Vol: 39, No.

36

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

( B)

June 24 2012

RESURRECTION CHURCH VIRAR EAST

(12th Sunday of the Year Laity Sunday) You, little child, you shall be called the Prophet of the Most High ENTRANCE ANTIPHON There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came to bear witness to the light, to prepare an upright people for the Lord. (Jn 1:6-7; Lk 1:17) PENITENTIAL RITE Today the Church celebrates the birthday of St John the Baptist. His miraculous conception and birth brought great joy among the neighbours. Today we too rejoice and honour this great prophet who prepared the way before the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. John the Baptist showed the world its Redeemer, the Lamb of God. As he prepared the way for the Lord, all Christians are called to guide and bring people to Christ. Are we conscious of this great task? Do we really play the role of John in our own day? Let us humbly acknowledge that we have failed in fulfilling our mission. Hence, let us be sorry and ask the Lord mercy and pardon. (Pause) I confess... Glory to God...

OPENING PRAYER God our Father, you raised up John the Baptist to prepare a perfect people for Christ the Lord. Give your Church joy in spirit and guide those who believe in you into the way of salvation and peace. We ask this through

FIRST READING (The liturgy presents one of the Servant Songs from Isaiah: You are my servant, he said to me, in whom I will be glorified. The Prophet Isaiah reflects on his vocation and mission in this text.) A reading from the Book of Isaiah (49:1-6) Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, 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 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 strengthhe 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. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (139) Response: I thank you for the wonder of my being. O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down. R./ All my ways lie open to you. For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mothers womb, I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation. R./ Already you knew my soul, my body held no secret from you when I was being fashioned in secret and moulded in the depths of the earth. R./ SECOND READING (St Paul reminds the Jews how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. He also speaks of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus.) Paul said, God raised up David to be king of our ancestors; 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 mans 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.

This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the Lord to prepare his ways. Alleluia! (Lk 1:76) GOSPEL (St Luke narrates the birth, the circumcision and the naming of John, son of Elizabeth and Zachariah.) 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. This is the Gospel of the Lord

I believe in one God...................... PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, God called many prophets to foretell the coming of His Son. The greatest of them called just before his birth was John the Baptist. As we praise and thank the Lord for this great Prophet who came to bear witness to the Light let us humbly place before Him all our needs and petitions, saying: Response: Lord, make us your prophets. 1. Lord, we pray for our Pope, bishops, priests and all consecrated people: may they become true beacons of light to guide others to Jesus the Saviour. Grant them the courage to practise what they preach like John the Baptist. R./ 2. Lord, you called the apostles to preach your word, now we beg you to send more men and women to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Inspire many young men and women to commit themselves to Christ and his Gospel. R./

3. Lord, we pray to help all Christians to work for a world of justice and peace. Empower them with the gifts of your Spirit. R./ 4. Lord, we pray that through your Spirit prepare the hearts of people who have not yet heard about you, or not accepted you. Enlighten their hearts to see the truth and grant them the faith to know Christ. R./ 5. Lord, we pray for all mothers: as the child leaped in the womb of Elizabeth when she met Mary, the mother of the Saviour, may all mothers experience the presence and joy of the Lord in their lives. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs)

June 2012 25 Mon

READINGS OF THE WEEK Psalter Week 4 (G) 2 Kgs 17:5-8.13-15a.18/ Ps 60:3.4-5.12-13/ Mt 7:1-5 2 Kgs 19:9b-11.14-21.31-35a.36/ Ps 48:2-3ab.3cd-4.10-11/

26 Tue (G) Mt 7:6.12-14 27 28 29 Wed Thu Fri (G) (R) (R)

2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3/ Ps 119:33.34.36.37.40/ Mt 7:15-20 St Irenaeus, 2 Kgs 24:8-17/ Ps 79:1b-2.3-5.8.9/ Mt 7:21-29 STS PETER and PAUL, Apostles., Solemnity,

Acts 12:1-11/ Ps 34:2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9/ 2 Tm 4:6-8.17-18/ Mt 16:13-19 30 Sat (G) Lam 2:2.10-14.18-19/ Ps 74:1b-2.3-5.6-7.20-21/ Mt 8:5-17