Liturgical Calendar

Do not be afraid, Zachary, your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John; and he shall be great before the Lord, and shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb; and many will rejoice at his birth.

O Lord, in Your strength the king is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices.

Do not be afraid, Zachary, your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John; and he shall be great before the Lord, and shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb; and many will rejoice at his birth.

Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that Your household may walk in the way of salvation and, by following the counsels of blessed John the Herald, safely come to our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Whom he foretold.

Lesson from the book of Jeremias

In those days, the word of the Lord came to me thus: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. Ah, Lord God! I said, I know not how to speak; I am too young. But the Lord answered me, Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord extended His hand and touched my mouth, saying, See, I place My words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant, says the Lord almighty.

There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John.

This man came to bear witness concerning the light, to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.

Continuation + of the Holy Gospel according to Luke

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were just before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no son, for Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Now it came to pass, while he was officiating in the order of his course as priest before God, according to the custom of the priest’s office, that he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense. And Zachary, seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachary, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great before the Lord; he shall drink no wine or strong drink, and shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And he shall bring back to the Lord their God many of the children of Israel, and he shall himself go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just; to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.

Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: and hast set him over the works of thy hands.

Sanctify, O Lord, the gifts offered to You, and, by the intercession of Blessed John the Baptist, purify us by them from the stains of our sins.

His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

May the powerful prayer of blessed John the Baptist go with us, O Lord, and may he plead with our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Whose coming he foretold, to be merciful unto us.