Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
The heavens are telling
the glory of God, and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come, dance in the forest,
come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to
the glory of the Lord.
Praise for the sun, the bringer
of day, He carries the light
of the Lord in his rays;
The moon and the stars
who light up the way
unto your throne.
The heavens are telling
the glory of God, and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come, dance in the forest,
come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to
the glory of the Lord.
Praise for the wind
that blows through the trees,
the seas mighty storms,
the gentlest breeze;
They blow where they will,
they blow where they please
to please the Lord.
The heavens are telling
the glory of God, and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come, dance in the forest,
come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to
the glory of the Lord.
Praise for the earth,
who makes life to grow,
the creatures You made,
to let Your life show;
the flowers and trees,
that help us to know,
the heart of love.
The heavens are telling
the glory of God, and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come, dance in the forest,
come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to
the glory of the Lord.
Sing, sing to the
glory of the Lord!
Psalmody
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 You shall name the child John, and many will rejoice at his birth.
Psalm 63:2-9
A soul thirsting for God
O God, you are my God, for you I long; *
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you *
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary *
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life, *
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life, *
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, *
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you. *
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help; *
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.
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
Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honor, and our voices celebrate you for ever.
Ant. You shall name the child John, and many will rejoice at his birth.
Ant. 2 In the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before the Lord to prepare a people worthy of him.
Canticle: Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Let all creatures praise the Lord
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. *
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord. *
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord. *
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord. *
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord. *
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. *
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. *
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. *
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. *
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. *
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.
Ant. In the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before the Lord to prepare a people worthy of him.
Ant. 3 You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
Psalm 149
The joy of God’s holy people
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.
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
Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.
Ant. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
M.V. Francisco, SJ
Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth, peace to people
of good will.
Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth, peace to people
of good will.
We praise You, 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, 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.
Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth, peace to people
of good will.
Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth, peace to people
of good will.
And on earth, peace to
people of good will.
Amen.
1st Reading
Is 49:1-6
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
℟. (14a) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
℟. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
℟. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
when I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
℟. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
2nd Reading
Acts 13:22-26
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
In those days, Paul said:
“God raised up David as their king;
of him he testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.’
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
Thanks be to God.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Gospel
Lk 1:57-66, 80
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.
The Creed is said.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Nicene Creed
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.
O Lord, God of all creation,
now we come to You.
Bringing this gift,
the bread of life, with
hearts full of love we offer.
O Lord, God of all creation,
now we come to You.
Bringing this gift, the cup of life,
with hearts full of love we offer.
Bless us, O Lord
as we gather, and accept
these gifts we offer,
fruit of our labor and
work of our hands.
Bless us, O Lord all our days.
Bless us, O Lord
as we gather, and accept
these gifts we offer,
fruit of our labor and
work of our hands.
Bless us, O Lord all our days.
Bless us, O Lord all our days.
M.V. Francisco, SJ
Holy, holy, holy
Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and Earth
are full of Your glory,
full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.
M.V. Francisco, SJ
When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your Death,
O Lord,
until you come again,
until you come again,
we proclaim your Death,
O Lord.
M.V. Francisco, SJ
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,
deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world,
have mercy on us,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world,
have mercy on us,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
Gospel Canticle
Ant. The mouth of Zechariah was opened, and he spoke this prophecy: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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. The mouth of Zechariah was opened, and he spoke this prophecy: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.