.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us pray joyfully to God our Father who called John the Baptist to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of Christ:
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

You called John the Baptist from his mother’s womb to prepare the way of your Son,
— help us to follow in that path which the Baptist opened before the Lord Jesus.
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

May your Church, in imitation of the Baptist, fearlessly point out the Lamb of God,
— so that people in every age may acknowledge that the Lord comes to them.
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

John the Baptist did not exalt himself but acknowledged his role as forerunner of the Christ,
— teach us to acknowledge that you are the giver of all our good gifts and that we must use them in your service.
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

You called John the Baptist to give testimony to you by his life and even by his death,
— help us to imitate his unceasing witness to your truth.
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

Remember those who have died,
— give them a place of light, happiness and peace.
O Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

O God,
who willed that Saint John the Baptist
should go ahead of your Son
both in his birth and in his death,
grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice,
we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.