Prayer to Saint 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, Hail Mary, Glory be
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, Hail Mary, Glory be
O Martyr invincible, who, for the honour 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, Hail Mary, Glory be
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 honourable 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.
