There was a man sent from God, whose name was John...
Outside
the most holy Birthday of the Lord, we find celebrated in the Gospel the birth
of only one other, namely, that of the blessed Baptist, John. As regardeth all
others among God's holy and chosen ones we know that that day is observed
whereon, with their work finished, and the world conquered and finally trampled
down, they were born from this into a better life, even one of everlasting
blessedness. In others is honored the crowning of the struggle on their last
day of dying life, but in John is honored the first day; in him the very
beginning is found hallowed. And the reason of this is, without doubt, because
he was sent from God to bear witness to the coming of the Light, lest when It
came It might take the darkness by surprise, and the darkness might not
comprehend It. Now, John was a figure of the Old Testament, and showed in his
own person a typical embodiment of the Law; and therefore John heralded
beforehand the coming of the Saviour, even as the Law was our schoolmaster to
bring us to the grace of Christ.
There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The
same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord.
John
was in the wilderness, preaching the baptism of repentance.
The
same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord. O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of
heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek
after lying?
Know ye
also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful.
The
Angel of the Lord was sent down unto Zacharias, saying Thou shalt beget a son
in thine old age...
Hymn
Thou, in thy childhood, to the
desert caverns
Fleddest for refuge from the
cities' turmoil,
Where the world's slander might not
dim thy lustre,
Lonely abiding.
Camel's hair raiment clothed thy
saintly members;
Leathern the girdle which thy loins
encircled;
Locusts and honey, with the
fountain-water,
Daily sustained thee.
Oft in past ages, seers with hearts
expectant
Sang the far-distant advent of the
day-star;
thine was the glory, as the world's
Redeemer
First to proclaim him.
Far as the wide world reacheth,
born of woman,
Holier was there none than John the
Baptist;
Meetly in water laving him who
cleanseth
Man from pollution.
Praise to the Father, to the Son
begotten,
And to the Spirit, equal power
possessing,
One God whose glory, through the
lapse of ages,
Ever resoundeth.
Amen.
O
glorious St. John the Baptist,
Greatest prophet among those born
of woman, although thou wast sanctified in thy mother’s womb and didst live 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.
St.
John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, shining lamp
of the world, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of
purity before thy birth, R. Pray for us.
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 the 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 that
are led astray by vice.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid
preacher of truth, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying
in the wilderness, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of
mortification
and penance, R. Pray for us.
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.
St. John the Baptist, example of
profound humility, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, great
defender of holy matrimony, R. Pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious
martyr of zeal for God’s holy law, R. Pray for us.
O God, we rejoice at the apostolate
of Saint John the Baptist, though whom we came to know our Redeemer and King.
Through his intercession we implore…
(Mention your
request)
We offer this prayer to Thee (☨)
God the Father, through Christ Our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one
God forever and ever. R. Amen.
Our Father
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. Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord
is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit Of thy
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners Now and at the hour
of our death. Amen.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be
forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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| Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth - DESIDERIO DA SETTIGNANO |
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