NOVENA TO
SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
(Feast on June 24.)
[The beautiful Novena to St. John the Baptist traditionally has 3 parts to reflect the 3 phases of his life: (1) the time in the wilderness, (2) his preaching, (3) and finally his martyrdom.]
[Repeat the following prayer for 9 days in a row.]
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.
Say 1 Our Father…
Say 1 Hail Mary…
Say 1 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 Messias 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.
Say 1 Our Father…
Say 1 Hail Mary…
Say 1 Glory Be…
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.
Say 1 Our Father…
Say 1 Hail Mary…
Say 1 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 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.