𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁

O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman, although thou wast sanctified in thy mother’s womb and didst lead 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.

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, 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉 𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑒. 𝐵𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡 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 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡. 𝐴𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝒉𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒, 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑑. 𝐴𝑚𝑒𝑛.

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 Messiah worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine; grant that it may be given unto us, by means of thy 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 are led astray by vice.

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, 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉 𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑒. 𝐵𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡 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 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡. 𝐴𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝒉𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒, 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑑. 𝐴𝑚𝑒𝑛.

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.

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, 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉 𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑒. 𝐵𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡 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 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡. 𝐴𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝒉𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒, 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝒉𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑑. 𝐴𝑚𝑒𝑛.

𝗩. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀, 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁

𝗥. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀

𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁.

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆:

O’ God, who hast made this day to be honorable in our eyes by the commemoration of blessed John the Baptist, grant unto Thy people the grace of spiritual joy, and direct the minds of all Thy faithful into the way of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen .