Liturgical Calendar

I will speak of Your decrees before kings without being ashamed. And I will delight in Your commands, which I love exceedingly.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing to Your name, Most High.

I will speak of Your decrees before kings without being ashamed. And I will delight in Your commands, which I love exceedingly.

May the great festival of St. John the Baptist, Your Precursor and Martyr, we beseech You, O Lord, assure for us the results of Your saving help.

Lesson from the book of Jeremias

In those days, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Gird your loins; stand up and tell Juda all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day Who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land; against Juda’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.

The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow in the house of the Lord.

To proclaim Your kindness at dawn and Your faithfulness throughout the night. Alleluia, alleluia.

The just shall blossom like the lily; and flourish forever before the Lord. Alleluia.

Continuation + of the Holy Gospel according to Mark

At that time, Herod had sent and taken John, and bound him in prison, because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. But Herodias laid snares for him, and would have liked to put him to death, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and protected him; and when he heard him talk, he did many things, and he liked to hear him. And a favorable day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to the officials, tribunes and chief men of Galilee. And Herodias’ own daughter having come in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, Ask of me what you will, and I will give it to you. And he swore to her, Whatever you ask, I will give you, even though it be the half of my kingdom. Then she went out and said to her mother, What am I to ask for? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in at once with haste to the king, and asked, saying, I want you right away to give me on a dish the head of John the Baptist. And grieved as he was, the king because of his oath and his guests, was unwilling to displease her. But sending an executioner, he commanded that his head be brought on a dish. Then he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a dish, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. His disciples, hearing of it, came and took away his body, and laid it in a tomb.

O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire. (Alleluia.)

We pray, O Lord, that the offerings we bring You in memory of the agonizing death of Your holy Martyr, John the Baptist, may, by his help, be of profit for our salvation.

You placed on his head, O Lord, a crown of pure gold.

May the solemn festival of St. John the Baptist bring us the grace, O Lord, both to venerate the foreshadowing of the wondrous sacrament we have received and to rejoice because it has been fulfilled in us.