Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Collect
O God, who raised up Saint John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord, give your people, we pray, the grace of spiritual joys and direct the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace. Through our Lord

FIRST READING
“I will give you as a light to the nations.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1-6)

Listen to me, O Islands, and pay attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength — he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 139:1-3. 13- 14.15 (R. 14a)
R/. I thank you who wonderfully made me.

O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You yourself know my resting and my rising;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down;
you know all my ways through and through. R.

For it was you who formed my inmost being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you who wonderfully made me;
how wonderful are your works,
which my soul knows well! R.

My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being fashioned in secret
and moulded in the depths of the earth. R.

SECOND READING
John had preached before Christ’s coming,
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 13:22-26)

In those days: Paul said, “God raised up David to be our fathers’ king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will. ’ Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ “Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.”

The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Luke 1:76
Alleluia. You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“His name is John.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:57-66.80)

Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marvelled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbours. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Creed (I Believe)

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Today’s Reflection

What will this child turn out to be? This question could be asked of any one of us at any stage of our lives: “what will he/she turn out to be?” John became the one who prepared the way for Jesus by witnessing to him. He led people in Jesus’ direction through his life and preaching. We all share in different ways in the work of john the Baptist. Each of us is called to live in such a way that we point others towards the Lord and help others to meet the Lord. We point others towards the Lord when we constantly seek the Lord ourselves, and, by opening ourselves more fully to the Lord’s presence, try to grow in our relationship with him.

Today’s Saint and Quote: St John the Baptist – June 24th

– He must increase, I must decrease.

Personal Devotional

“Someone is shouting in the desert, ‘Prepare a road for the Lord; make a straight path for him to travel’ “ John 3:3

– Tell Jesus to come and take the lead in your life (take seriously).

– Tell Jesus to calm every turbulent waters in your life and family.

– Tell Jesus to refresh your life.

Let Us Pray
O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness, and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us to have perfect trust in your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to you, we shall see your hand, your purpose, your will through all things. Amen.