In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of One Martyr with the proper texts below.
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
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.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
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.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
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.
HYMN
The great forerunner of God’s grace,
beloved messenger of truth:
behold the shining lamp of Christ,
the herald of eternal light.
He sang in speech and acts and life
the Christ with bold prophetic cry;
then on these prophecies he placed
the sacred seal of holy death.
For in his birth, he went before
the One whose birth brings hope to all;
he points to Christ, whose gift of life
in Baptism flows forth for all.
And by the portent of his blood,
the Baptist showed in martyrdom
the holy, blameless death of Christ
that would restore the world to life.
Most loving Father, grant our prayer
to follow John and tread his paths,
that we may reap the fullest share
of everlasting gifts in Christ. Amen.
Tune: WAREHAM, 8 8 8 8
Music: William Knapp, 1698-1768
or Mode IV, melody 64; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Præcessor almus gratiæ, Saint Bede the Venerable, O.S.B., 672-735, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Whoever humbles himself, like a little child, will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.
Psalm 131
Childlike trust in God
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).
O Lord, my heart is not proud *
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great *
nor marvels beyond me.
Truly I have set my soul *
in silence and peace.
As a child has rest in its mother’s arms, *
even so my soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord *
both now and 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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you declared that whoever receives a little child in your name receives you, and you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but may the Father’s compassion reward and embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke.
Ant. Whoever humbles himself, like a little child, will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.
Ant. 2 With simplicity of heart, I have joyfully offered everything to you, my God.
Psalm 132
God’s promises to the house of David
The Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father (Luke 1:32).
I
O Lord, remember David *
and all the many hardships he endured,
the oath he swore to the Lord, *
his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.
“I will not enter the house where I live *
nor go to the bed where I rest.
I will give no sleep to my eyes, *
to my eyelids I will give no slumber
till I find a place for the Lord, *
a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.”
At Ephrathah we heard of the ark; *
we found it in the plains of Yearim.
“Let us go to the place of his dwelling; *
let us go to kneel at his footstool.”
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, *
you and the ark of your strength.
Your priests shall be clothed with holiness: *
your faithful shall ring out their joy.
For the sake of David your servant *
do not reject your anointed.
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. With simplicity of heart, I have joyfully offered everything to you, my God.
Ant. 3 The Lord has sworn an oath to David; his kingdom will stand for ever.
II
The Lord swore an oath to David; *
he will not go back on his word:
“A son, the fruit of your body, *
will I set upon your throne.
If they keep my covenant in truth *
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule *
on your throne from age to age.”
For the Lord has chosen Zion; *
he has desired it for his dwelling:
“This is my resting place for ever, *
here have I chosen to live.
I will greatly bless her produce, *
I will fill her poor with bread.
I will clothe her priests with salvation *
and her faithful shall ring out their joy.
There David’s stock will flower: *
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame *
but on him my crown shall shine.”
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 Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of your saints, and constantly remembering your love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house.
Ant. The Lord has sworn an oath to David; his kingdom will stand for ever.
Come, consider the works of the Lord.
— The marvels he has created on this earth.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Jeremiah
7:1-20
A prophecy about the empty trust that is placed in the temple
The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord, and there proclaim this message: Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord!
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. Put not your trust in the deceitful words: “This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!” Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange gods to your own harm, will I remain with you in this place, in the land which I gave your fathers long ago and forever.
But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss! Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange gods that you know not, and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name, and say: “We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again”? Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves? I too see what is being done, says the Lord.
You may go to Shiloh, which I made the dwelling place of my name in the beginning. See what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because you have committed all these misdeeds, says the Lord, because you did not listen, though I spoke to you untiringly; because you did not answer, though I called you, I will do to this house named after me, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, just as I did to Shiloh. I will cast you away from me, as I cast away all your brethren, all the offspring of Ephraim.
You, now, do not intercede for this people; raise not in their behalf a pleading prayer! Do not urge me, for I will not listen to you. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, their fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, while libations are poured out to strange gods in order to hurt me. Is it I whom they hurt, says the Lord; is it not rather themselves, to their own confusion? See now, says the Lord God, my anger and my wrath will pour out upon this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruits of the earth; it will burn without being quenched.
RESPONSORY
Jeremiah 7:11; Isaiah 56:7; John 2:16
Have you made this house which bears my name a den of thieves?
— My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
Do not turn my Father’s house into a marketplace.
— My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
SECOND READING
From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest
(Hom. 23: CCL 122, 354, 356-357)
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
Let us pray.
God our Father,
you called John the Baptist
to be the herald of your Son’s birth and death.
As he gave his life in witness to truth and justice,
so may we strive to profess our faith in your gospel.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
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
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
******
Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
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.
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
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 earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
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.
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lamb of God on this feast of Saint John, who went before Christ in life and in death.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
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.